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We support the Market Research Education Foundation

DWG Admin on February 14, 2023

The MREF is a global organization that helps marginalized children access high-quality education. Through financial and human resources, and involving researchers across the globe, the MREF funds a wide range of projects aimed at offering the opportunity for a better life to every child.

We are proud to announce that we are a sponsor of the Foundation. Our support didn’t start today. We have been part of the yearly MREF Race Around the World where participants and sponsors have raised $100,000+ for UNICEF, and logged nearly 50,000 miles. The L&E team contributed by logging 1,065 miles in 2021, and 1,492 miles in 2022.

Together with other industry leaders our CEO Brett Watkins is part of the MREF Board of Directors: “At L&E we are strongly committed to the charitable causes that the Foundation works so hard for. No contribution is too small, and like in Race Around the World, every step counts. Contributing to the incredibly valuable work that the MREF and other organizations do will continue to be a priority for us.”

By choosing to work with us, you’re helping us to give back. At L&E, we make in-kind donations encouraging employees, members, and clients to join us in our efforts and boost the impact on local communities. We call it “The Multiplier Effect”. Thanks to our clients and members, in 2022 alone, we donated over $30K to valuable organizations, supporting them financially and with in-kind donations.

Click here to learn how you can help us give back:
https://www.leresearch.com/about-le/giving-back/

A Prescription for Better Research in 2023: How to Make In-Person Healthcare Research Safe and Effective

DWG Admin on February 7, 2023

A Prescription for Better Research in 2023: How to Make In-Person Healthcare Research Safe and Effective

When the pandemic began in March of 2020, our industry had to (quickly!) figure out how to continue conducting research when stay-at-home orders were implemented. Researchers had to adapt their methodologies to be more inclusive of remote options. In our latest webinar, we discussed these necessary modifications to processes and methodologies with researchers in the healthcare space. L&E Research, along with many companies, had the good fortune of being remotely based for years prior to 2020, so existing processes and metrics were already in place, but we promptly realized that the fortunate were in the minority. Many companies operated from an office or a central location, and had to adapt their internal or operational processes for remote work. Not only was there an adaptation to their internal processes, but researchers who conducted in-person research had to additionally adapt the research process. On the other hand, some researchers were already conducting remote research, so their modifications were minimal. Those who were working remotely and conducting research remotely had a much easier transition than those who had to change both internal and research processes. During our webinar we had the opportunity to talk with two researchers who had very different perspectives: one was conducting almost all research remotely already so the changes made were more about strengthening internal processes to increase efficiency, rather than how to continue the work; the other researcher was conducting almost all research in-person and had to make significant leaps to adapt their processes. The pandemic temporarily halted in-person research, but that halt was the catalyst behind a great deal of innovation in qualitative research. New processes were developed based on the research needed.

When travel bans were implemented for many researchers, but in-person research still needed to be conducted, we worked with our clients to develop and perfect a process that we call Remote Moderation. Facility staff are trained to be the client’s “boots on the ground” when the researcher cannot be in the same physical space as the participant. In addition to the usual services you would expect from a facility partner, we ensure paperwork is completed, we reset the room, often including the device being tested, and can instruct or direct the participant when necessary. The moderator conducts the session remotely via a video conferencing platform, without the need for travel.
Home Use Testing (HUT or IHUT) was frequently used to replace in-person usability testing when possible. Traditionally home use testing is conducted by participants coming into a facility to pick up a product, then test it from their own home for a predetermined amount of time. During the pandemic, we shipped test devices when that was an option for our clients, which eliminated the need for face-to-face contact. Of course, some products or devices are ineligible for HUT due to intellectual property, size limitations, or price limitations, and those still need to be conducted in-person.
After the initial stay-at-home orders were lifted in early summer of 2020, in-person research started to slowly return. Many clients opted to conduct one-on-one interviews rather than focus groups to limit the risk of possible viral transmission, which reduced the amount of people in the facility at any given time, making it safer for both clients and facility staff. In addition to reducing the head count in our facility, we implemented multiple improvements to minimize contact, such as electronic sign-in and check-out processes, including incentive distribution via e-gift card, limiting people in shared spaces (i.e. asking them to wait in their car rather than a lobby), mask mandates, touch-free doors, electrostatic sprayers, plexiglass dividers, mandatory surface sanitization between sessions, and more. In retrospect, we may have gone overboard, but the modifications decreased the risk of transmission, and everyone involved felt like their safety was the number one priority.

