Qualitative research at a crossroads: where to now?

Clients’ views of qualitative research methods

Prepared for the AQR/QRCA Conference, Rome, 2012

by Kevin McLean, Wardle McLean, UK

View from the hilltop

Imagine standing on a hill overlooking the valley / the woods the vast plain the hills and mountain range

Which way to go?

Valley = face-to-face Forest = observational Plain = online, neuro Hills = analytical frameworks

eg semiotics, BE

Crossroads

‘Marketing at a crossroads’ Keith Weed, CMO Unilever, 2012

we need to think more about how we get back to serving consumers

‘Capitalism at the crossroads’ Umair Haque (2011), HBR

learn to create authentic, lasting value for (people), ‘shared value’

Crossroads

Interviews

26 client interviews in 6 countries by phone and face-to-face taking BRIC markets into account

– network of local researchers in– France, UK, China, Australia, Brazil, USA

Credits

Thierry Tricard, Gatard Research, France

Simon Barker, Firefly Millward Brown, Beijing, China

Qing Wang and Sharon Zhou, The Behavioural Architects, Shanghai, China

Cristiano Schenardi and Maria Helena Rodrigues, Kyra, Brazil

Thais Senger, Insight Evolution, Florida, USA

David Tunnicliffe, Storyville, Australia

Ilana Bryant, Special Forces NY, USA

Researchers

P&G eBay Diageo Coca-Cola Kraft Foods McDonald’s Molson Coors Kimberly-Clark Schick Energiser AB InBev Westpac PepsiCo Ferrero Gillette

Clients

BBDO Ogilvy Publicis JWT

Agencies

Objectives

What do clients say about qualitative research methods? How are the various methods

characterised by them?

What do clients want from qualitative research nowadays and is this changing/evolving?

A word from our sponsors

Do clients care passionately about qualitative research methods?

It’s not about method, it’s about solution and result! (China)

I don’t give a (damn) about methods,

I just need to know what to do (UK)

Another caveat

OF COURSE … methods reflect business

and research objectives

WHAT is done matters less

that HOW it is done

Methods madness

Face-to-facegroups

depths

workshops

Telephone

interviews groups

OnlineOnline groups

Bulletin boards

Social media

MROCs

NeurologicalEye-tracking

EEG

PsychologicalTrance interviews

Implicit associationassessment

ObservationalPure observation

Participantobservation

User-generatedSelf-completion tasks

Written diariesVideo diaries

AnalyticalSemiotics

NLP BE

Summary

More demands on process faster, cheaper, better, newer, more relevant, insightful NOT a case of, out with the old, in with the new

Trends towards: online/use of technology behavioural focus (observation, user-generated) other forms of face-to-face than FGDs

eg workshops, direct interaction clients/consumers

‘Focus groups’ criticised, shock

Recent examples Diageo: ‘say no to focus groups’ Linked In Consumer Insights Group:

‘have classical group methodologies had their shelf life?’

Technical clarification, ‘FGDs’

‘Focus groups’ to date

US military origins

ESOMAR data (2007) vs conference platforms

Our survey said …

‘Focus groups’ do still have a key role some advantages over other methods more support in China and Brazil

Awareness of shortcomings / reputation compensate by adding other methods

Evidence of declining share to other face-to-face methods to ethnography and online

Our survey said …

FGD +ves FGD -ves

Efficient Superficial

Consumer experience

Reported behaviour (not actual)

Listen in Distancing

International Boring

Debate the issues Vested interests

Entertaining Not cool. Not even close

The case for …

(groups) are what the market is comfortable with

and is asking for … (groups) are the most efficient

method to understand the basic ideas of consumers (China)

Focus Groups are still the standard reference in qualitative studies. (I) believe (they) can be improved to guarantee dynamism ... (but) nothing replaces a good focus group (Brazil)

there is still tremendous value from having conversations with customers … which is analysed (UK)

The case against …

Very uneven … superficial … stale … boring …

nothing has changed … posturing … false (Australia)

We are moving away from focus groups, it’s been the

number 1 over-used methodology for years now (USA)

(Focus groups) justify more than they invent, they reduce analysis into Powerpoint quotes and they (give the impression that) anyone can do it (France)

Conflict at the heart of the method?

