We’ve all heard a lot about big data for market insights. (We even talked about it in an earlier blog post.) But looking at the newly released Fall 2014 Greenbook GRIT report, one big insight stood out that makes it clear that big data is far from the only answer. The fastest growing segment in that report was the growth of in-person qualitative research. That’s right! The use of in-person focus groups grew from 59% to 70%, and the use of in-depth interviews grew from 46% to 53%. Compare that to mobile surveys, the fastest growing technology, grew from 27% to 32%. Why the movement back to in-person research, and what are the best ways to capitalize on new technologies?
Companies see the promise of digital platforms to get them better and faster information, but they still seek the quality and richness of more in-depth engagement. Think about it. Does reading restaurant reviews replace your need to visit restaurants? Does watching the travel channel replace your desire to visit new places? Research technologies alone don’t always provide the desired in-depth insights, which has led to the continued popularity of live focus groups and in-depth interviews.
That said, consumers are shifting to using mobile and social engagement, and companies want to better align with this consumer behavior. Marketers recognize that with the right online tools, they could get both faster and cheaper insights. However, results obtained from some technologies have not spurred growing usage. For example, use of traditional online focus groups, bulletin board groups, and online IDIs are all declining. While these platforms technically “replace” their in-person counterparts, their overall value may not be worth the cost-savings.
Qualitative technologies that are growing include mobile ethnography and online communities. These platforms show more specific benefits vs. in-person focus groups. For example, online communities offer economical long-term engagement allowing companies to iterate and co-create with consumers. Mobile qualitative offers real-time usage behavior, allowing companies to get diaries, photos and video while consumers shop for and consume their products.
Overall, online tools need to add real value and offer an improved research experience to truly meet the needs of marketers today. Looking for some ideas on how to use the latest technology? Below are two solutions that may just help you extend your 2015 budget!
Use multi-modal methods to solve mobile limitations
Mobile tools offer the allure of reaching consumers instantly and in-context, but limitations of screen size and length of engagement reduce what and how much we can ask. Research consultants are finding that multi-modal research offers the highest quality and value for their clients, as well as the ability to get more out of a single research participant. For example, companies can conduct a mobile survey and then recruit a subset for an online community to dig deeper into “why.” Or they can have consumers keep a mobile diary before attending the in-person group for more in-depth discussion. They can even invite consumers to an online community after the focus group to get more ongoing feedback. We’ll be talking more about this in an upcoming blog post.
In-source research by redefining consultant roles
Client firms are starting to consider insourcing of research as a solution for budget constraints. As the GRIT participants point out, while internal staff can often handle the logistics of managing research projects, they are not necessarily equipped to analyze massive amounts of data (qualitative or quantitative). This presents a whole new opportunity for clients to partner with research consultants. Rather than asking full service research firms to focus on the historic realm of data collection, they can use more focused consultants to help with study design and analysis, where their expertise adds the most value.
Do you have any other thoughts about these trends in research and the importance of engagement? Please add your comments below.
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