There were some misconceptions about healthcare provider recruitment during the pandemic. Many clients delayed their research due to an incorrect assumption that physicians would not be available for research. This was not indicative of our recruiting experience. Acute care physicians and practitioners were definitely strained during the pandemic, but non-emergency service providers experienced a slowdown. Because of stay-at-home orders, many elective procedures were canceled or postponed, so some practitioners experienced a decrease in work over the course of the pandemic. We saw a higher response rate within our healthcare panel because practitioners suddenly had a lot of free time on their hands and wanted to participate in market research, especially and specifically, remote-based research. There was an increase of fraudulent behavior, so recruiters had to be very diligent about vetting recruits, especially in the healthcare space, since incentives are higher, therefore more alluring. Healthcare professionals were validated via online resources to confirm that they were in the profession they stated, and patients had to provide proof of prescription, diagnosis, and/or therapies used before being scheduled for sessions. Now that we are on the other side of the pandemic…or at least moving toward it, what do we anticipate for the future? At the core, we’ve learned that we have to be flexible and we have to adapt. Review internal processes to see if there’s room to streamline or reduce costs. Research should be fit-for-purpose, so if it can be effectively conducted remotely, why would you want to spend more? When it comes to device usability or sensory testing, in-person research isn’t going away. Strive to find a balance and use both remote and in-person methodologies, as there will always be value in utilizing a variety of strategies. We hope you found this summary to be helpful! If you didn’t register for this webinar you can watch this webinar in its entirety by clicking here. Be on the lookout for our next webinar, which will be in Spring of 2023. If you can’t wait until then, you can always view our on-demand webinars. Don’t forget to join our mailing list so you can keep up with what is happening at L&E!

Summary: 5th Annual Future Trends of Market Research and Technology

DWG Admin on November 4, 2022

For the 5th consecutive year, industry experts from Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Greenbook, and L&E Research gathered to discuss the future trends of market research and technology. The most recent GRIT report shared that the top two unmet needs reported by buyers is technology and sample, so it’s no coincidence that this year the primary topics of conversation were centered around technology and sample.

Technological innovations in qualtech have slowed in the past year as companies seem to be focusing on profitability over growth and innovation. There has been a lot of consolidation within the MRtech ecosystem, combining platforms and solutions to offer more flexibility to users. Providers are refining their platforms, making improvements that make research processes more user-friendly. The tools are robust and can streamline efficiency in many research areas, but a comprehensive platform still seems to be out of reach as no single solution is all-inclusive. While we are seeing evolution within qualtech, we are still not seeing revolution.

Technological advancements in the past few years alone have provided a plethora of solutions, but most are geared to remote and online qualitative research. The industry continues to question if and when in-person research will return. Facility-based research plummeted in 2020 due to stay-at-home orders, local mandates, and everyone’s hesitation to gather, and sadly continued to further decline in 2021. We aren’t seeing focus group facility research volume that matches levels of 2019 and years prior, and we may never see those same levels return, but in-person research is definitively increasing and 2022 is showing a strong rebound. Lenny Murphy of Greenbook shared that research has to be “Fit for purpose”. Charlie Rader of Procter & Gamble echoed this sentiment by sharing, “There’s only so much you can represent on screen”. In a nutshell, if it can be conducted remotely, then there is an abundance of technology that can support the chosen methodology; if however, your research requires use of senses (touch, taste, smell, etc.), it must be conducted face-to-face or via HUT.

Concerns with acquiring quality sample continues to plague researchers. On the quantitative side, bots and fraud are highly problematic. While the issue of fraud in research is not new, the global pandemic and corresponding increase in online research opportunities exacerbated an existing issue. Some brand researchers have claimed that they are removing up to 80% of their collected quantitative data due to confirmed or suspected fraudulent activity. L&E Research recently collaborated with CASE (Collaborate, Advocate, Spearhead, Educate) members to discuss some of the sample challenges researchers face in an in-depth webinar discussion. Qualitative research is much more involved for participants, so while qualitative still experiences fraud, an experienced qualitative research recruitment company can help to mitigate most of this by administering a high-quality and targeted screener to secure the right panelists.

On the qualitative side, the struggle seems to be focused on supply and engagement. Many research buyers have cited participant supply as another obstacle impeding research objectives. It’s no coincidence that the top complaint qualitative recruiters hear from potential panelists is along the lines of, “I complete all these screeners, but I’m never selected to participate in a research study!” As an industry, we must all take a strategic approach to building a more efficient process that keeps participants engaged in research; without their feedback and opinions, research will cease. They are the lifeblood of our industry, and unfortunately, we haven’t done our due diligence to assure a positive experience for them.

