Antenna – Connecting with Consumers in Japan and Asia

About

We are an independent market research agency. Since 2009, we have helped global brands in Japan and across Asia discover powerful insights and develop winning strategies by helping them see the world through consumers' eyes.

Methodologies

We offer the full range of qualitative research methodologies, and have extensive experience with online methodologies, from online communities to mobile ethnographies and hybrid online/offline methodologies.

Target Audiences

We conduct studies involving consumers and business professionals, as well as patients and healthcare providers.

Moderators

Our team includes some of Japan's best moderators, and we take great care to find the perfect moderator for a particular client or project; several of our moderators have helped clients adjust their proprietary methodologies to Japan.

Interpreters

Our simultaneous translators have extensive experience in market research, and excel at capturing the nuances that our non-Japanese speaking clients need.

Translation, Localization, and Project Management

We spend considerable time localizing all aspects of a project, from research design to stimulus materials, and our clients frequently mention our project management skills as central to their projects' success.

Team

Patrick Pemler

Founder and Director

Patrick co-founded Antenna in 2009. He has 20+ years of experience planning and executing market research projects in Japan for global clients. Patrick is trilingual (English, Japanese, German) and graduated from SOAS with an MA in Japanese Studies. He is an avid hiker and a beginner vegetable gardener.

Junichiro Iijima

Research Manager and Moderator

Junichiro has 10+ years of experience as a researcher and recruiter. He studied Economics at Chiba University. When he's not talking to consumers, Junichiro plays the drums in a punk rock band, DJs dub reggae, and cooks spicy curries.

Julia Nagai

Research Executive

Julia studied Linguistics and Anthropology at UCLA and has 5+ years of experience working as a translator, writer, and researcher. She is bilingual (English and Japanese). Her hobbies are photography and visiting museums.

Services

Our capabilities cover the full range of qualitative research methodologies, including online qualitative research and online-offline approaches:

• Focus Groups

• In-depth Interviews

• Online Qualitative Research (including OLBBs and mobile ethnography)

• Ethnographic Research

• In-Store Interviews

• Ideation Workshops

• Market and Retail Immersions

We conduct research with consumers, business professionals, healthcare professionals, and patients. Many of our clients use proprietary or custom methodologies that we have helped localize to our market.

Projects

We have experience conducting projects ranging from small exploratory studies to large, multi-country studies. We are particularly strong in approaches that combine traditional qualitative research with trend research, retail immersions, ethnographies, or other multi-method research designs.

Workshop

Energy

Large-scale workshops with consumers and opinion-leaders to explore ways to shape public opinion more effectively.

Ethnographic Research

UI

In-person and remote ethnographic interviews with technology users to understand pain-points and consumer-generated solutions.

Ethnographic Research

Music

Home visits with hobby and semi-professional musicians for a global brand of music equipment to identify Japan-specific barriers and opportunities among the target audience.

Market Immersion

Beverages

Retail immersion for a global restaurant brand to understand unique market characteristics, retail formats, and cultural drivers of consumer behavior.

Consumer Research and Immersion

Fabric Care

Focus groups, consumer home visits, expert interviews, and retail immersion for a global fabric care brand provided a 360-degree view of Japanese consumers' preferences and expectations towards the category.

Multi-Country Immersion

Home Care

Consumer home visits, expert interviews, and retail immersion in multiple Asian markets for a global home care brand to achieve an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviors and their cultural drivers across the region.

Market Immersion

Snack Foods

Consumer interviews, expert interviews, and retail immersion for an international food brand to develop actionable product innovation for the client's global business.

Please contact us for proposals on specific projects.

Request a Proposal

Testimonials

Our clients include global brands from the US, Europe, and Japan, as well as research agencies ranging from boutique consultancies to the global Top 10. We never reveal our clients' names or logos in our company materials, but are happy to share the feedback we have received

This was a tough client & needle in a haystack project and your nailed it. Thank you for making this a success!

You were an absolute pleasure to work with on this project. I bragged to all (my colleagues) to make sure they reach out to you!!

Your team did a fantastic job, as always. I really loved (the moderator's) work—she was creative in how she approached the work, and really good at making the kids feel comfortable.

Just wanted to share the positive feedback from our client. She thought the reports you put together were "great". She is already at work on her global presentation to her client. Please share with your team. Thank you again!

A big thank you for a wonderful Tokyo Immersion. The places we visited to see and experience (eat, drink or smell!) were amazing! I loved it all, and it truly gave me a taste/feel for Tokyo.

I want to thank you again for the great work from you and your team and also the tremendous hospitality. Your tips and suggestions really helped me get to know Tokyo a little bit better and I came away eager to return.

Thanks for everything…you were a great host, and all the interviews ran smoothly. Recruitment was spot on! Please pass on my thanks to the moderator and interpreter too – excellent job on all fronts.

Connecting with Consumers in Japan and Asia