Uncovering Consumer Behaviours in Emerging Nicotine Markets

Picture this: A European venture builder is eyeing two of the world's most dynamic emerging markets—Riyadh and Jakarta. Different languages, different cultures, different social norms. Same question: How do people really feel about nicotine products?

Not the sanitised focus group version. The real, on-the-street, in-the-moment truth.

That's where MindMarket came in! 🌍

The Challenge

Our client had ambitious plans for the Middle East and Southeast Asia nicotine markets, but ambitious plans need solid ground to stand on. They needed consumer behaviour research that went deeper than surveys and data points—they needed to understand the why behind the what.

The brief was deliciously complex:

Understand the social landscape. In Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, cultural context isn't just important—it's everything. How do people talk about nicotine? When? With whom? What are the unwritten rules that govern consumption?

Map the retail journey. Where do people actually buy these products? What does the shopping experience look like? Because spoiler alert: purchasing nicotine products in Riyadh looks nothing like purchasing them in Jakarta.

Identify genuine drivers. Move past assumptions and marketing mythology to discover what actually influences consumer choice in these distinctly different markets.

Oh, and do it all while navigating two completely different cultural contexts, languages, and regulatory environments. No pressure. 😊

Our Approach: Getting Real About Research

Here's the thing about emerging markets consumer research—you can't phone it in. Literally or figuratively. You need to be there, on the ground, with people who actually understand the local context.

So that's exactly what we did.

Phase 1: Immersive Field Exploration

Before we even thought about structured interviews, we spent time just... observing. Walking the streets. Visiting shops. Watching how people interact with retailers. Understanding the social choreography of purchasing behaviour.

Our team paired local researchers with translators who didn't just speak the language—they understood the culture. Because there's a massive difference between knowing what someone said and understanding what they meant.

In Riyadh, we explored how consumption fits into social settings and religious context. In Jakarta, we navigated the complex interplay of traditional values and rapid modernisation.

This is ethnographic research in action. Not surveys. Not focus groups in sterile rooms. Real people, real contexts, real insights.

Phase 2: In-Depth Qualitative Sessions

Once we understood the landscape, we went deeper. We designed qualitative market research sessions that felt like conversations, not interrogations.

Cultural immersion sessions with 24 nicotine users from various social backgrounds gave us the full picture. We observed authentic consumption contexts and rituals—the moments when people are most honest about their choices.

Street intercepts captured spontaneous insights. Sometimes the best data comes from catching someone right after they've made a purchase. "Why did you choose that?" "What made you come to this shop?" The answers were fascinating.

Focus groups brought diverse voices together to discuss social norms and product perceptions. We watched people challenge each other's assumptions, debate preferences, and reveal the social dynamics that shape individual choices.

Throughout it all, our methodology remained flexible. When we discovered something unexpected (and we did, repeatedly), we adapted. That's the beauty of qualitative consumer research—it breathes.

What We Discovered: Insights That Actually Matter

Cultural Context Drives Everything

Here's a truth bomb: You can't understand nicotine consumption in emerging markets without understanding the social fabric it's woven into.

In Saudi Arabia, we discovered that when and where products are used matters as much as the products themselves. Social settings create invisible rules about acceptability. Some contexts welcome it, others absolutely don't. Miss this nuance, and your product positioning will fall flat.

Jakarta told a different story. There, the push-and-pull between traditional values and modern lifestyle aspirations creates unique consumption patterns. People aren't just buying nicotine—they're navigating identity.

The impact? Our client could now shape culturally relevant product positioning instead of assuming one-size-fits-all messaging would work across markets. (Spoiler: it wouldn't have.)

The Retail Experience Is Your Secret Weapon

We mapped the retail landscape in both markets, and honestly, it was like exploring two different planets.

Consumer segments had wildly distinct preferences for how they discover and purchase products. Some prioritised discretion. Others wanted expert guidance. Many valued convenience above all else.

The purchase journey wasn't just about the transaction—it was about the experience. The shop environment, the retailer relationship, the display, the packaging moment. Every touchpoint mattered.

The impact? Our client could now design distribution and merchandising strategies that actually aligned with how people shop in each market. Not how we think they shop—how they actually shop.

Consumer Segments Are More Different Than You'd Expect

This is where emerging markets research gets really interesting. We identified important differences in motivation and behaviour between consumer segments that would have been invisible in traditional market research.

Age, income, lifestyle, social context—all of these created distinct patterns. But the patterns weren't what you'd predict from Western markets. They were uniquely shaped by local culture and circumstance.

Some segments were early adopters, hungry for new options. Others were cautious, needing social validation before trying anything new. Many fell somewhere in between, navigating peer influence and personal preference.

The impact? Product development could now be targeted and nuanced. Instead of launching one product hoping it would appeal to everyone, our client could develop offerings for specific segments with specific needs.

Why MindMarket? Because Emerging Markets Deserve Better

Look, anyone can fly into a market, run some focus groups through interpreters, and call it research. We've seen the reports. They're... fine. Generic. Forgettable.

But here's what we believe: Emerging markets are complex, fascinating, and full of human stories that deserve to be heard properly. Not simplified. Not reduced to bullet points. Heard.

We embed local expertise because cultural context isn't something you can parachute in to understand. Our researchers don't just work in these markets—they live in them. They understand the subtle cues, the unspoken rules, the social dynamics that shape behaviour.

We stay pragmatic even when things get messy. And trust us, international research can get messy. Timeline changes, unexpected challenges, regulatory hurdles—we adapt. That's not a feature, it's a requirement.

We're exceptionally agile in ways that matter. When our client had follow-up questions after the formal research wrapped? We connected with respondents again. Because getting the answer right matters more than sticking rigidly to the original scope.

We bring hands-on fieldwork experience that turns observations into actionable insights. We've been in the streets, the shops, the homes. We've had hundreds of conversations that started as research and ended as genuine human connection.

This is how you conduct consumer research in emerging markets when you actually care about getting it right. ✨

Ready to Understand Your Market?

Here's the truth: The next big trend in your industry might already be happening in an emerging market you don't fully understand yet.

Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are just the beginning. There are fascinating consumer stories unfolding in markets around the world, waiting to be uncovered by people who care enough to do it properly.

Want to know what your customers actually think—not what they say in surveys?

Let's talk. We're ready to dig deep, ask better questions, and bring you insights that actually drive decisions.