Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , So Many Research Options, So Little Time: How to Choose Among New and Traditional Qualitative Research Methods Jay Zaltzman Bureau West, Inc. Market Research & Marketing Strategy Los Angeles, CA Tel:

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Bureau West: research & strategy Consortium of independent researchers –Qualitative research (focus groups, interviews, online methods) –Quantitative research (surveys) –Website-related research (usability, conceptual) “Agnostic” when it comes to methodology –What’s the best way to answer the research question?

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Decisions, decisions Inundated with new qualitative options: –Online bulletin board focus groups –Remote webcam focus groups –Telephone focus groups –Online chat focus groups –Mobile phone research –Online journaling –Video diaries –Telephone interviews with “desktop” (computer screen) sharing –Online communities/social networks –And more!

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Decisions, decisions And then there are the traditional options such as focus groups and in-person interviews Infinite combinations of the above How to choose? –Benefits –Client comfort level –“Bells and whistles”

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Asynchronous Less interaction, less spontaneity Greater depth More individual opinions and less influence of fellow participants –But still get some of the synergy of group discussion Anonymous Geographic dispersion Cost savings Moderator post Threaded responses Online bulletin board focus groups

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Online bulletin board focus groups Well-suited for: –Website- related research –Discussing new concepts –High- involvement topics

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Webcam (video) focus groups More interactive than online bulletin board focus groups –Though still not the same as in-person Psychological safety of home or office –Less “groupthink” than in-person focus groups Best of both worlds? Geographic dispersion Costs: not cheap, but save on travel

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Webcam (video) focus groups Examples: –Research: reactions to TV ads –Home use of products

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Online chat focus groups Moderated discussion conducted online –Think of a large chat room, with visuals that can change –Moderator asks questions and probes while the comments scroll down the page –Clients view the online chat in real-time, and are able to have the moderator ask additional questions, if needed Somewhat interactive More immediacy No dominators Simultaneous responses = large amount of data in short amount of time Anonymous Geographic dispersion Cost savings

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Online chat focus groups Well-suited for reactions to visuals and to concepts

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Telephone focus groups Teleconference –Can be done as a regular conference call or using an online conference system like WebEx or GoToMeeting, so participants can view stimuli on their computer screens Fairly interactive Geographic dispersion Quick and easy to set up Cost savings

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Telephone focus groups Tend to use when webcam focus groups are too expensive or too difficult (e.g., no time to send webcams to respondents)

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Desktop sharing Can work both ways Moderator and clients see respondent’s desktop –For remote website usability testing Respondents and clients see moderator’s desktop –For telephone focus groups or interviews with visual component With or without a webcam Providers: –Webex –GoToMeeting –AdobeConnect

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Mobile phone research Not just for quant anymore Questions asked by text message at pre- determined times over the course of days or weeks –Respondents answer by text message –Alternate method: have people call in their answers Immediate More natural, researcher has less impact on the behavior being researched Well-suited for: –Learning about behavior (e.g., shopping, watching TV) –Getting at feelings, emotional reactions

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Mobile phone (texting) research Examples: –How PR staffers feel about their work –Reactions to marketing messages

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Online journaling (“immersive research”) Participants write their own “blogs” Can combine text, photos, video, audio to get at various aspects of the topic being researched More natural, researcher has less impact on the behavior being researched Can participate at their convenience –More “in the moment” than an IDI, less than texting –Provides greater depth than texting

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Online journaling (“immersive research”) Well-suited for: –Learning about behavior –Getting at feelings, emotional reactions

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Video diaries Questions and answers on video – more natural and easier for participants Portable video cams enable us to “follow” participants, with minimum observer impact Participants don’t have to write and organize thoughts, can speak spontaneously Rich visuals for report

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Video diaries Well-suited for: –Learning about behavior as it happens (“day in the life”) –Getting at feelings, emotional reactions Examples: –P&G research about morning routines –Midas customer research

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Social media Still finding our way – proceed with caution! –Many consider Facebook and MySpace to be very personal forums. Can temporarily connect to (“friend”) respondents. –This provides a deeper and more candid view of the person than is available otherwise. Data mining opportunities.

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Market research online communities Large group of people recruited to a private online platform to participate in a variety of research activities over time. Uses: –Co-innovation: involving customers in the product development process. –Identifying trends: participants recruited for MROC’s are engaged, creative types of people who tend to be at the forefront of trends. –Longitudinal input: obtain information over the whole course of the decision-making process, or input about product use over time. –Speed: answers can be available in days rather than weeks.

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , So how to choose?

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Decision process: start here Are people with broadband internet representative of the target? Is confidentiality absolutely essential? Yes No Yes Can’t use remote or online methods (except telephone focus groups and IDI’s) Can consider online methods – continue to next page Can’t use remote or online methods

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , In Person Interaction Spontaneity In Home or Office Psychological security In-person focus groups In-person IDI’s Online bulletin board focus groups Telephone focus groups Webcam focus groups Mobile phone research Video diaries Online journaling Online chat focus groups

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Depth Superficiality In-person focus groups In-person IDI’s Online bulletin board focus groups Telephone focus groups Webcam focus groups Mobile phone research Video diaries Online journaling Online chat focus groups

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Group Group dynamic Individual In-person focus groups In-person IDI’s Online bulletin board focus groups Telephone focus groups Webcam focus groups Mobile phone research Video diaries Online journaling Online chat focus groups

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Immediate Retrospective In-person focus groups In-person IDI’s Online bulletin board focus groups Telephone focus groups Webcam focus groups Mobile phone research Video diaries Online journaling Online chat focus groups

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Decision process – also consider: Client comfort level Savings in travel cost, time

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Summing up “Selling” new techniques to clients Consider a combination

Bureau West ▪ Market Research & Marketing Strategy ▪ Los Angeles, CA ▪ tel: (818) , Thank you Jay Zaltzman Bureau West - Market Research & Marketing Strategy –Our Research Tidbit newsletter keeps you up to date on what's new and interesting in marketing and market research each month –Please send me an if you'd like to receive it. Just and write “newsletter” in the subject line