VOLUME 2 • NUMBER 4 Beyond Words: Reading the Hidden

S U M M E R 2 0 0 4V O L U M E 2 • N U M B E R 4

I D E A S & T O O L S F O R Q U A L I TAT I V E R E S E A R C H

Advisory Panels and theHealthcare Industry

Research Dreams and Marketing Nightmares:A Report on New Thinkingin British Market Research

Beyond Words:Reading the HiddenCommunicationsof ResearchRespondents

Beyond Words:Reading the HiddenCommunicationsof ResearchRespondentsAdvisory Panels and theHealthcare Industry

Research Dreams and Marketing Nightmares:A Report on New Thinkingin British Market Research

Focus Market Research is the #1 Starfor Qualitative Research

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4 QRCA VIEWS ■ SUMMER 2004 ■ w w w . q r c a . o r g

Editor-in-Chief: Sharon Wolf, [email protected] ■ Managing Editor: Timm Sweeney, [email protected] ■ Design/Art Direction &Publishing: Leading Edge Communications, LLC (615) 790.3718 [email protected]

FEATURE EDITORSBusiness Matters: Gail Fudemberg, [email protected] ■ Global Research: Susan Fader, [email protected] ■ Industry Calendar:Sarah-Jane Muskett, [email protected] ■ Qualitative Tool Box: Kimberly Daniels, [email protected] ■ TargetedMarketing: Judy Langer, [email protected] ■ Technology Talk: Gina Thorne, [email protected] Travel & Lifestyles: Susan Sweet,[email protected]

8 FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEFQRCA Views Circulation to Broaden ■

Sharon Wolf talks about the growth of Views.

FROM THE PRESIDENTThree Wishes ■ Jeff Walkowski suggests waysfor QRCA to become the qualitative-researchindustry leader.

16 FEATURE STORY

Beyond Words:Reading the HiddenCommunicationsof ResearchRespondents ■

Anne Beall, Ph.D., explainshow to use nonverbalcommunication to gain adeeper understanding ofwhat respondents arecommunicating.

QUALITATIVE TOOLBOXAdvisory Panels and the HealthcareIndustry ■ Eric Swatek discusses healthcareadvisory panels and the role QRCs can play.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHResearch Dreams and MarketingNightmares: A Report on New Thinking inBritish Market Research ■ Hy Mariampolskidescribes ideas shared at the recent MarketResearch Society Conference in London.

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T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H EQ U A L I T A T I V E R E S E A R C H C O N S U L T A N T S A S S O C I A T I O N

SUMMER 2004

■ TABLE OF CONTENTS ■

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visit QRCA online atwww.qrca.org

■ TABLE OF CONTENTS ■

TECH TALKMaking the Most of Digital Audio VoiceRecorders ■ Gina Thorne provides an overview ofthe capabilities of digital audio recorders.

TRAVEL & LEISUREAtlanta… Old South Ambience WithContemporary Pizzazz ■ Liz Nutter highlightsAtlanta’s hottest attractions.

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T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H EQ U A L I T A T I V E R E S E A R C H C O N S U L T A N T S A S S O C I A T I O N

SUMMER 2004

BOOK REVIEWSummer Reading: Six Picks ■ Timm Sweeneyand Sharon Wolf offer publishers’ synposes of sixbusiness books worth reading this summer.

TARGETED MARKETINGBoomers As Grandparents ■ Sarah-JaneMuskett and Sharon Wolf highlight market trendsand opportunities for targeting Baby Boomergrandparents.

EDITORIAL GUIDELINESCall for Authors: Publishing Opportunities ■

Views editors welcome article ideas or manuscriptsfor consideration.

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

C O N T I N U E D

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■ FROM THE EDITOR - IN - CHIEF ■

Sharon WolfQUALIDATA RESEARCH INC.

Brooklyn, [email protected]

Views will raiseawareness of QRCA

and present theorganization as anindustry leader bystriving to be the

leading worldwideauthority on the

practice of qualitativeresearch…Views willseek to enhance the

conduct of qualitativeresearch among a wide

variety of readers,primarily QRCA

members but alsoincluding other

practitioners, users,academics, service

providers, andstudents.”

– QRCA ViewsMission Statement,

March 2002

he QRCA Board of Directors recently approved broadening Views’ circulation from membersonly to members and research buyers. This step is not only good news to Views’ advertisers,

who will receive more exposure in return for their advertising dollars, but it is also good newsfor fellow members. If you wish, under the broadened Views distribution plan, you may

designate key clients and prospects to receive complimentary one-year, renewable subscriptions tothe magazine, beginning with the Winter 2004-05 issue.

