Conducted June 3-10, 2021
Digsite conducted a quant+qual phase with 100 vaccinated participants with a mix of age and gender. The bulk of this research were conducted over seven days, incorporating what we learned from each step into the next so we were quickly iterating as we went along. Throughout data collection, we looked at our results in Digsite’s dashboard where we could see a quick summary of feedback and determined what we wanted to dig into further.
We selected a subset of 25 respondents to continue with a qualitative group discussion and video engagement. And finally, we used a brief video interview phase to speak with five key respondents who had been in the qualitative study. All of this research happened within the Digsite platform, including recruiting, data collection and video analysis.
Phase 1: Quant and Qual Exploration
Phase 1 Activities
Consumers are slowly returning to “normal.”
We're seeing a mixed response – most people are moving toward more of their typical activities and engagements but almost half of respondents have been hovering in that middle space with some uncertainty. Over 35% said they feel that they're really quite normal and about 15% still saying I don't feel very normal. We also saw more people saying that they're likely to return to their activities in the next 30 days. So, what are people still holding back on?
Crowded in-person activities are still largely on hold.
Not surprisingly, crowded in-person activities are still a no-go for a lot of respondents. Consumers are still nervous about activities that require you to be in closed spaces with lots of people you don't know – like going to movie theaters, sports arenas, taking public transportation and going into the gym.
Consumer spending is changing.
We asked the research participants if they thought they'd be spending more or less on certain purchases in the coming months now that we're moving out of “lockdown.” The platform allowed us to go beyond the typical survey, so participants could actually drag and drop these red and green dots to different spending areas.
Then, they were prompted to give us additional open-ended feedback about why they’re spending more or saving on certain things now and in the coming months. For example, Joe purchased a lot of the big items he wanted during the pandemic so he’s not planning on purchasing more in the near future. There are categories that are staying quite level while others, like grocery and home spending, are still booming.
Virtual vs. in-person experiences.
We asked respondents about the experiences they were doing virtually and if some were still enjoyable or if they had lost their luster. We saw a general split, where things like food delivery and working from home are still viewed positively but socializing and fitness classes weren’t. There were a lot of responses in the middle – which may change over the next six months.
Reflecting on the feedback gathered in Phase I, we wanted to get deeper in Phase II. While Phase I was about quant+qual validation with a group of 100 participants, Phase II was about flexible qual iteration with a smaller group of 25 participants. Regrouping with the team, we came up with a list of questions to build the research around, such as:
Phase 2 Flexible Qual Iteration: The Results
One year ago, consumers felt drained, anxious and annoyed.
We started Phase II with a fill-in-the-blank task that mirrored the task we asked one year ago in our first COVID study. The most difficult part they reported about changing their behavior? Just sticking with it.
One year ago, the top emotions respondents reported feeling were:
In this year’s study, 100% of participants said that they’re making changes to their behavior after being vaccinated. Some are making many changes while others are making just a few. The top emotions respondents reported feeling were:
Consumers are feeling cautiously optimistic but nervous about what are others doing – if they’re vaccinated, if they’re wearing their masks and if they’re going to keep distance.
Consumers are using a variety of tools and markers to decide what is “safe” after vaccination.
We received really interesting and varied answers to this question as people are using all different types of tools. There's a big variation in what people are feeling comfortable with as evidenced in the quotes pulled from our video interviews below.
The range of what people are doing was just fascinating, and our real-time ethnography allowed us to “tag along” with what consumers were experiencing through the video clips they submitted. Check out our video overview to hear from the consumers themselves:
Digsite’s video integration tool gave us an automated analysis of the video results so we could quickly review the themes that were emerging, keywords and sentiments. Text can also be highlighted to create a clip reel, so we could hear answers straight from the participant’s mouths.
Finally, the last phase of our research included video interviews with respondents to delve into the emotions they’re feeling today. What are they nervous about? What are they excited about? How have they been changed by the last year? Interviews were scheduled right within Digsite’s platform and users were automatically shown how to install Zoom. We heard directly from the respondents themselves about how the pandemic changed them as a person:
“You kind of realize how everybody's looking out for themselves, and it's intrinsically a selfish nation. I would say, number one, friends and family are even more important to me now than before. Not to say that they weren't important before, but I think just time spent with them.”
Summarizing our findings:
So, now what?
We need to think about how these results will impact our organizations and how we move forward with market research and consumer insights. Agility is key, allowing you and your team to effectively and efficiently move while maintaining control. These types of movements help you make better and faster decisions.
Want to learn more about Digsite’s flexible capabilities?
See the ways you can use Digsite to quickly understand changing consumer needs and attitudes (without having to work nights and weekends.) Download our Fact Sheet for a complete overview of Digsite.
