Network Brazil
Qualitative market research in Brazil
Brazil has 213 million people, 88.3 per cent of them in cities, and 185 million internet users (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Qualitative research there works when it is run in Brazilian Portuguese, when São Paulo is not taken for the whole country, and when the study looks at how people pay as well as what they buy. MindMarket runs in-depth interviews, focus groups, home visits and mystery shopping in Brazil with moderators who live there and one project manager for your whole study, and has run mystery shopping programmes in Brazil.
AT A GLANCE
Brazil at a glance for researchers
- Population. 213 million people, median age 34.8, 88.3 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). A country the size of a continent, where the Southeast, the South and the Northeast shop and speak differently.
- Languages. Brazilian Portuguese, not Spanish. Material translated from Spanish, or written in the Portuguese of Portugal, reads as foreign. Our moderators live in Brazil and work in Portuguese, with translation for your team.
- Internet and mobile. 185 million internet users, 86.9 per cent of the population, and 217 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Online interviews work well in the cities, and the phone is the main screen.
- Where fieldwork happens. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro first. Add a city in the Northeast or the South, such as Recife, Salvador or Porto Alegre, when your product has to work beyond the Southeast.
- Data protection. The General Data Protection Law (LGPD), in force since 2020: a legal basis such as consent before personal data is processed, and a stated purpose. Consent is collected before each session.
- Timing. Carnival, in February or early March, stops fieldwork for about a week, and from mid-December to mid-January much of the country is on summer holiday. Public holidays often become long weekends.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Brazil?
In Europe, a concept test can ignore how the product will be paid for. In Brazil, the way of paying is part of the offer.
- Show how people would pay. One shopper pays at once by Pix, the instant-payment system. Another only considers the same appliance because the total is split into instalments. Put the checkout in front of people, not only the product, as our Latin America consumer guide explains.
- One city is not Brazil. A concept that wins in São Paulo can meet different prices, channels and tastes in Recife or Porto Alegre. We agree with you which regions the decision depends on before recruitment starts.
- Rapport before the guide. Sessions open with conversation before the first question. A moderator who lives in Brazil builds that rapport in Portuguese, and the candid answers follow.
- A personal call the day before. In Latin America a personal phone call reduces no-shows far more than a written reminder. Our local team calls each participant the day before and confirms again on the morning.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Brazil?
- We recruit through local partners in each city, by region, income and category use, and we agree the regions with you before recruitment starts.
- For mystery shopping we recruit shoppers who match your real customers and brief them on one checklist, so a score in São Paulo compares with a score in any other market.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Brazil?
Most studies in Brazil run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with ethnographic home visits, shop-alongs or mystery shopping when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Financial products, health and B2B audiences, online or in person | Traffic in São Paulo; online sessions save participants hours |
| Focus groups | Concepts, packaging and advertising, region by region | Keep one income band per group; mixed groups go quiet |
| Ethnographic home visits | Food, household and family routines | Agree the visit and the recording in advance |
| Shop-alongs | Grocery, pharmacy and appliance decisions, with the checkout in view | Ask about the payment at the till, not afterwards |
| Mystery shopping | Retail, banking, car showrooms and hospitality | One checklist and one briefing for every city |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Brazil
How much does market research cost in Brazil?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Brazil added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Each extra city adds recruitment and moderation, so the number of regions you cover moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
Can I use my Spanish materials in Brazil?
No. Brazil speaks Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese differs from the Portuguese of Portugal in vocabulary and tone. Our moderators in Brazil adapt each discussion guide and each piece of stimulus, so that questions sound natural and not translated.
Which cities should I cover in Brazil?
Start with São Paulo, the largest consumer market, and add Rio de Janeiro for a second view. If your product must work nationally, add a city in the Northeast such as Recife or Salvador, or Porto Alegre in the South, because prices, channels and tastes change by region.
Should I run research online or in person in Brazil?
Online for audiences spread across cities and for busy professionals: 86.9 per cent of the population is online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). In person when the home, the shop or the product needs to be in view, as in home visits, shop-alongs and mystery shopping.
When should I avoid fieldwork in Brazil?
During Carnival, in February or early March, and from mid-December to mid-January, when summer holidays empty the cities. Public holidays often stretch into long weekends, so check the calendar city by city before fixing dates.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Brazil told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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