In keeping with the association’s strategic plan, one goal of the transition of Views from anewsletter format to a full-color, professionally designed association magazine was to increase thevisibility of QRCA and its membership among the larger marketing research community.Expanded circulation will enable us to achieve that goal.

Susan Sweet, a former member of the now-dissolved Views Task Force, recalls, “ We wanted thenew QRCA Views to serve as a value-added member benefit and also as a tangible tool for helpingto build QRCA’s image as a premier professional association, dedicated to the highest ethicalstandards and best practices in the qualitative research industry. The task force conceiveddistributing Views to members only as stage one of a two-stage plan.” Sweet adds, “ In the twoyears since its launch, Views has been achieving its first goal: offering members ideas and tools toenhance their professionalism and competitiveness.”

Sweet also points out that by limiting circulation to members, the rich information resources thatthe magazine offers readers have been not been very visible to research buyers. “ I’m delighted thatthe recent Board decision represents the implementation of stage two of the task force’s originalcirculation plan.”

In his Letter from the President (pages 10– 12), Jeff Walkowski bemoans the fact that when heproudly mentions his affiliation with QRCA, clients and prospects often respond with, “ QRCA who?”Along with the Communication Committee’s “ Leading the Way in Qualitative Research” advertisingand PR campaign, and the creation of Qcasts online seminars, the circulation of Views to researchbuyers is an important step for building stronger awareness for QRCA and its members among itsconstituencies.

The Plan for Achieving Expanded CirculationThe expanded circulation plan calls for sending each quarterly edition of Views to 5,000 researchbuyers. QRCA’s headquarters recently sent out forms that you can use to add as many of your researchbuyers as you wish to the Views mailing list. The decision to submit or not to submit contacts is entirelyup to you. Before the end of the first subscription year, research buyers will be invited to renew theirfree subscriptions.

Confidentiality IssuesThe Board of Directors, QRCA headquarters, and the Views Committee are extremely sensitive toconcerns that members may have about protecting the confidentiality of their clients and prospectcontacts. After all, QRCs have spent years developing and nurturing Fortune 500 and global contacts.To protect the privacy of these contacts, QRCA will be taking several steps:1. The Views mailing-list database will be kept on a fully dedicated, password-secure computer in theQRCA offices. Mike and Janet Jenkins will control access to this computer.2. Neither QRCA’s president, members of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, nor anymembers will have access to the subscriber list.3. Views’ publisher, Leading Edge Communications, Inc., is permitted by contract to use the Viewsdatabase solely for the purpose of generating mailing labels. They are not permitted to share the list ormailing labels with any organization outside of QRCA.

Opportunities for AuthorsHave you conducted an interesting global study or perhaps a study that employed innovative methodsor an unusual mix of qualitative methods? Have you read a good business book lately that you wouldlike to review in Views? Would you like to share ideas about how to make business practices moreefficient? Our editors are anxious to receive article ideas and submissions for upcoming issues.

Once Views starts reaching 5,000 research buyers, contributing authors will benefit from exposureto a highly targeted audience. Please send query letters by email to Timm Sweeney or to the appropriatefeature editor listed on the bottom of page 4 of this issue.

QRCA Views Circulation to Broaden

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f you were granted three wishes for QRCA, what would they be? When I thought aboutmy answer, I easily came up with more than three wishes but found it equally easy topick my top choices. Before I share my wishes with you, I must first say that although I hope they will find

widespread support from my fellow board members and reflect the majority opinions ofour members, they are, in fact, my personal opinions. I present them here, however, tospark discussion throughout QRCA about where our organization is headed and where wewant it to go.

Another point I want to mention before sharing my wishes is that after I reflected onsome notes I jotted down about all three, I realized that each wish, if granted, would moveQRCA closer to achieving one of its primary goals: QRCA will be an industry leader forqualitative research as recognized by all segments of the research industry and the media.At the New Orleans conference, there was a lot of discussion among leadership teamsabout the extent to which we’ve realized this vision. Unfortunately, the resoundingconsensus is that we still have a long way to go toward achieving this goal. As you read mywishes below, see how they fit in with this goal.

