Quantitative and qualitative
Quantitative measures. How many, how often, in what proportion, within what margin of error. It answers sizing questions: segment size, penetration rate, the structure of prices actually charged.
Qualitative explains. Why this choice rather than another, which barriers never surface in a closed questionnaire, which representations carry the purchase decision. In-depth individual interviews, focus groups, in-store observation.
Most mandates call for both, in that order: qualitative to build the right hypotheses, quantitative to measure them. A quantitative study launched without an exploratory phase often measures unimportant things with great precision.
What you receive
An analysis report built around the decision at hand, with the recommendations that follow from it. The cleaned dataset, which you keep and can re-use. An oral debrief with your teams, which is often the moment results turn into decisions.
Deliverables are produced in English or in French, as agreed at scoping. The exact scope is settled there too: an investment committee, a commercial directorate and an institutional funder do not need the same document.
Entering the market from outside
Companies and institutions looking at Cameroon from abroad usually face the same two gaps. Published statistics are thin, dated, or cover only the formal economy, which is not where most of the volume sits. And the distributors, wholesalers and retail networks that decide whether a product moves are not documented anywhere you can buy.
Both gaps close the same way, by going and asking. That is what the field network is for, and it is also why we treat market entry work as an extension of research rather than as a separate exercise.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a market research study in Cameroon take?
Fifteen to forty-five days from commission to final report. A qualitative study on a single segment in Douala closes in two weeks. A multi-city quantitative study with several target groups takes six.
Can you run fieldwork in English in Cameroon?
Yes. Our interviewer network includes French-speaking, English-speaking and bilingual profiles, which covers the anglophone regions and neighbouring English-language markets without translating a questionnaire designed in French.
Which countries do you cover from Douala?
Eight: Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Nigeria.
Do you work as a local fieldwork partner for international research agencies?
Yes. We handle protocol adaptation, interviewer recruitment and training, collection, quality control and delivery of the cleaned dataset. You retain design and analysis.
How do you ensure the reliability of the data collected?
Through direct supervision and independent back-checking of a share of the questionnaires. The cleaned dataset is handed over, so you can verify it yourself.
In which language are the deliverables produced?
English or French, as required. Questionnaires, field guides, dataset, report and debrief follow the working language agreed at scoping.
Who staffs a research assignment at TB'B CONSULTING?
TB'B draws on a network of senior partner experts, brought in according to the sector and the nature of the study. They handle project direction, training and supervision of collection teams, report writing and quality control. The firm remains your single point of contact from scoping to debrief.