Network Serbia
Qualitative market research agency in Serbia
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Serbia, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to UX research and shop-alongs, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Serbia has 6.68 million people, and 91.8 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). About a quarter of the population lives in Belgrade, the largest city of the Western Balkans, and Instagram alone counts 3.40 million users in the country. Serbian is written in two alphabets, Cyrillic and Latin, and a study in Serbia decides which one its stimulus uses before the first session.
AT A GLANCE
Serbia at a glance for researchers
- Population. 6.68 million people, median age 44.4, 57.7 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Belgrade is the capital and the centre of business and media. Novi Sad leads the northern province of Vojvodina, Niš the south and Kragujevac the centre, where the car industry is based. The Danube and the Sava meet in Belgrade, and Novi Sad is an hour to the north.
- Languages. Serbian, in every session. Cyrillic is the official script and Latin is used as widely in daily life, so stimulus follows the script the brand uses in the market. Hungarian is spoken in the north of Vojvodina. Our moderators live in Serbia.
- Internet and mobile. 6.13 million internet users, 91.8 per cent of the population, and 8.45 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Median download speeds reach 70.81 Mbps on mobile and 93.30 Mbps on fixed lines (same source). Social media counts 4.83 million user identities, 72.3 per cent of the population.
- Where fieldwork happens. Belgrade first, then Novi Sad for Vojvodina and Niš for the south. Kragujevac, Subotica or Čačak are added when the decision is national, and villages are reached online or from the nearest town. Beyond Belgrade, we use hotel or office meeting rooms, or meet online.
- Data protection. The Data Protection Law of 9 November 2018, applied since 21 August 2019 and aligned with the GDPR, governs personal data. Each participant agrees in advance to what is recorded and to its purpose.
- Timing. Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January and Orthodox Easter on its own date, so the quiet weeks differ from those of Western Europe. 15 and 16 February, 1 and 2 May and 11 November are public holidays, and August is the holiday month.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Serbia?
In Serbia, Belgrade and the rest of the country earn and spend differently. Salaries, shopping centres and delivery apps are concentrated in the capital and Novi Sad, and the south has lower incomes and more open-air markets. A study in Serbia hears at least one city beyond Belgrade. Vojvodina, in the north, has its own mix of languages and a strong farming economy.
- Belgrade, then a contrast. Most studies start in Belgrade and add Niš for the south or Novi Sad for Vojvodina. Recruiters who live in each city do the recruitment, and the report treats the cities separately. Kragujevac or Čačak stand for central Serbia when the product depends on smaller cities.
- Cyrillic or Latin. Packaging, advertising and app screens are shown in the script the brand uses in Serbia. When the choice is open, both versions are shown, because the script itself carries meaning for some buyers. Written answers and diary entries are accepted in either script.
- Dinars and euros. Everyday prices are in dinars. Rents, cars and flats are commonly quoted in euros, so price research asks in the currency people use for that category. The screener asks which currency the participant saved or borrowed in for the last large purchase.
- Phone first. Usability tests run on the participant's own phone, with the banking and delivery apps they already use. Each connection is tried before the session is confirmed. Older participants are met in person, in the daytime.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Serbia?
- We recruit through local partners in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš, by region, age, income and category use. Participants receive a reminder call the day before, and the quota grid is approved by you before the first call. Participants from smaller towns are interviewed online or in the nearest city.
- Business audiences are approached directly, and their role is checked before the interview is booked. People who join studies regularly are kept out of consumer groups. IT professionals, a large group in Belgrade and Novi Sad, are often interviewed in English, by their choice.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Serbia?
Most studies in Serbia run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with UX research, shop-alongs or mystery shopping when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, IT and B2B audiences, by video or in person | The first week of January, around Orthodox Christmas |
| Focus groups | New concepts, campaigns, food and drink in Belgrade and Niš | A Belgrade group read as the whole country |
| UX research | Banking, telecoms and delivery apps, in Serbian | A script the audience does not expect from the brand |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets, green markets and neighbourhood shops | Prices shown in the wrong currency for the category |
| Mystery shopping | Retail chains, car showrooms, telecom shops and bank branches | Visits bunched into one week |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Serbia
How much does market research cost in Serbia?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Serbia added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. A second city moves the price more than extra sessions in Belgrade. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Serbia?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Serbian polling company fits a national survey or a media audience study. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Serbia that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Should research materials in Serbia use Cyrillic or Latin script?
Research materials in Serbia use the script the brand uses in the market. Both alphabets are read by everyone, Cyrillic is official and Latin is common in advertising and online. When a brand has not decided, we show both versions, because some buyers read the choice as a signal about the brand.
Is Belgrade enough for research in Serbia?
Belgrade is enough for a first read of urban buyers, since about a quarter of Serbia's residents live there. For a national decision, add Niš or Novi Sad, where incomes, retail and media habits differ. Two cities are usually enough. Each added city needs its own recruiter and two or three days of fieldwork.
Can research in Serbia be combined with other Balkan countries?
Research in Serbia can be combined with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro in one study, with one guide and one project manager. Participants understand each other's languages, but each country is fielded by moderators who live there, because wording, prices and brands differ. One report shows each country, then what they share.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Serbia 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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