Wish #1: Expand Membership OpportunitiesQRCA is a maturing organization. Some of our founding members have already retired,some have set a retirement date, and others are beginning to see retirement rising on thehorizon. Is there a place in our organization for retired members? Currently, no. Do any ofthese retired or soon-to-be retirees have a desire to keep ties to QRCA? More than one havetold me yes. Can QRCA benefit from keeping these members in the fold? I definitely thinkso. The still-working members of the organization can certainly benefit from the wisdom ofthose who’ve put so many years into the profession and our organization.

Except for perhaps some of our newest members, I doubt that any of us— prior tobecoming qualitative-research practitioners— actually envisioned ourselves in thisprofession. With graduate programs in marketing research now in existence (though notspecifically in qualitative research) and with ever-increasing public awareness of focusgroups and commercial firms that offer moderator training, the possibility of a career pathin qualitative research is beginning to emerge. Those who are interested in investigating theprofession naturally look to QRCA as a resource. Yet QRCA offers only limitedopportunities (e.g., access to public areas of the website, attendance at a maximum numberof local chapter meetings) for these potential future leaders of the qualitative researchindustry. Giving them more access to QRCA can enable them to learn more about ourindustry and perhaps help them find a mentor within the organization. QRCA wouldreciprocally benefit from being able to influence our industry’s future practitioners.

Before the Minnesota Chapter of QRCA was formed, an informal moderators’ groupmet sporadically in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. I attended at least two of those meetingswhen I moved to the area seven years ago. What an eye-opener it was for me to learn thatqualitative staff exist in organizations where I would never have imagined (for example, atnewspapers and hospitals). Through those meetings I developed a deeper appreciation forthe extent to which qualitative research is embraced by commercial as well as nonprofitorganizations. I was truly excited that the Minnesota chapter of QRCA was formed, but Iwas also saddened by the realization that other qualitative-research practitioners in myown locale could not be members.

Thus, there are many segments of the qualitative-research practitioner rainbow, yet ourorganization is made up of only one of those segments. There are those seeking to launch a

■ FROM THE PRESIDENT ■

Three WishesJeff Walkowski suggests ways for QRCA to become the qualitative researchindustry leader.

I

Jeff WalkowskiQUALCORE.COM, INC.Minneapolis, MN

[email protected]

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 2

11Q U A L I T A T I V E R E S E A R C H C O N S U L T A N T S A S S O C I A T I O N

Qualitative Research Consultants Association(QRCA) serves its members in the industry througheducation, promotion and representation. Thestatements and opinions expressed herein are those ofthe individual authors and do not necessarilyrepresent the views of the association, its staff, or itsboard of directors, QRCA Views, or its editors.Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or QRCAmembers, does not constitute an endorsement of theproducts or services featured in this, past orsubsequent issues of this quarterly publication.Copyright ©2004 by the Qualitative ResearchConsultants Association. QRCA Views is publishedquarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary tomembers of QRCA. POSTMASTER: Send change ofaddress notification to QRCA, P.O. Box 967,Camden, TN 38320. Postage guaranteed. Third-classpostage is paid at Franklin, TN. Printed in the U.S.A.Reprints and Submissions: QRCA Views allowsreprinting of material published here. Permissionrequests should be directed to QRCA. We are notresponsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts andphotographs. Contact the managing editor forcontribution information. Advertising: For displayand classified advertising rates and insertions, pleasecontact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, P.O.Box 680142, Franklin, TN 37068-0142, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

P.O. Box 967Camden, TN 38320

Tel (toll-free in N. America):888-ORG-QRCA(888-674-7722)Tel (International inbound calls):731-584-8080

Phone: 703-934-2155Fax: 703-359-7562Email: [email protected]

QRCA 2004–2005Officers and Boardof DirectorsJeff WalkowskiPRESIDENT

Diane HarrisVICE PRESIDENT

Bob KahleTREASURER

Gillian TuffinSECRETARY

Mark LovellHy MariampolskiDavid Van NuysDorrie PaynterKristin Schwitzer

SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND

410.583.9991

articular? Very Particular?

Extremely Particular?...so are we.

P


Three WIshes C O N T I N U E D

career in qualitative research, those who are retiringfrom the workforce, and several segments in between.To truly represent the qualitative research industry,our organization should in some way make room formore (if not all) of these constituencies.

Wish #2: Be Recognized byResearch BuyersI wish that when I mention to prospective clients that Iam a QRCA member, they reply, “ Great! We onlywork with QRCA members!” Better yet, I’d love it if aprospective client approached me and said, “ We needqualitative research services. I know that moderatorswho are members of QRCA are the best, and I sawyou listed on the QRCA website. Can we talk?”