In order to keep qualitative panelists engaged, they need to qualify to participate in research, and not simply fill out screeners. Screeners must be developed to only include questions that would qualify or disqualify potential candidates, including necessary demographics. If a question is only collecting information, save it to ask in the research session with those who do meet the qualifications. Screeners should never be used to collect market data, and suppliers can reduce this practice by only providing screening data for those who are fully qualified and recruited for the study. As an industry, we need to collaboratively bid a fond farewell to 10-page / 30-question screeners – this taxes participants and is damaging to the overall participant ecosystem.

Another execrable practice observed is the use of quantitative panels for high-incidence qualitative recruitment due to the lower price point. While researchers can procure low-cost recruitment within quantitative panels, the research results may not elicit qualitative insights. Qualitative research recruiters must build their member databases with a focus on ID-validated and articulate participants who have demonstrated a willingness to spend more time on an involved activity: some people simply aren’t built for qualitative research. On the flip side, quantitative panels should be built for volume, and level of respondent engagement is less a factor since most obligations are brief and generally don’t require a great volume of elaborate open-ended answers. High-incidence studies are used by many qualitative recruitment suppliers to “reward” members who have completed a multitude of screeners, but never seem to fit the qualifying criteria. In order to contribute to the overarching health of the respondent pool that all qualitative recruitment suppliers share, if your research target is low incidence, or even specific product users, consider balancing your recruitment needs with a segment of high incidence recruits; product non-users may have an unique perspective to offer!

Part of ensuring respondent engagement is offering a hearty incentive amount. “Cash is King”, and that holds true when considering panelist incentives. A solid incentive not only encourages a strong response rate to screening outreach efforts (to provide a more diverse pool of candidates screened), but once secured, participants are more apt to complete the obligation to which they have committed. When multi-million/billion dollar decisions are on the line, and consumer insights are part of the decision-making process, is the combination of an uber-cheap recruitment fee and an inequitable incentive a risk you want to take if it means the participants are not of the highest caliber?

Finally, a powerful and dynamic technology suite to manage the database is critical for recruitment suppliers to operate efficiently. Software that can accurately track and retroactively update data points based on current screener information will reduce touchpoints to non-viable candidates, so they are completing fewer screeners, therefore eliminating frustration with our industry’s usual participant procurement process. Our industry has made strides when it comes to database technology, but we still have a long way to go. One day, perhaps recruitment can be conducted without the use of a screener, by using personas, or solely through technology, shifting away from the “ask” environment, and relying on observed data.

We hope you found this summary to be helpful! If you didn’t register for this webinar you can watch this webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Be on the lookout for our next webinar, which will be in January 2023. If you can’t wait until then, you can always view our on-demand webinars. Don’t forget to join our mailing list so you can keep up with what is happening at L&E!

Digital qual – the 51st state?

DWG Admin on November 4, 2022

New developments in online qualitative research put larger groups of respondents at your fingertips, but quality is still paramount

In times of constant change and qualitative data analysis is certainly experiencing constant change two things are vitally important.

It’s crucial to keep your eye on what is changing the new opportunities, technologies and ideas that are springing up. It’s also crucial to keep a place in your thinking for what has not changed the basic principles that consumer research rests on.

Fresh insight, representative recruitment, best operational practice, and data quality are no less important because methods are in flux. In fact, they’re more important.

They’re the thread of continuity which lets you know you’re delivering the best insight and outcomes for the companies you work with.

If new methods can’t help you improve on these benchmarks, it’s not worth spending your valuable budget on experimenting with them.

Fortunately, many new methods can, and there’s more activity at the cutting edge of online qualitative research than ever.

The Digital Evolution

Before we dive into that activity it’s worth a recap of the last few years to understand why and how digital qual is changing so much.

You’ll hear a lot of people say that COVID-19 changed everything. It would be truer to say that the Covid pandemic accelerated everything.

The pandemic put a temporary halt to traditional face-to-face methods and forced a large-scale shift to online qualitative research.

However, the pressure to embrace digital qual existed well before 2019. The core functions of online insight platforms were already tried-and-tested by 2019, and machine learning and qual-at-scale were developing fast.

What the pandemic changed more than anything was a rethink of the old qualitative dogma that digital research could never deliver the nuance and depth of face-to-face work.

As billions became more familiar and comfortable with video call technology it was obvious that remote video could actually deliver the kinds of deep, human communication great qualitative work relies on.

Hybrid Research Methods

So as hybrid work comes to be a working norm, it’s no surprise that hybrid qual is, too. Projects and even individual groups mix video call technology with face-to-face research, just like hybrid meetings do.

The watchwords here are reliability and smoothness. You can’t let technical glitches or tricky user interfaces break the flow of your meeting.