Colliding client/consumer agendas

The rise and rise of digital

Increase in online methods from online FGDs to social media analysis newer, can be faster and cheaper great reach, capacity will only develop more

things are definitely moving digitally (France)

And yet: jury still out for some, uncertainty partial data set; not fully trusted, how deep, how reliable?

Everyone knows how to interpret (‘traditional’) qual …. but people are still

becoming familiar with digital methodologies, learning how to use them,

how to assess them, so it is important to have experts to hire (Brazil)

The most recent thing is neuroscience, but I’ve been hearing about it for 7 years now, and up until today, nobody uses it confidently (Brazil)

Behavioural focus

Technology, zeitgeist … clients return to behavioural focus

It’s even more important than ever to try to live in the consumer’s shoes (USA)

We observe more and ask less, these days (UK)

Behaviour more central video ethnography, mobile phone

diaries, immersion studies, pre-tasks

Behavioural challenges

‘Ethno-lite’ but how lite? definitions standards training

Interpretation is key

I’ve done ethnography, webnography and the output was

not so good, it didn’t add anything to the traditional stuff (Brazil)

Roles of qualitative researchers

The method used will be determined by the project, the project is conditioned by how research is framed:

so, what do clients want from qualitative research

… and qualitative researchers?

scholar

geek scientist jesterartist geniusconsultant

detective listener therapist

curious observer storyteller guru mediatorideas person

teacher

ideas personlistener

consultant

curious

therapiststoryteller geekdetective guruobserver

Sum up in a single word

Multifaceted

Critical dimensions: inside vs outside ideas vs information specialist vs generalist speed vs depth pictures vs words

Role has expanded, emphasis shifted …

… but at its heart remains the same

‘wide-eyed’ and curious but business savvy (with) a strong pull towards those who can speak the internal language

I’ll tell you what I want

the researcher role should move from 'mediator' to a mix of 'observer’, ‘story-teller’ and ‘business consultant'. I have great faith in qual done … in a human-centric and creative way

the qual researcher is largely a follower, I wish them to be more of consultant …(less) carrying out what is assigned to them (but) brave enough to be forward and strategic thinking

The heart of the matter

the heart of it is respondents being listened to; being listened to is happening less and less … and this is true for our clients as well

if we abandon the tried and trusted ways, we impoverish the quality of our insight, not grow it

the fundamentals have not changed, we still need to know why people do what they do. The basic skill is (still) about wondering why.

A shift from …

consumerclient

QR

ideas information

A shift to …

consumerclient

QR

results experienceINSIGHTideas information

Where to now?

Explore

Examine

Expertise

Onwards and upwards

Explore the newer methods and techniques add to and fit with our core skills used appropriately and well expand F2F beyond FGD

Do wonder Examine

‘Perhaps it is strange to speak of wonder as a method. But if we understand method as methodos, as path or

way, then we may consider wonder an important motive in human science inquiry. The "way" to

knowledge and understanding begins in wonder. From this moment of wonder, a question may emerge

that addresses us and that is addressed by us. It should animate one's questioning of the meaning of

some aspect of lived experience.’

(Dr Max Van Manen, Phenomenologist)

Expertise

Just do it well Expertise

face-to-face/observation: ‘whole person’ methods

how to reclaim/hold our ground?‘A good conversation is one in which you say what you have never said before … Conversation … doesn’t just exchange facts but transforms them … doesn't just reshuffle the cards, it creates new cards.’

(Theodore Zeldin)

fundamental inquiry values o curiosity, respect, imagination, courage

Which way …?

Any way we please, starting in the Valley