Unfortunately, within my circle of clients, I’ve nevercome close to hearing either of these two comments. Infact, while they’ve never come right out and said it, themore common reaction I get from prospective clientswhen I mention QRCA is, “ QRC what?”

QRCA’s own research shows that there is lowawareness of our organization in the qualitative-research buying community. If buyers are unaware ofour organization, how can we, as an organization,have a credible and persuasive voice?

Fortunately, the QRCA CommunicationsCommittee is hard at work on a number of initiativesto boost awareness of QRCA among qualitativeresearch buyers and to educate them about the valueof QRCA members for their research projects. It maybe a tough row to hoe, but I’m confident that we willmake improvements in this area, which will help uscomfortably be branded as the industry leader forqualitative research.

Wish #3: Recognize Excellence inQualitative ResearchQRCA recognizes service to the organization, but itdoes not reward excellence in qualitative research. Aleader in the industry would, in my opinion, be onethat can recognize excellence in the profession. I amnot saying that this would be an easy task, but I thinkit is worth investigating. Itwould raise the profile ofour organization andthereby help us live up toour goal of being thequalitative-researchindustry leader. I seeseveral possibilities:

■ Establish an annualreward program thatrecognizes thequalitative-researchconsulting achievementsof one or moremembers. This could bedriven by nominations

from member clients. It could make use ofindependent judges (perhaps research buyers,instead of or in addition to QRCA members). Areward program provides an incentive formembership, and it provides a public relations coupfor QRCA to showcase an example of goodqualitative research.■ Consider setting up an optional peer-reviewprogram. The general notion of a peer review is tohelp an individual understand— from a group ofrespected peers— what one’s strengths are and inwhat areas one can improve. No doubt this can bescary for the person being reviewed, but if handledwell, it could serve as a member benefit, couldattract new members, and could boost the level ofprofessionalism in the industry.■ Reexamine credentialing. Over the years,credentialing has ebbed and flowed as a hot issuefor debate within QRCA. The arguments on bothsides are strong and too numerous to detail here.Suffice it to say, however, that while credentialing isnot a requirement to raise the profile of ourorganization and move us toward our goal, itcertainly would help it along those lines. It is anoption that should be at least be reconsidered.

Dream On?Those are my three wishes. I do not realistically expectall three of these to happen in the near future, but Ipersonally would be proud of our organization formaking any steps in these directions. Not only do Ithink that these wishes, if fulfilled, would enableQRCA to more legitimately claim to be thequalitative-research industry leader it espouses to be,but they would increase member value as well.

What are your wishes? What do you think of mine?I encourage you discuss them with your fellowmembers and with anybody in a leadership positionwithin the organization, be it a chapter chair,committee chair, or board of director. May all of ourcollective good wishes for QRCA come true!

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y



uring a website usability study, a moderatorobserves that respondents show almostimperceptible signs of discomfort when they

access certain parts of the website. These signs ofdiscomfort are so slight that most moderators wouldnever see them. The respondents tend to touch their faces,twirl a pen between their fingers, or play with the mouse.The moderator looks more closely at these behaviors, andshe notices that they tend to occur during the registrationprocess. Closer examination and an in-depth probingreveal that this process is tedious and somewhatconfusing. Her insight into this part of the website helpsthe company redesign the registration pages and retaincustomers who would have left the website.

A moderator conducts a focus group about financialservices. He asks the participants to describe the variouscompanies in the market. One respondent begins togesture with her hands. As she starts talking, themoderator notices that she seems to be putting companiesinto groups, and that some groups appear to be clusteredtogether, whereas others are placed off to the side. Seeingan opportunity to discover how these companies arecategorized, the moderator asks which companies gotogether. The result provides an interesting insight intohow consumers categorize these companies, what thecriteria are, and how the client’s company is perceived.

Both of these examples point to the importance ofnonverbal communication and how it can be used toderive insights for our clients. Much qualitative researchis focused on what respondents say to us. As a result,sometimes nonverbal communication— an equallyimportant aspect of communication— is overlooked.

What Does Nonverbal BehaviorCommunicate?Research indicates that although people maystrongly attend to what is said, nonverbal behavior may comprise two-thirds or more of total communication. And although people have the option not to speak, they can never besilent nonverbally. Nonverbal signals are a richsource of information about our respondents, how they perceive their world, and what emotionsthey experience about products, services, brands,and even about us as moderators. Furthermore, our own nonverbal behavior can be useful inreacting to respondents and increasing their comfort and disclosure or exerting control over a group.