Platforms like Forsta, which specialize in this kind of hybrid online/face-to-face work also offer suites of analytics, editing and content management tools to draw the maximum insight from these groups.

Digital Platform Benefits for Qualitative Data Analysis

Most of the innovation in digital qualitative research is happening on purely online platforms, though. The range of start-ups and new offers in the sector is huge and difficult to sift through.

It’s all too easy to be wary of the wild claims being made. It can be useful to simplify things and think of digital qualitative platforms as offering three broad benefits.

They can save time, by automating or cutting out steps in the qual process that require a lot of work, like transcription, translation, curation, and editing.
They can produce deeper insights by helping users do parts of the process better. Often this involves machine learning or unstructured data analysis, or data integration with other non-qualitative insight sources like sales or CRM data.
Or they can create new insights by doing things it was simply not possible to do any more this is what the “qual-at-scale” sector, which creates custom qual data using hundreds or thousands of participants rather than dozens, is promising. It’s also where the predictive end of machine learning and AI fits in.

If a new provider or platform can credibly promise one or more of these, they’re worth looking at.

Automation Tools Save Time

Tools that automate research and save time are the least glamorous area though can often be the most useful. Platforms like Qualie specialize in large-scale video analysis, tagging and search, which have all improved hugely since the pandemic made front-facing video content the standard mode of online qual.

Improvements are still happening for instance algorithmic tools that can go beyond simply searching video data for relevant content while also editing it automatically to turn it into verbatim clips and quotes.

It’s now common for digital qual platforms to incorporate some level of machine learning and NLP (Natural Language Processing) to analyze data.

New start-ups specializing in this continue to launch, though the improvements in technology here are mostly ones of degree. In other words, new tools are becoming better at understanding language, uncovering themes, automatically coding data, and other tasks though these are incremental, not revolutionary leaps forward.

The thing to remember is that using AI as a qual researcher is always a kind of duet between you and the algorithm.

AI is still only as good as the human collaborators who train it and interpret its findings. Curiosity and open-mindedness are still the friends of great qual research, and false certainty is its enemy, something technology will never change.

Large-Scale Qualitative Data Analysis

Finally, the most exciting work in the digital qualitative research space is still being done with qualitative research at scale with tools like Remesh, which allow mass qualitative studies to happen.

Social media used to be described as a focus group with a million people, though as we now know, a million self-selecting people (half of whom are bots) may not be so useful.

A focus group of 1000 people, all able to respond and interact like a Twitch stream with analysis in real time that’s a kind of insight platform researchers have never had access to before.

For that kind of rapid analysis of unstructured data to have value, you need to make sure your inputs are gold-standard, and your qualitative research recruitment is second to none.

Advanced qualitative data analysis and recruitment expertise become more important than ever.

The Future of Research

New tools and ideas are reshaping the sector all the time. What impact, for instance, will AI art have on qualitative NPD research, as participants can bring new ideas to visual life simply by describing them?

The pace of change keeps increasing, and we live in revolutionary times for our industry. Though in revolutionary times, expertise, and a bedrock of quality matter more than ever.

Are You Sabotaging Your Research?

DWG Admin on July 21, 2022

Fraudulent panelists have always plagued market research recruiters and panel providers, but the industry experienced an exponential uptick in fraud due to the Covid-19 pandemic: when the world navigated ways to live remotely, scammers followed suit and found a way to scam more effectively online. Researchers had to modify their data collection methodologies to reflect remote and online options during stay-at-home orders, and our industry adapted tremendously. However, increasing online research meant there were more opportunities for fraud.

In response to the growing incidence of data fraud, industry leaders and decision makers from leading brands gathered to create CASE (Collaborate, Advocate, Spearhead, Educate), with the goal of shining light on an issue that has been ignored in our industry for far too long. By providing brands with education, they’ll be better equipped to understand the concessions of time, cost, and quality when making decisions for their business, and deciding what research is appropriate and how to best design it, considering those variables. CASE conducted the first of its kind, ground-breaking research study on panel fraud, and results were shared during a webinar hosted by The Insights Association in spring of 2022 (available on-demand: Online Sample Fraud: Causes, Costs & Cures, February 11, 2022).

