Data suggests an increasing number of companies are either already, or considering, offshoring different aspects of the MR process. This is a complex issue, with many angles & perspectives.

element54 has registered with the Foundation for Transparency in Offshoring (FTO). We chose to declare a “position” early in this discussion for 2 reasons:

(1) We believe that MR companies should be transparent with clients about how we handle their projects. Regardless of why someone chooses to offshore (cost, speed, or any other reason), it is our stated position to always be accountable to our end-clients about where THEIR data is, at all phases of the Marketing Research process.

(2) element54 declared a position of “responsible offshoring” because we live in a global village, and we have learned  you can find trusted business partners around the world, regardless of distance or culture. We’ve worked with recruiters in Asia, online sample providers throughout East/West Europe … and more recently, a firm in India. The experience was positive, our expectations were clearly aligned, and the end-result was successful.

And, to be clear (and transparent) – our client was made aware of exactly what was being offshored, and the credentials of the company we had chosen to work with.