Oct 25, 2010

How to Conduct Qualitative Market Research

 


How to Conduct Qualitative Market Research: Explore Various Means to Collect Data

•    Observation - Direct observation can involve a researcher watching subjects and taking notes in the background which could be from behind a one-way mirror or video camera recording the happenings. With participant observation, the researcher is actually part of the situation being studied as with a moderated focus group or one-on-one interviews.

•    Focus Groups - This technique is good if you need a range of opinions, says Hitzhusen. In general, you want to get reactions from eight to 10 people. But you don't have to have the traditional group of people closed in a room. You can do a webcam or online bulletin board focus group, in which consumers participate in an asynchronous group discussion over the duration of three to four days. Participants answer questions from the moderator and respond to images or video on their computer screen.

•    Subject Interviews - There are times when you want to talk with subjects or participants either over the telephone or face- to-face, says Moulton-Abbott. Such as if you want them to sample a product or if it is an emotional or sensitive issue, such as taking care of elderly parents with dementia or using personal hygiene products.

•    Hybrid Studies - This is a blend of qual and quant market research. So, you get some important metrics as well as the why's behind the numbers through narrative, photo collection, and other exercises, says Schwitzer.

Moulton-Abbott says for example, you may have a couple hundred people come into a big meeting hall. Using a handheld dialer participants respond to a survey that is projected on a screen. Afterwards, you host a town hall session to debrief the group and to find out what they think. From there, you separate the respondents into smaller focus groups based on demographics, their responses and other parameters. At the end of day you can say we spoke to 700 people today and this is what they said they like or don't like and this is how they feel about your product or service.

•    Online tools - The online piece is an outgrowth of in-person observation. "We can use tools such as their cell phones, iphone video cameras, digital cameras, and we can have them in the moment record what is happening in their world," says Schwitzer. Whether it is how they use a product or interact from a service standpoint." 

For example, Schwitzer conducted a study on how teenage boys were spending their money over a course of a week. They took pictures of everything that they bought and texted it in. They then created an online blog to be probed as the second phase of the study. "Online tools allow us to get even deeper into the subjects' lives and to see what is happening to them from an experiential level. We can be with them at crazy hours of the day now or during more private moments."

Dig Deeper: How to Write a Customer Survey 


How to Conduct Qualitative Market Research: Analyze the Collected Data

A qualitative study may take one day or three weeks for the data collection and up to six weeks in total for the final report generation and turnaround solutions. Researchers will look at the collected data to come up with theories and answers to your questions or concerns. Generally, researchers will use coding to identify themes, patterns and ideas. They may also incorporate some statistics that describe what the data is showing along with narrative analysis that focuses on grammar, word usage, and underlying messages.

Dig Deeper: How to Conduct Market Research 


How to Conduct Qualitative Market Research: Review Report and Recommendations

Finally, a researcher will generate a report featuring actionable recommendations. It doesn't have to be just a written document; it may be a video report or slideshow. As the saying goes a picture paints a thousand words; visual reports are more effective than simply words on a paper. Of course, you need to be aware upfront what the cash outlay will be for such extensive feedback.

Dig Deeper: How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales 


How to Conduct Qualitative Market Research: A Heads Up

Don't expect to pay under $10,000 for basic qualitative research, cautions experts. There are cost associate with the recruiters, facilities, moderators and reporting. It you have a small or tight budget consider working with a university such as Chicago's Northwestern, Atlanta's Emory Goizueta, or the University of Maryland, suggests Moulton-Abbott. Many of the top business schools have marketing research programs.

To find a reputable market research firm, check out trade associations, including directories from The Marketing Research Association, which publishes the Blue Book, and the New York American Marketing Association, which puts out the Green Book. Also, the QRCA has a search tool for locating market research firms geographically. 
Choose a firm that is knowledgeable about your industry and be sure to get a couple of proposals and competitive price offers.

Dig Deeper: How do I find training programs for market research?

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