Case Study: B-MPV Feature Development for ASEAN Market

Duration: September–November 2025

Service: Respondent recruitment, international fieldwork coordination, data collection and delivery

Industry: Automotive

The Business Issue

B-segment minivan (B-MPV) sales were declining across Southeast Asia, and a major automotive manufacturer needed culturally specific feature upgrades to reverse the trend. Having primarily operated in their home market with minimal competition, the manufacturer wanted to understand the profiles and preferences of their own users compared to their competitors’ customers.

Their focus centered on researching and developing features tailored to local realities—such as live motorcycle detection for motorbike-dominated roads, flood detection for tropical climates, and a specialized Qibla GPS for Muslim drivers.

Beyond understanding market dynamics through dealer perspectives, the client aimed to validate these insights with real users in the Philippines and Vietnam. The goal was to discover what truly creates delight and satisfaction beyond basic functionality. The complexity lay in evaluating whether new features solve real problems, justify their costs, and create memorable positive experiences in diverse contexts—especially for users navigating tight urban spaces with children.

The Techniques

A two-phase approach across multiple ASEAN markets
Phase 1 (September 2025): We conducted in-depth interviews across 4 international markets: Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. For each market, we recruited 6 highly experienced B-MPV car dealers representing 3 major brands in the segment. The interviews explored perspectives on current features and new experimental capabilities that would likely appeal to B-MPV target customers.

Phase 2 (November 2025): We shifted focus to actual B-MPV users through 6 focus group discussions—3 groups in the Philippines and 3 groups in Vietnam. For each market, we recruited 30 B-MPV owners driving various brands in the segment. The sessions examined feature acceptance through four critical lenses: practical utility, potential drawbacks, emotional impact (wow factor), and economic viability. The overall goal was to create a comprehensive experience journey map that would guide future product improvements.

The Results

We collaborated with a local agency partner to orchestrate fieldwork across both phases, conducting all sessions in local languages while coordinating closely with the client to ensure they received actionable data from the field. The two-phase approach provided comprehensive insights from both dealer and end-user perspectives, enabling the manufacturer to make informed decisions about feature development priorities for the ASEAN B-MPV market.