We are wrong and we know it.  Marketing research has always been plagued by error and assumptions; random sampling almost never is, all kinds of bias – observer, response, fatigue, scale.  The list of issues goes on and on.  Just as importantly, marketing research has been wrong by omission; that is to say that we could only ask questions – and evaluate the answers. At the end of the day, it is a calculated and reasonable “wrong”.

But we are getting better… and that shows no sign of slowing.  Some of the improvements over the past several years are about the process (better sampling, improved questions); many others are about killing the error of omission – and to L&E, this is the exciting part.

New sources of data about consumers allow for vectors of knowledge that did not exist even 3 or 4 years ago.  Behaviors can be established from any number of sources: mobile tracking, receipt scanning, in-store video – the list goes on and on.  Social Media allows a sneak peek into peoples’ lives that lets us see how they wish to be perceived – and not just through their words, but also the images they associate with their life.  Emotions and the emotional triggers can be identified through non-conscious methods from facial coding, to neuro methods and wearables.

As costs continue to fall from competitive pressure and technological advances (I just saw a Virtual Reality viewer for $20), it will be easier to put more of these pieces together to get a clearer picture of the “whole truth” – which has long been the goal in our industry.  Let’s take a look at two examples.

Eye tracking technology lets us identify the area of a document or image that is getting attention.  Facial coding technology allows us to understand the emotion a person is feeling at a particular point in time.  Independently, each of those technologies answers an important question.  Together they answer the question of the specific driver of that emotion.  One particular client takes it a step further and integrates in-depth interviews based on laddering to understand the “why” of the emotional triggers.  In this example, there is little error of omission, as multiple approaches within a single respondent engagement have answered the what, the how, and the why.

Behavioral research has generally been based on observation (expensive) or diaries (questionable).  The mobile phone and, in particular, mobile panels change all this.  Now, behavioral research can be conducted in connection with shopper journey, use tests, day in the life, etc., with reasonable completeness and accuracy.  Scanner technology (the same kind used in Expensify) allows people to scan their store receipts instead of using a diary for their purchases.  Each of these methods provides valuable information about a person’s life.  The combination of these two methods provides a more holistic perspective of a person’s consumption life – as it lays out multiple places, multiple experiences, and multiple purchases – in the context of all their purchases (not just a category).  The error of omission is still there, but smaller and easier to forgive.

Understanding everything that motivates a person is hard.  Psychologists can spend years trying to understand someone and still not be comfortable that they have it right.  But we can get better at understanding – as we should – for our businesses, for our clients, and for consumers.

Market research is now particularly well positioned to do this using a holistic approach that combines qualitative, quantitative, behavioral, non-conscious and observational data; shifting the conversation from “we could be wrong for all of these reasons” to “we think we’re right for all of the data points we have to use”. That’s a big (and exciting) difference – and the GRIT data tells us it’s now a reality.

“If you could do only one type of research, would it be qualitative or quantitative?”

I was once asked this question in an interview for a corporate job. I paused at this question for two reasons. First, because it was a bit ludicrous.  Second, it made me think about the role of each of these and how they’re applied.

Human interaction counts

Every few years we hear predictions that hard data (quantitative) is going to replace qualitative. In fact, we’ve heard those predictions for many, many years now. The 2014 ESOMAR Global Market Research Industry report, and prior waves of the GRIT report suggest that these predictions are a bit exaggerated. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, and online qualitative are all either flat or growing slightly, depending on which numbers you choose. It’s easy to understand why these predictions are made, but it’s more than a bit short-sighted because human interaction counts for more than it’s often credited for.

Digging into the “why” of behavior

Qualitative research provides the nuance to the “how” of consumer behaviors, and much more importantly, the power to the “why.” While things like Big Data, passive measurement, geo-location, and data synthesis are grabbing many of the headlines in our industry, qualitative research goes on doing what it has always done: getting to the deeper understanding of the consumer.

Connects with people

The interactive conversation about the “why” of behavior is the essential benefit of qualitative and has yet to be surpassed for its depth, sensitivity, and flexibility. Topics that are difficult to cover otherwise, such as finances, health, relationships, sex, etc., can all be handled with a certain connection that is made between people instead of a survey.

And these qualities of qualitative research go a long way to meet the basic needs of a business’s deep understanding of consumers. As one respondent in this publication of the GRIT report said, the biggest challenge of marketing research is to “understand and deepen knowledge of consumer behavior. The consumer [should be] viewed in all mindsets, perspectives and through his or her side.”  And much of this is the purview of qualitative research.

The effect of mobile technology

Today, one area of qualitative is growing substantially. This is the area facilitated by mobile technology. Currently, about 20-25% of corporate researchers and about 50% of research suppliers are using mobile for at least some of their qualitative/ethnography research. And another 35% of corporate researchers say it’s under consideration.

Mobile qualitative has several unique benefits. First, it is real-time “in the moment” and consequentially allows an even deeper understanding of consumers because of the timing of an event and the understanding. Second, it can be non-intrusive as the tool is both available and comfortable for consumers. Lastly, it can be pretty fast, which is always good.  In many cases, the mobile component of qualitative is simply that: one component. The mobile tool is often integrated with more traditional tools, such as in-depth interviews, for an even more substantive outcome.

There’s a human gap in big data

No commentary on research would be complete without at least mentioning Big Data. We all have our favorite statistics about the proliferation of information. “It doubles every two years” is mine. However, there is long distance between the implication of data and the human understanding that brings that data to a level where most of us can understand, empathize, and act.

Respondents to the current GRIT report talk about this as well. One respondent noted, “Market Research needs to remain relevant by providing consultative resources and also helping to answer ‘why’ when big data seems to be revealing hard to understand insights.” You simply can’t (and shouldn’t) get away from the importance of “why.”

Brett Watkins
President
L&E Research

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