Mebius is now a member of ESOMAR, the global association that has represented research, data, and insight professionals since 1947. With over 10,000 members in more than 135 countries, ESOMAR is the body that defines ethical and methodological standards for market research at the international level.
This is not a formality. It reflects where our work has been heading for several years, and it has practical implications for the companies that partner with us — particularly those based outside Italy.
From mystery shopping to market intelligence
Mebius has been doing mystery shopping for twenty years. For most of that time, mystery shopping was perceived by the market as a tactical tool: send someone into the store, fill in a questionnaire, produce a report. Useful but circumscribed.
Over the past few years, our work has evolved into something different. With the launch of VoiceOfCustomer.it for integrated customer feedback analysis, with social listening capabilities, with Best-Seller.me for retail staff microlearning, and with the systematic use of artificial intelligence in data analysis, what we deliver today is no longer just mystery shopping. It is market intelligence applied to customer experience — an integrated system of measurement, listening, and action that has far more in common with the world of research and insight than our historical positioning might suggest.
Joining ESOMAR reflects this evolution. It does not precede it and it does not force it — it recognises it.
What it means in practice
For our B2B clients, and especially for international companies working with us, the practical significance is concrete. ESOMAR membership entails adopting the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, the international code that governs data collection, processing, and use in market research. This standard goes beyond the GDPR: it is not limited to personal data protection but disciplines the entire research process — from methodological design to result delivery, from transparency with participants to the separation between research and commercial activity.
For international clients who need to present mystery shopping results to their board, integrate our data with other research streams, or comply with their own internal research governance policies, the fact that their Italian partner operates under ESOMAR standards removes a layer of due diligence and risk. It is a shared language of quality and ethics that the international research community recognises instantly.
The certification picture
ESOMAR membership joins the certifications and affiliations we have built over time. We are partners of the MSPA (Mystery Shopping Professionals Association), the international association specific to our industry, and we hold ISO 9001 certification from TUV Italia for quality management. Three references that cover complementary areas: MSPA certifies specific expertise in mystery shopping, ISO 9001 the quality of organisational processes, ESOMAR the conformity with international research and insight standards.
Each certification has forced us to systematise aspects of our work that might otherwise have remained informal, and this has had a direct impact on the quality of what we deliver to clients.
Access to the international research community
Beyond the code of conduct, ESOMAR membership gives us access to the association's events, research library, and professional community. For our international clients, this means we stay current with global best practices in research methodology and can bring techniques and frameworks into the Italian context that might otherwise remain confined to the large multinational research institutes.
For research agencies that work with us as their Italian field partner, our ESOMAR membership provides additional assurance that the Italian leg of their multi-country programmes is being delivered to the same standards as the rest of the project.
If you are looking for an ESOMAR-compliant research and mystery shopping partner in Italy, we would be happy to talk.