Qualitative research, a specialty of
MRI, and is one of the most effective means of immersing yourself in your
customers’ world and experiences.
Beyond just getting at consumer language,
good qualitative research digs deeper- getting at the concept, why behavior
occurs, why perceptions exist, and the implications to the client’s
business.
Several unique aspects of
qualitative research contribute to rich, insightful results:
•
Synergy among respondents, as they build
on each other’s comments and ideas. •
The dynamic nature of the interview or group discussion process, which engages
respondents more actively than is possible in more structured surveys. •
The opportunity to probe ("Help me understand why you feel that way"),
enabling the researcher to reach beyond initial responses and rationales. •
The opportunity to observe, record and interpret non-verbal communication (i.e., body language, voice intonation) as part of a respondent’s feedback, which is valuable during interviews or discussions, and
during analysis. •
The opportunity to engage respondents in "play" such as projective
techniques and exercises, overcoming the self-consciousness that can inhibit spontaneous reactions and comments.
MRI’s extensive qualitative experience is especially valuable in
matching interviewing approaches and techniques to the issues and problems unique
to each client’ issues:
*
When to do full groups, triads, or individual in-depth interviews (IDI’s) *
When to consider IDI's by phone as opposed to in-person *
When to consider ethnographic approaches
MRI considers Web-based qualitative
interviews to be a completely separate tool, useful in certain circumstances,
but definitely not a substitute for
in-person interviewing.
Diagnostic Techniques
Effective qualitative research often involves
both direct questioning and more indirect forms of inquiry to get at
hard-to-articulate topics or feelings. Some of
most productive diagnostic techniques MRI
uses include:
•
Projectives (a wide variety of exercises involving indirect questioning) •
Laddering/means-end chaining (exploring how consumers translate product attributes into personal values and underlying psychological motivations)
• Collage research (explore consumers thought processes when thinking about brands/products/services) •"Homework" assignments before the group meets (diaries, photo
journals, store visits, etc.) • Champion interviewing (combining equal numbers of proponents of different brands in the category in the same group) •
Repertory grids & sorting procedures (determine how consumers differentiate and categorize features and benefits of products/services) •
Scripting/cognitive process interviews (exploring step by step process in
consumer decision making or behavior)
MRI
manages each project to ensure that the right participants are recruited, that quality professional field facilities are used, and that the communications between all
parties are clear and complete.
Executing the research
Generally, a qualitative research
project includes the following steps:
-Finalize the project design, schedule, and budget -Select and reserve preferred facilities in each market -Develop
screening questionnaire(s) and field instructions -Monitor
recruiting progress and check respondent profiles -Develop
discussion guide(s) and any stimuli to be used in the research -Conduct
the interviews, group discussions, observational sessions, etc. -Debrief
with client(s) following or even during the research as needed -Analyze
results and prepare deliverables as previously agreed