The key to successful research and data collection is having the right recruiting firm on your side. The recruiting firm must be able to share what they are doing to exclude fraudulent panelists from participating in research. Generally, you don’t need to know “how the sausage gets made”, however when it comes to panel validation practices that your recruiter has in place, you should ask questions and peek behind the curtain. Esomar published a paper in 2021 that has a list of 37 questions you can ask your recruiter to find out what they’re doing to validate their panel. While not all questions will apply to all firms or projects, it’s a solid start and should provide some foundational education on what to ask or how to ask questions specific to the research that you will be conducting. The goal isn’t to find a recruiter who can “check all the boxes”, but if they can speak coherently about their practices, and they are engaged and excited about the discussion, then you know they are implementing the processes necessary to mitigate data fraud. Your research partner should be taking a multi-faceted approach to their panel validation practices, using a combination of technological advancements and good old-fashioned human interaction.

L&E Research is renowned for three things: Nationwide recruiting, advanced technology, and industry leading client service. These skills are key to securing validated recruits who will contribute quality data for your research. We have over 35 years of qualitative recruitment experience, with the majority of recruiting focused on in-person research, so validating identity is not new for Team L&E. When we expanded our reach to accommodate remote, nationwide recruitment to better serve our client’s needs, we applied our tested respondent validation practices to a broader audience, so that we could continue to provide the same level quality participants for which we’re known. Online screening is convenient to both the panelist and our recruiting team, but this could invite fraud if the human element is removed, so at L&E Research, all recruits are confirmed with a phone call, conducted by a real human being. When participating in research at an L&E facility or L&E’s Virtual Facility, a government identification is required. Our advanced technology solutions allow us to track which panelists have been ID and human validated, providing us with an accurate gauge on the health and quality of our 1+ million-member panel. As scammers are agile and adaptable, we too needed to modify our practices to cast a wider net on excluding scammers from not only participating in research, but from registering as a member of our respondent pool. Using a combination of geolocation routing and IP address tracking, we can exclude the majority of bots and click farms from gaining access to our member portal. Our technology provides us with the flexibility to only share project invitations with those who would potentially qualify, based on the 100+ data points we collect and track; this reduces the volume of “cheaters” who would falsify their responses just to get into a study. We pride ourselves on our client service, but the same high-quality level of service is extended to our members in all levels of communication. We know clear and concise communication makes the difference in the amount of effort, and therefore quality and depth of feedback, that a respondent will put into the task at hand. In those communications we include “anti-fraud” messaging, such as letting participants know that photo identification will be checked, and that rescreening calls will be conducted to confirm their responses haven’t changed. We know our process is effective; we also know that we must stay agile and stay diligent to adapt to a changing landscape.

Combatting fraud within our industry will take involvement from everyone: brands, agencies, consultants, and sample suppliers. Because instances of fraud can wildly vary, the solution must be a collaborative effort, with dedication from all involved parties and open lines of communication. It isn’t enough to attempt to combat fraud at the project level; if we want to continue to provide relevant insights, we must be willing to share best practices with our clients AND our competitors, so that data quality in the entire research ecosystem will improve. With some accountability and creativity, recruitment providers can put processes into place to reduce bad data.

This post is based on a webinar, Stop Sabotaging Your Research! Why respondent quality matters and how to ensure data integrity. It’s available as part of our on-demand webinars series.

Be on the lookout for our next webinar, which will be in October 2022. If you can’t wait until then, view our on-demand webinars. Don’t forget to join our mailing list so you can keep up with what is happening at L&E!

The Latest in Qualitative Research Technology – Part 2

DWG Admin on December 7, 2021

New Tools for Better Insights

In part one of this blog, we discussed using AI to aggregate feedback and tap into data sources that may be too large or complex to analyze without AI. Yogi is emerging as a useful platform to identify and analyze data efficiently.

Yogi uses AI to aggregate, organize, and analyze data, which adds structure and meaning to reviews and ratings. Yogi power comes from combining consumer sentiment with topics of conversation to make it easy to identify likes, dislikes, competitors and challenges.

Live Conversations with 1,000 Participants

One of our newest partners, Remesh, allows customers to have a live conversation with audiences at a much larger scale, using AI to analyze and organize responses in real-time. In a live Remesh conversation, it’s possible to collect responses from up to 1,000 panelists in a single session.

The client develops the discussion guide for their exploratory qualitative research while L&E Research recruits the target audience to participate. The discussion guide can be customized using open-ended questions, polls, and even images or videos. The moderator selects pre-loaded questions from the discussion guide or can modify or write new questions in real time as the audience responses stream in, making the discussion fully customizable based on the responses received.

Quality Recruiting is Still Key

L&E Research taps into our panel of over one million US members to find the appropriate targets so customers can get the answers they need, and stakeholders are equipped to make decisions to solve their brand challenges.

Once the target audience has been secured, and the discussion guide has been developed, the Remesh session can be conducted. This is a fantastic way to brainstorm a topic without panelists influencing others opinions, so that a large variety of fresh perspectives are brought to the proverbial table for the client to review.

