Perception on South American companies
Insights were collected that indicated the possibility of South American companies being viewed negatively by the US industry and companies. Even though the company in question conducts business as an American company, it has South American roots. The question arose of how to present this type of information and whether it would be beneficial to do so.
Introduction
During some sessions on a previous study, clients talked about how trustworthy this "American" company was, and how this would make it easier to do business with.
At another moment, another client told us about the day he visited one of this company's offices in Buenos Aires, and how impressed he was with how things were organized and sophisticated as you "wouldn't expect from a South American company".
Even though the company in question conducts business as an American company, it has South American roots. It makes us wonder:
Is that a problem? What is the reputation of South American companies in this industry?
Do prospective and current clients have a preference regarding the "origin" of a company to partner with?
Should the company position itself as an American or South American? How much does it matter to the company's image?
Our hypothesis on this matter is:
South American companies might be perceived as "not-sophisticated" because of a misconception about developing countries/third world countries;
In comparison, people may think that, because of cultural differences, an American company would do business more seamlessly than a LATAM company;
It's a matter of lack of information about these countries' infrastructure and business.
Approach
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The approach for the discovery research included a comprehensive desk research phase, which consisted of reading literature and relevant materials about the subject at hand. Additionally, an analysis of Google Trends was conducted, with a focus on identifying keywords such as "outsourcing" and "LATAM" in the US market.
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In order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the market, internal teams, particularly those from sales and marketing, were interviewed to collect their insights and perspectives. These interviews were conducted with the goal of identifying potential opportunities and challenges related to the outsourcing market in LATAM.
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The combination of these methods provided a robust foundation for the discovery research, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the market and the identification of potential areas of focus for future strategies.
Crucial Insights
A balanced approach must be taken if disclosing company and employee origin information on channels, according to the findings.
It is recommended to show that the company conducts business like Americans and fits in the US market, while also being searchable for outsourcing in LATAM.
A balanced positioning is deemed positive due to the varying opinions of customers regarding cultural diversity.
The decision to include a section or copy mentioning this information on the company's channels depends on whether it brings more business value or simply increases visibility in search results for outsourcing in LATAM.
One suggestion to evolve this study was to conduct tests on different channels to evaluate the impact of this positioning on the company's metrics.
For more information on this study, contact mirandamoreiraleticia@gmail.com