Export Markets

A government-funded scheme encourages hundreds of British companies each year to use marketing research to explore overseas markets.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the British Government’s Department for promoting overseas trade - exporters are encouraged to take a strategic approach to exporting through a number of subsidised activities such as training courses, events, organised visits and consultancy programmes to great effect.

Recognising the benefits marketing research brings to a growing business, UKTI, through their long-running Export Marketing Research Scheme (EMRS), provide objective and independent advice to companies on how to use marketing research to grow their exports. This advice is further backed up by a financial incentive that match-funds the costs incurred by eligible exporters in completing the research project.

Companies report on average* a £100k uplift in their bottom line arising from the increased business resulting from first researching their markets.

A network of nine regionally based Research Advisers provide advice to over 1000 companies each year on the role marketing research can play in the exporting process. 

This expert advice covers all aspects of research, beginning with guidance on how to prioritise their potential export markets through to developing objectives, sourcing information about their overseas markets and drawing up a schedule and an agenda for overseas meetings. Advice on identification, selection, evaluation and working with market research agencies in export markets is also included.

Research undertaken by OMB Research – The Performance and Impact Monitoring Survey (PIMS) is UKTI’s quarterly survey of their customers.

The Research Advisers have significant experience of conducting international market research and are all members of the Market Research Society.