On the other hand, if idea sharing within the session is desired to stimulate ideas, that can be achieved – it’s all fully customizable! As new ideas are presented, and feedback is provided, the moderator can make alterations to the discussion and add or remove questions if changes are warranted. Remesh can collect quantitative and qualitative responses within a single session, cutting down on time and expenses when both need to be achieved. Due to its scalability, it can reduce moderation time as one session can collect responses from up to 1,000 panelists.

If further in-depth discussions are necessary to complete the qualitative analysis, individual or small group sessions can be facilitated through L&E Research’s Virtual Facility via a video conferencing platform. Finishing the research with a smaller scale discussion offers researchers the opportunity to answer any pending questions or tie up loose ends they may have.

Multiple Tech Solutions, One Vendor

This hypothetical, multi-phased approach to both identifying and solving a research problem using just three vendors could streamline and simplify a company’s process and save researcher time. As Yogi and Remesh are both partners of L&E Research, this could all be done on one invoice though L&E, saving the finance and procurement departments time and resources as well.

The Latest in Qualitative Research Technology – Part 1

DWG Admin on September 23, 2021

Covid-19 Changed the Way We Conducted Research

Covid-19 impacted the market research industry in a countless number of ways. L&E Research, like many other qualitative research firms that offer in-person facility solutions, saw a drastic decline in face-to-face research. While researchers were already exploring remote options including asynchronous activities like bulletin boards, shop-alongs, home-use tests, and diaries, these were never meant to replace the importance and value of having a conversation in a one-on-one or group setting with a live audience.

The pandemic led to an increase in conducting synchronous sessions via video-conferencing software, and an overall increase in asynchronous research. But what about the projects that still needed to be conducted face-to-face? Qualitative research firms that offer in-person facility solutions had to implement changes that would reduce risk for all parties involved. By making their facilities as safe as possible for staff, clients, and participants, in-person research became a viable option once again.

Technology made it possible to move research online in a meaningful way, conduct new types of remote research activities, and allowed us to find and utilize new sources of research data.

The Way We Shopped Allowed an Untapped Data Source to Emerge

Of course, market research wasn’t the only activity to see a shift from in-person to online. There was an incredible surge in online shopping over the course of the pandemic – a whopping 32.4% increase over the previous year (https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/). As review platforms such as Yogi saw an increase in the volume of online reviews and ratings, brands began to realize the importance of this previously untapped data source. It contains a wealth of unbiased feedback that simply needs to be analyzed in order for valuable insights to be found.

As New Tools Were Needed to Analyze This Data – Enter AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the next step in automation when working with large amounts of data. While AI does not replace the insights professional, AI organizes and analyzes data and sentiments, which makes teams more efficient by removing menial tasks, such as tagging, collating, and structuring data, from the process. With advancements in AI, researchers can analyze observational data, and not simply base their findings on the “ask environment” (i.e. polling, interviews, etc.).

AI is best utilized when it can support and enhance the role of the researcher, not take the researcher out of the picture. A focus group still needs a trained moderator, and AI cannot replace that. AI can help that moderator achieve greater things with the right technology.

Using Qualitative and Quantitative for Agile Innovation

Research has been moving towards a more inclusive hybrid approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative into the entire innovation cycle. Rather than using an anchored “waterfall” approach, it’s more comprehensive for decision making to now use an “agile” approach that is more frequent and lighter in nature and may include more tools along the way rather than one large strategy. This gives researchers a collection of different types of data to inform their decisions.

Using the combination of these technologies to fulfill research needs could be quite the powerhouse and can leverage both the “observe” and “ask” environments. For example, a company could use Yogi to analyze their reviews and ratings across a variety of sites to identify a problem they may have with a specific product, or perhaps it may reveal an issue with their brand perception of which they were unaware, or it could simply show them how their competitor may be outperforming them. Whatever the case may be, based on their analysis of existing reviews and ratings, using observational data, they have now identified a problem and can develop a purpose statement which will guide the research team on the work that must be accomplished throughout the research process.

Developments in technology go far beyond just helping researchers shift from in-person to remote. With changes in the macro environment like massive shifts to online shopping, researchers need to have the tools to identify new sources of data and analyze them efficiently. AI and other software will never replace the insights professional, but having the right technology can allow research to become faster, more agile and more innovative.

L&E Blog Series: Working in a Virtual Environment – Metrics: The Key To Any Business (Especially When Your Team Works From Home!)

