Be in focus: "Orient Products" tests its products before entering the Chinese market
The Russian company "Orient Products" is a strategic partner of our university. The company is known in Russia and the CIS countries for its products - baked crispbreads under the brands Shchedrye and KRUAZETT. Continuing its international expansion, "Orient Products" is developing a plan to enter the Chinese market. Knowing that around 40 students from China study at campus, we decided to conduct several focus groups among international students. The pilot meeting took place on Tuesday, May 27, during which we tasted the company's products, studied the preferences of Chinese consumers regarding snacks and baked goods, and validated the survey questions after the focus group.
The idea didn't come out of nowhere: in the educational program "International Bachelor in Business and Economics" students have an opportunity to delve deeply into various disciplines in the field of marketing. The experience of conducting focus groups for real business tasks allows them not only to apply the theoretical knowledge they have gained but also to dive deeper into a specific market, product, and sales.
The focus group was conducted in-person to study the perception of the company's products based on various criteria (packaging, design, taste preferences, etc.). The moderators were Yaroslav Zagora, Sales Director at Orient Products, and Irina Shaikhieva, Head of Export Sales at Orient Products.
Irina Shaikheeva, Head of Export Sales Department at Orient Products
On behalf of Orient Products LLC, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to HSE University for our fruitful collaboration. The interaction between us holds special significance for our company, as it opens new horizons for development and innovation in international projects, especially in projects aimed at entering new markets. For Orient Products LLC, one of our strategic directions is to enter the Chinese market. During the focus group, students shared their opinions on our products, taste preferences, packaging, and design. This interaction will undoubtedly help us develop and implement a strategy for entering the Chinese market, taking into account the market's characteristics and specifics.
We highly value the results of our current collaboration (for example, project work within the framework of a SWOT analysis) and see significant potential in implementing new joint projects (coursework, thesis work, internships). LLC "Orient Products" is ready to actively participate in organizing and conducting joint focus groups, conferences, marketing research, as well as continue sharing their practical experience with students, contributing to their professional development.
Participants tried several types of the company's products and answered survey questions, as well as shared their impressions of the packaging material, its color scheme, and size. Notably, the focus group participants recommended not translating the packaging text into Chinese, as this would allow the company's products to stand out among Chinese competitors. The color scheme was also appreciated for its variety of colors.
Yaroslav Zagora, Sales Director of Orient Products
HSE is one of the leading universities in the country, and we are very pleased to collaborate with the competent approach of the faculty and students. We see modern and relevant approaches in solving our joint cases, which is very important in a changing world. We feel the interest and are inspired by our joint work, and we hope to strengthen our ties in the future!
As one of the leaders on crispy bread market, we have extensive experience and our own expertise in the domestic market. However, to enter new countries, we strive to move away from the conventional perception of the consumer and gather more information about the cultural characteristics and preferences of different cultures. The goal of the focus group is to test our hypotheses regarding the selection of the appropriate assortment and to receive honest feedback from target market consumers about the prospects of business development in countries that are new to us.
Such micro-research will allow us to improve our market offering and reduce the margin of error.
We plan to continue collaborating with universities and are interested in involving students, future professionals, in joint project developments based on real practical cases requested by businesses.
On the one hand, this format of collaboration with companies allows foreign students to get acquainted with the products of Russian companies, and on the other hand, to test the company's hypotheses regarding the products and services they plan to introduce to foreign markets. By receiving direct feedback and impressions from potential customers, companies can more accurately develop their promotion and market entry strategies, highlighting the most promising ones. This is especially important given cultural differences.
Natalia Khazieva, Academic Supervisor of the educational program "International Bachelor in Business and Economics"
In the program, a significant number of students choose to study deeper the marketing and also write their course and thesis works in this field. We are particularly interested in companies as research subjects that export or import goods and services, as by interacting with them in various projects and formats, our students can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired and immerse themselves in real business tasks.
The students themselves at HSE are interested in various formats of interaction with partners, better understand the tasks they will solve and the functions they will perform after completing their studies. Entering the foreign market requires a lot of effort, time, and investment, and the cost of mistake can be very high. The pilot project with focus groups has been launched – we will conduct focus groups with Orient Products again in the fall, and we also plan to invite other companies – stay tuned for invitations!