Discover the Benefits of In-Language Content Analysis

Content analysis forms a core part of the market research process for many projects, but what exactly does it involve, what benefits does it offer, and what value can a company, like Mission Translate, add?

We answer all these questions and more as we give our lowdown on content analysis.

What exactly is content analysis?

Content analysis is the systematic process of collecting data to identify patterns or themes or answer research questions. The information from which this data is collected could be:

• written (e.g., newspapers, journals or publications)
• oral (e.g., recorded interviews or focus group sessions)
• visual (e.g., videos, photographs or images)

Often content research is qualitative, meaning the analysts will be looking for specific words, phrases or ideas. However, it can also take a quantitative approach, where the focus is on counting and measuring the data.

What is its purpose or use?

Researchers use content analysis to identify and evaluate trends in certain groups or populations. The goal may be to better understand attitudes, opinions, behavioural responses, or emotional or psychological states. It may also involve exploring differences and similarities across distinct groups.

The conclusions drawn from the content analysis can inform strategy, product development or communication. Therefore, it is adopted in a wide variety of settings, such as marketing, social sciences, health and pharmaceutical science, or governments or policy-led organisations.

What value does content analysis offer?

The insight provided from content analysis means that businesses and organisations are equipped with the knowledge for making better decisions about the next step in their process. For example, when developing a product or campaign, understanding your target audience’s preferences means the launch is more likely to succeed and be received well. Without this level of understanding, any success will come from luck rather than informed judgement.

How does Mission Translate carry out content analysis?

At Mission Translate, we specialise in supporting market research agencies with their research projects. We combine our expertise in language services with our experience in providing research solutions to enable our clients to access global markets.

For example, many of our clients conduct their research via focus groups or in-depth interviews (IDIs). As well as supporting them with recruiting participants and carrying out the moderation in different languages, Mission Translate also offers direct in-language content analysis.

What cost or time benefits does in-language content analysis offer?

To carry out content analysis when focus group sessions or interviews are conducted in a different language, the standard solution would be to record the session, transcribe it and then translate it into English – all before even starting the analysis. These additional stages, plus the resources required to complete them, require time and budget.

We remove these extra steps by working with experienced content analysts and linguists who are native to the market and can carry out the analysis in the source language. All results then undergo our meticulous quality control methods, including a review by an independent linguist and our in-house, ISO-accredited processes.

By using direct, in-language content analysis, our clients can enjoy great time- and cost-saving benefits.

How can we be sure that your analysts obtain the correct information?

Before undertaking any content analysis project, Mission Translate carries out a full briefing process with the client and our research professionals. The briefing includes obtaining a thorough understanding of the project’s background, its supporting materials and its objectives. We also determine the expectations of the project, including the structure and format of the analysis, timelines, deliveries and any bespoke requirements. With our extensive experience in the research sector, we can also offer guidance on how the project is conducted, if appropriate.

What are the next steps for getting my content analysis project started?

If you have a research project that requires global content analysis and are keen to enjoy the time and cost benefits in-language content analysis offers, please get in touch with our team via [email protected], and one of our dedicated team will contact you to discuss the details.