DWG Admin on July 20, 2020

As so many are struggling with their businesses in this new reality we call COVID, we have all been confronted with the reality that the world has changed and a crisis is upon us. I wanted to share a chapter from a friend who has written a series of books on the subject of entrepreneurship. Called the “Decision Series,” Randy Nelson has authored two books (with two more on the way) on helping us navigate the business owner cycle. Here’s a chapter on crisis leadership, and what Randy learned from his time as submarine XO and later successful exit of two companies on how to deal with crisis.

I highly recommend his books for all business owners out there, especially his “Second Decision” on operating your business well. If you read Randy’s chapter or tuned in from my last post on the strategic essentials of working from home, we covered communication and how essential it is for a successful transition to at home work, as an element of the broader need for great leadership for successful outcomes. Vision, strategy and culture are all critical components of leadership as well, but these are items that really must come from the heart of the leadership of one’s business or division. Further, countless books have been written on these subjects that could cover these topics far better than I (see Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why,” Jim Collins’ “Good to Great” on strategy and culture and overall leadership, “The 17 indisputable laws of Teamwork” by Thomas Maxwell, and many more). All of them are well worth the read.

But the one facet of leadership, and one I see most lacking in many businesses, that is particularly crucial when your workforce is more virtual (and covered really well in Randy’s book), is metrics. As one CEO friend told me years ago, when he asked what my key metrics were and I didn’t have a good answer:

“Brett, if you don’t know the metrics of your business, you’ll never know what makes it successful. Talking financials only tells part of the story: what items [that are measurable] that drive those financials are the keys to your business.”

Too often I hear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) referenced by others as financials. Profits, revenue, cash flow, these are all very important, but are often data that only you and your CFO or Finance Officer know. If you want to share that data with your employees, I strongly encourage it, but that too will take time and a lot of process. Jack Stack’s “Great Game of Business” and Geno Wickman’s “Traction” are great reads and systems to consider when going down that path. They also only tell the outcome, they don’t share how you got there. Knowing what causes your business to generate profits (revenue is nice, but without profits it’s vanity) is what will lead to high performing teams, as you build out the metrics that enable each teammate to understand where they fit into the bigger company picture.

The ability to know what number(s) each of your teammates should be looking at is the first crucial step in creating a culture of accountability. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) has regularly published survey results that show employees seek, in this general order:

The ability to influence their working world;
Clear expectations as to what is expected of them;
Being valued and appreciated;
Fair compensation.

Notice compensation is last. Yes, everyone wants to paid well, but so long as their compensation plan is fair, employees really want to know how will the game be played, what part of the game are they expected to play/influence, and what does winning look like? I like to compare it to games because most all of us grew up playing games of some kind. Sports, cards, Monopoly, we all know the rules, and we all know what winning looks like.

I find these four elements very intertwined and critical if you are to create an accountable culture. To me, it starts with #2: clear expectations. To have clear expectations, one has to have data, especially when your people are working from home, when all you have is the ability to see the final work product or financial outcomes. Simply put, your teammates crave objective analysis, because when it is clear to them not only what is expected of them, but also what they are involved in defining, together you both can determine HOW to accomplish it. This also addresses #1, their ability to influence, and even #3 being valued and appreciated, as you will find it easier to value them and show appreciation if you can objectively see they’re helping you make a positive difference.

Once employees feel you both are on the same page, you will begin establishing trust, which is essential between business leaders and their employees to achieve success. You will get a lot less “why are we doing this?” if they understand what drives the business, and how what they do influences it. This of course gets back to communication we discussed earlier, but you’ll find you spend a lot less time explaining things as you establish trust. Telling your teammates “Trust me!” is something I found never worked!

Clear expectations thus, derive from metrics that allow you to create a scorecard between you and your employee. Taking your goals for the year, you can reverse engineer your business to determine what each departments scorecard will look like, and in turn how you will develop the KPIs of each employee within those departments.

If you’re thinking “Yeah sure, it’s so simple!,” you’re right: it’s not. Considerable thought needs to go into your metrics as a company and what’s driving your success (or what needs to change to make it successful). From my experience, you’re likely to make a few mistakes as to what you’re measuring, and change the metrics up. But good news: my experience is when people see you trying to figure it out and working smart to enable both the company and employees to be successful, they’ll be a whole lot more willing to put up with these mistakes and help solve the problem to make the company successful.

As we all adapt and reimagine our businesses in this new reality, metrics and communication will be crucial as companies consider being more home-based. In addition to Randy’s Decision Series, I also highly recommend “Traction” by Geno Wickman, as you consider how to thrive in the months ahead and put better metrics and communication systems in place. If I had one thought to close, it would be don’t let the productivity of your teammates these past few months lull you into a sense of false security. Many companies have reported seeing their teammates productivity equal to, or increased, during this COVID crisis. Seeing the job market run high with unemployment and the quarantines forcing people to stay home may be creating “false positives” in productivity. Make sure your metrics are strong, and you’re constantly evaluating how you can communicate better in order to ensure everyone in your company is on the same page.

