Services

1. Global Strategic Research
2. Corporate strategy, industry and market intelligence
3. Market and consumer research
4. Visit support services
5. Interpreting and Translation
6. Business support and development
7. Japan research and consulting

 

1. Global Strategic Research

Askew International Research (AIR)’s key area of expertise lies in detailed research and analysis for our clients across a broad range of sectors and geographical locations. With extensive research experience, we are able to utilise the most appropriate knowledge sources, online databases, libraries, expert journals in the original language. This information is then taken to a further level of accuracy by extensive expert interviews with government officials, companies, NGOs, industry experts, journalists, academics etc. We do not just outline the information, our value to our clients lies in our ability to talk to the people behind the policies or strategies – not just what is happening, but why is it happening and what can our clients learn from that, e.g.:

  • on government policies: what decision-making process lead to the policy; what issues were debated; what problems have occurred now the policy is running etc
  • companies affected by government policies: did the companies lobby against the policy; what are their strategies under the policy; what are future plans
  • company activities: what are rival companies’ strategies; market data; what are market opportunities etc
  • etc

In the course of its work AIR is in regular contact with government officials, company representatives, academics, NGOs and industry experts.           

Summary of research topic areas

  • Energy and environment
  • Industry, science, technology
  • ICT, telecoms, internet, broadcasting
  • IP, copyright, data protection
  • Standards
  • Food and agriculture
  • Social and public policy, education, health, transport, urban regeneration
  • Emergency and security
  • Health and medical
  • Transport and automotive
  • Finance and economy
  • Corporate strategy, industry and market intelligence
  • Advertising, trends, fashion

Examples of projects can be seen on here 

Other research-related services 

Background research, material collection and mini projects

While AIR’s core business area is large scale research projects, we are also happy to help with smaller scale projects with a short turnaround of even a few days or simple background research or document collection. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any requests and we will be as flexible as possible to help. 

Monitor

AIR can provide regular and timely information on key topics to keep clients at the forefront of knowledge. Not only using databases and desk research, information can be based on regular expert interviews depending on the client’s needs. Provision can be weekly, monthly, quarterly as required. Please contact us to discuss any requests. 

Bid support

It is increasingly difficult for clients to win bids for projects. AIR can help clients by providing information on relevant topic areas to give our clients’ bids a better chance of success. Examples of assistance include: pre-research or brief expert interviews to obtain information to demonstrate depth of knowledge; listing key experts to be interviewed during project; act as your partner in Europe to improve your bid; provide a regular information monitor to keep at the forefront of knowledge in current key policy areas.

Conference attending

Conferences are sources of up-to-the minute information, but there are times when our clients are unable to attend in person. AIR offers the service where a staff member attends a key conference in the required country on behalf of clients and provides a written report and conference materials. Please contact us to discuss any requests.

 

2. Corporate strategy, industry and market intelligence

Many clients seek assistance with entering foreign markets, assessing competitor activities or obtaining information to assist with product development. AIR has much experience in this difficult research area and is able to provide a wide range of services to our clients.

  • market intelligence – e.g. size of market; key players; distribution channels etc
  •  competitor analysis – e.g. organisational structure; manufacturing; R&D; distribution; market share; sales volume; advertising strategy; SWOT analysis etc
  • branding and communication strategies – how companies are communicating
  • trade interviews – gain expert views from industry experts or companies
  • market and consumer research (see below)Experience brought from previous companies in this area includes:
  • Market for home appliances in North Africa (Libya, Morocco, Tunisia)
  • Bicycle and ebike markets in Europe
  • Oil Country Tubular Goods market in Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
  • Identifying appropriate OEM manufacturer for food product manufacture in Asia
  • Screen Printer competitor company analysis globally
  • etc

 

3. Market and consumer research

Clients often need primary research to understand an overseas market better:

  • to understand consumer behaviour and preferences so as to develop a product or advertising campaign suited to the market
  • to understand local companies or distributors better so the client can work better with them or develop a market entry strategy
  •  to conduct expert interviews to better understand a market
  • etc

AIR possesses a reliable network of market research companies enabling all types of quantitative and qualitative research (focus groups, in depth interviews, web-based surveys etc) across most regions. AIR can assist clients with these complex overseas projects, acting as a focus for coordination:

  • managing project partners and ensuring fieldwork delivery
  •  questionnaire development and translation between languages
  •  accompanying clients to focus groups and interviews
  •  interpreting at focus groups and interviews
  • reporting in client language if required
  •  etc

 

4. Visit support services

In addition to conducting research itself, AIR is also able to provide a range of supplementary services when client visits overseas:

Meeting Arrangements

AIR has much experience in this area, and is able to identify and arrange meetings with government and company experts across several countries, creating a schedule for our clients to conduct face-to-face meetings. 

Background research and material collection

We are happy to help with small-scale research or document collection prior to a client’s visit. 

Study tours

We would be happy to facilitate visits by groups interested in a topic area. We can arrange meetings with experts, tours of sites and workshops etc. This could be a service our clients offer to groups of their clients as part of their service offering. In this case AIR would work in tandem with our clients as partners offering the service. 

Document preparation and copywriting

It is often the case that companies’ foreign language materials are not written as well as they could be, thus harming the company image. We understand many cultural requirements, and also have linguistic, copywriting and editing skills to help ensure foreign language materials are written accurately and in a style that ensures a positive image with a Western or Japanese audience.

Cultural training and advice

Sometimes Japanese and Western organisations or staff and employees encounter difficulties owing to cultural differences. AIR is able to provide briefings and advice to help organisations improve communication and understanding.

 

5. Interpreting and Translation


Interpreting and attending meetings

AIR can provide interpreting for clients when they have overseas meetings. Other options include a language-speaker accompanying clients to meetings, or a researcher attending a meeting and taking notes and then writing a report. 

Translation

AIR regularly conducts translation between Japanese and English, but is also able to provide translation between other languages. This can be smaller jobs such as preparing questionnaires, or larger scale translation jobs. 

 

6. Business support and development

Many of our clients require information to enable them to develop their business. AIR is able to assist with the following: 

Innovative business models and products, business seeds, business development

Being the first to identify a new business idea or business model can give a company a massive competitive advantage. By looking overseas there is a wealth of new business activity which can be analysed and learned from. AIR can help clients to identify unique and successful business ideas or products overseas so that they can introduce them into their own countries ahead of competitors or use the ideas in their own business development.

Business matching

Our clients often need to find appropriate overseas organisations for various types of collaboration. According to client needs, AIR can identify, research and facilitate meetings between potential partners for R&D collaboration, business partnerships, product distribution etc. For several years Tim Askew acted as the European Secretariat of Global Venture Forum for Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

Company representative in Europe

Many of our clients do not possess an office in Europe. AIR is happy to act as a European representative or secretariat for overseas organisations, contacting Western companies, acting as a sales representative, assisting with visits from our client’s head office etc.

 

7. Japan research and consulting

The company has particularly strong background regarding Japan: the founder and Managing Director, Tim Askew, a graduate of the University of Oxford, has lived and worked in Japan and has been working with Japanese clients for 15 years. Tim is fluent speaking, reading and writing Japanese. Previously, Tim was Research Director at a London-based research company (originally part of the Osaka Gas Group).

Accordingly, AIR is well placed to provide support relating to Japan. We work with a wide range of leading Japanese think tanks, research institutes and other companies and can facilitate research and other support relating to Japan. We can also provide linguistic assistance such as interpreting and translation.