Ethnographic Market Research for new ventures

A new school of thought for business basics D.School B-SchoolVsD.School Use quantitative marketing tools, relying on survey data and demographics MARKETINGUse ethnographic observations to understand customers in their natural habitat Learn public speaking and employee messaging, receive personal coaching LEADERSHIPLearn how to lead brainstorming sessions; manage creative teams and accept feedback Learn operations skills such as managing a supply chain OPERATIONSLearn how to design business systems and even upend the supply chain model Use traditional models to bring products or services to market BUSINESS PLANSUse a broad range of models, such as public- private partnerships, as inspiration for planning

What is ethnographic market research? EMR helps companies understand the consumer in terms of cultural trends, lifestyle factors, attitudes and how social context influences product selection and usage. Businesses usually use focus groups when testing a new product or service – these groups meet in a room and discuss the topic at hand. In contrast, EMR removes artificial settings and throws open the door to the real world. EMR uses anthropology as its foundation to show how products / service fit into everyday lives

(at least) four techniques On-site In-home Virtual Peer-parties

Technique: On-site On-site ethnographic research sessions take place wherever the consumer is utilizing the product or service -- in a restaurant, store, office or even car. Conducting place-based research allows the researcher to interview and observe as the behavior is carried out and provides an opportunity for follow-up questions as needed.

On-site example – shadowing How: Tag along with people to observe and understand their day-to-day routines, interactions, and contexts Why: This reveals design, feature, and attribute opportunities and shows how a product might affect of complement users behavior

Technique: In-home In-home EMR sessions are limited to the home They can include one or multiple family members, and often last for several hours. The researcher is immersed in the home environment and observes, asks questions and listens to obtain insight into consumer trends, reactions, problems. Consumers go about solving those product- or service- based dilemmas. In-home sessions provide businesses with insight into how to improve products, what new items are needed and how changing needs affect usage.

In-home example: The Swiffer Innovation Primary cleaning of floors in homes done by vacuum or mop+bucket In late 1980s, Japanese firm introduced mop with electrostatically-charged disposable sheets P&G broke with tradition and did not license technology because it thought it could do a better design Then came the in-home tests….

What consumers say vs what they do

Technique: Virtual Virtual EMR sessions are conducted online and require the participants to carry out a variety of tasks, usually over a period of days or weeks. Consumers might be asked to write essays on a product- or service-related topic, select pictures or even film themselves. This full immersion process is designed to reveal a 360-degree image of the consumers' attitudes, emotions and perceptions.

Virtual technique: Camera journal HOW: Ask potential users to keep a written and visual diary of their impressions, circumstances, and activities related to the product. WHY: This rich, self-conducted notation technique is useful for prompting users to reveal points of view and patterns of behavior. IDEO application: The IDEO team designing a travel information system distributed camera journals to families taking car trips to capture map reading and other car travel behavior.

Application of camera journal During the May mini-mester study-abroad course I taught in Italy in 2011, students encountered new challenges with their luggage over the course of four major cities, multiple train rides, and trans- Atlantic flights. The cobblestone roads in each of the cities we visited challenged the durability and maneuverabi lity of luggage items. They're designed well for airport terminals, but not so much for cobblestone streets.

Virtual technique: Be your customer How: Describe, outline, or enact your typical customers experience Why: This helps to reveal unstated perceptions of your customers and provides an informative contrast to actual customer experiences

Virtual example: Draw the experience This is from the IDEO Method Cards series. "Draw the Experience" is an "Ask" activity in which you ask participants to visualize an experience through drawings and diagrams. IDEO claims that this is a good way to debunk assumptions and reveal how people conceive of and order their experiences or activities.

Draw the experience – examples

Technique: Peer parties Peer parties are like focus groups because multiple consumers join together to discuss a product or service, answer questions and provide feedback. The two formats differ in that the EMR peer party event takes place in a residence and participants know each other. The relaxed, festive atmosphere is intended to bring forth feedback and insight that would otherwise be less likely to surface. A researcher moderator assists in guiding the conversation, but otherwise remains in the background.