IDG – The Virtual Aisle – An Alternative Solution for In-Store Research

DWG Admin on June 18, 2020

Need to get in-store research done, but having trouble getting permission to get into a store? IDG’s Life-Sized Virtual Aisle creates a lifelike in-store shopping experience nearly anywhere in the world. The Virtual Aisle enables in-store methodologies such as shop-alongs, in-depth interviews, eye-tracking, observations and basket metrics.

IDG is one of L&E’s trusted technology partners and together we are offering 25% off virtual aisle costs when a project is booked at one of the L&E facilities using the Virtual Aisle.

L&E will handle your recruiting and IDG will handle the Virtual Aisle service, helping you focus on your research

Informed Decisions Group’s (IDG) Virtual Aisle is a truly remarkable interactive market research tool! The Virtual Aisle is portable and can be shipped and set up anywhere in the world for researchers to create a life sized, in-store experience anywhere they like! Using eye-tracking in conjunction with qualitative interviews, IDG can extract immediate insights from shoppers’ interactions with the aisle.

With the integration of quantitative data, from mobile eye-tracking, and qualitative insights from follow up interviews and shop-a-longs, shelf and packaging decisions can be made quickly and effectively.

Some of the featured of IDG’s Virtual Aisle –

6 x 10 foot portable screens for life sized, scaled projections
Ability to project high resolution images that are 4x HD and up to 9.8 mega pixels
Rear projection to eliminate shadows
Ability to simultaneously test design options and easily modify stimuli
Faster results than in-market testing
Identify lead design options to test in further quantitative research or in-market testing

Additional features and tools, but not limited to –

Interactive Virtual Aisle
Package diagnostics with stationary eye-tracking/online webcam eye-tracking
Menu board testing & optimization
Biometric tools, mobile EEG and micro-expression coding

For a more in depth overview of IDG and their capabilities, watch our on-demand tech webinar by clicking here!

L&E Blog Series: Working in a Virtual Environment – Communication: Part 2

DWG Admin on April 23, 2020

As a follow up to my post last week about communication, I discussed the 5 key tools that we used to help get everyone on the same page to become a remote workforce. In addition to those, I thought it would be useful to share some of the software/tech tools we use at L&E. So here they are, a few tools we use in our daily work, plus a few things we do as a company throughout the year to enhance our communication with one another.

Video Meetings – We hold all of our meetings via video and a good HD webcam on each employee’s laptop enables us to do so. Whether the video platform is through 8×8, Zoom or GoToMeeting, video provides a human connection and dynamic that can’t be achieved through phone/conference calls. We are able to see the background of one another’s homes (and the occasional pet, spouse or child ). This keeps things real, we are human and we LIKE seeing each other’s lives. I have found for new employees this also gives them more familiarity with their new colleagues and helps them get to know one another better before they have the chance to meet in-person.
Online Chat Tool – We use G Suite and Google Hangouts is a chat feature within Gmail. Having a chat function available makes it easy to get a quick answer without having to worry if someone is busy, or if you missed a call. Furthermore, it reduces the amount of congestion in inboxes and is a great internal communication tool.
Shared System – I mentioned Smartsheet specifically in the last blog post. It’s a shared workspace tool that everyone can access and make changes to in real time. It solves the problem of not having the most current document that may have been shared or emailed back and forth multiple times. It’s where we set our goals and metrics, discuss issues at hand and create our to-do’s. It’s something we come back to in each meeting to guide us and help us so that we are held accountable in actions following every meeting.

Example of Smartsheet workspace below:

Small Team Meetings – Keeping our team meetings smaller helps us stay focused on the goals/metrics of the departments we work within, makes it easier to bond in a smaller group setting and for the most part keeps our meetings shorter and within our desired time limits. We have cross-departmental meetings (which are small as well), but these are with each department head vs. the whole team. This makes good use of each team’s time and when there is something pertinent that needs to be passed down from the department leader they are then able to regroup in their own small teams.
Polaris Learning System – This is an online learning academy that our team has been utilizing since 2017. While you may wonder how this is part of communication, there are courses in the following chapters (and yes, communication is one of the courses!): Self Development, Communication Skills, Time Management, Decision-Making Skills, Goal Achievement and Leadership & Management. You can check out the Polaris website and learn more about the coursework offered with this sample course module.