Which expertise areas does IMMAR mobilise in North Africa?

IMMAR brings together five complementary areas of expertise: Consumer Research (quantitative and qualitative studies, panels), Customer Experience (NPS, mystery shopping), Data Intelligence & AI (data analysis and activation), Media Intelligence (media monitoring and measurement) and Opinion & Society (barometers and opinion studies). They are mobilised according to the question at hand and the market's maturity.

Regional coverage

Market research
in North Africa

Q: How do you conduct market research in North Africa?

Conducting market research in North Africa means combining several collection modes (face-to-face, telephone, online) made viable by solid telecom and digital infrastructure, adapting instruments to the languages actually spoken (dialectal Arabic, French across the Maghreb depending on the target), and accounting for the urban concentration of consumption. IMMAR deploys local teams that know these markets to produce reliable, comparable data from one country to the next.

Q: Which North African countries does IMMAR cover?

IMMAR covers the North African markets: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia. Coverage combines Arabic- and French-language set-ups, adapted to the usage and maturity level specific to each market.

Q: Should studies be conducted in Arabic or French?

It depends on the audience. Dialectal Arabic (Darija across the Maghreb, an Egyptian dialect) remains the everyday language of the general public and the one that ensures data quality. French stays relevant across the Maghreb for business segments, professionals and part of the media. IMMAR builds bilingual set-ups where the target justifies it, administering each interview in the language the respondent actually speaks.

Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions across North African markets since 1999.

Close markets, yet distinct

North Africa shares an Arabic base and a common history, yet each market keeps its own consumption codes, sectoral dynamics and distribution channels. From Egypt to Morocco, you find young, urban populations, a good level of digital equipment and consumers exposed to international brands, across markets that remain deeply distinct. IMMAR runs Market Intelligence programmes here with teams that know these markets from the inside and collect data in the languages actually spoken.

Conducting research in North Africa: what matters in the field

Running reliable research in the region means taking several market realities into account:

Market and collection maturity: developed telecom infrastructure and internet access make telephone (CATI) and online collection fully viable, alongside face-to-face.
A young, urban consumer profile: largely young populations, concentrated in major metros and exposed to international brands, shape expectations and purchasing behaviour.
Survey languages: dialectal Arabic (Darija across the Maghreb, an Egyptian dialect) is the everyday language of the general public; French stays relevant across the Maghreb for business segments. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
Distribution in transition: modern retail is developing, particularly in Morocco, while coexisting with proximity trade that remains central to purchasing habits.
Mediterranean orientation: the Maghreb's proximity and trade ties with Europe shape consumption references and competitive sets.
Urban concentration: a major share of consumption plays out in large metropolitan areas (Algiers, Cairo, Casablanca, Tunis), which shapes sampling plans.

The North African markets covered by IMMAR

IMMAR operates across the North African markets. Country overview, from west to east:

Mauritania

A bridge market between the Maghreb and West Africa, with an economy linked to mining and fishing and a dispersed population. Arabic (Hassaniya) sits alongside Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof.

Morocco

One of the region's most open economies, with growing modern retail, an active industrial sector and close trade ties with Europe. Casablanca is its economic hub. Moroccan Arabic (Darija) and French are widely practised.

Algeria

One of North Africa's largest consumer markets: a dynamic agri-food industry, strong national brands and local production growing under import-substitution. Consumption is largely urban, spread across many hubs (Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Annaba, among others). Algerian Arabic (Darja) is the everyday language, with French still common in business.

Tunisia

A market with a services- and tourism-oriented economy, a good level of education and close ties with Europe. Tunis is its main hub. Tunisian Arabic (Derja) is the everyday language, with French still present in business and media.

Egypt

The most populous country in the Arab world, Egypt offers a very large consumer base concentrated around Cairo and Alexandria, and a dense media sector. Arabic and its Egyptian dialect are the survey languages.

IMMAR adapts its set-up to each market (collection mode, administration language, sampling plan) to produce data that is comparable from one country to the next across the region.

A response built around your question

Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:

Area of expertise	What it enables
Consumer Research	Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage
Customer Experience	NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered
Data Intelligence & AI	Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling
Media Intelligence	Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening
Opinion & Society	Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics

Who is it for?

Advertisers and brands, local and international, seeking to understand their consumers and steer their brands
Marketing and media agencies seeking reliable insights for their clients on markets they cannot cover alone
Local economic players, companies and regional groups, making decisions on their own markets
Multinationals assessing a regional market entry or expansion and looking to secure their decisions
Institutions, NGOs and development funders requiring rigorous measurement on complex field environments

A market research or Market Intelligence project in North Africa?

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Frequently asked questions

How do you conduct market research in North Africa?

Combine several collection modes (face-to-face, telephone, online), made viable by solid telecom and digital infrastructure, adapt instruments to the languages actually spoken (dialectal Arabic, French across the Maghreb depending on the target), and account for the urban concentration of consumption. IMMAR deploys local teams that know these markets for reliable, comparable data from one country to the next.

Which North African countries does IMMAR cover?

IMMAR covers Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia, with set-ups adapted to the usage and maturity level of each market.

Should studies be conducted in Arabic or French?

It depends on the audience. Dialectal Arabic remains the everyday language of the general public and the one that ensures data quality; French stays relevant across the Maghreb for business segments and professionals. IMMAR builds bilingual set-ups where the target justifies it, administering each interview in the language the respondent actually speaks.

Which expertise areas does IMMAR mobilise in the region?

IMMAR brings together five complementary areas of expertise: Consumer Research, Customer Experience, Data Intelligence & AI, Media Intelligence and Opinion & Society, mobilised according to the question at hand and the market's maturity.

Market researchin North Africa