There are many ways to think about nonverbalcommunications. One mistaken belief is that specificbehaviors indicate the same thought for all people.Unfortunately, nonverbal behavior is more complex.Using a framework is the most useful way tounderstand respondents because a combination ofbehaviors tells a story. One framework isPERCEIVE™ , which stands for:

ProximityExpressionsRelative OrientationContactEyesIndividual GesturesVoiceExistence of Adaptors

B Y A N N E E . B E A L L , P H . D .Beall Research & Training, Inc. • Chicago, IL • [email protected]

D


Beyond Words: Reading the Hidden Communications… C O N T I N U E D

Each aspect of PERCEIVE provides a piece of thepuzzle. Proximity and Relative Orientation are thefoundation for all nonverbal behavior.

Proximity is the distance between individuals.Generally, respondents will sit, stand, and want to benear people they like. As respondents become moreengaged with a moderator and topic, they will often

pull their chair closer to the table. In general,respondents will disclose more of their thoughts andfeelings when they are comfortable and when they likethe moderator and the other respondents.

Relative Orientation is the degree to which peopleorient toward one another. A parallel orientationindicates that a person is interested and focused on the

other person. As respondents become less

interested in someone or something, they willoften orient their bodies away. A good wayto decode orientation is to observe where aperson’s feet are placed, which sometimesreveal where they actually want to go.

Expressions refer to facial expressions andcan occur for as little as one-fifth of a second.These very brief expressions are called micro-expressions, and they occur whenrespondents are trying to hide a feeling.Interestingly, when people begin toexperience an emotion, their facial musclesare triggered. If they suppress the expression,it’s shown for only one-fifth of a second. Ifthey do not suppress it, the expression willappear prominently. The six universalexpressions that all cultures recognize arehappiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, anddisgust.

Contact stands for physical contact.Generally, the amount and frequency ofphysical contact indicate a closeness,familiarity, and degree of liking. Apreponderance of touching indicates strongliking for another person. Eyes primarilyshow whom or what people most like orshow an interest in. You can gauge liking andinterest by the frequency, duration, and totalamount of time respondents spend looking atpeople or things.

Individual Gestures can convey thoughtsand feelings that may or may not becommunicated with speech. Some typicalgestures are ones that indicate how things areorganized in the mind (e.g., hands group

“Reading and usingnonverbal communicationcan make the differencebetween ordinary,uninspired research andqualitative research thatreveals tremendousinsights and delivers realbenefits.”

things together or place things near or far away fromeach other), what an experience was like (e.g., handlingor using a product), or what a person’s viewpoint, role,or thoughts about another are (e.g., a person maymotion their hands toward himself when describing adeeply held belief or may gesture outward to refer toothers when describing thoughts or experiences heassociates with another person). Gesturescan also reveal how people are feeling.Research indicates that people tend to gesturemore when they are enthusiastic, excited, andenergized. People gesture less when they aredemoralized, nervous, or concerned about theimpression they are making.

Voice, or speech, provides muchinformation about the demographics of ourrespondents (e.g., gender, age, area of origin,social class). Voice can also reveal emotions,which are transmitted through the tone ofthe voice, accentuation of words, rapidity ofspeech, and the number of speech errors(e.g., er, ah, um, phrase repetitions such as “ Iusually, I usually,” or sentence changes suchas “ We tend to... you need to” ). Typically,speech errors are indicative of discomfortand anxiety. When a respondent begins tohave a lot of speech errors, he or she may beanxious and ill at ease.

Existence of Adaptors is the last piece ofPERCEIVE. Adaptors are small behaviorsthat tend to occur when people are stressedor bored with a situation. Examples includea person who plays with her rings, twirls hispen, or touches her hair. Moderators whoare very observant will see that asrespondents become bored, stressed, orirritated, the number of adaptors willincrease.

Cultural and Individual DifferencesOne question many people ask is whetherthere are cultural or individual differences innonverbal behavior. Although many aspectsof nonverbal communication are similaracross cultures, there are some differences indegree and in the rules of expression. Forexample, although there are six facialexpressions that are universally recognizedacross all cultures, societies may havedifferent rules about when they can andcannot be displayed.

Eye contact is another area in whichcultural differences play out. For example,Arabs tend to make more eye contact thando North Americans. Africans, in contrast,are taught to avoid eye contact when anotherperson of higher status is speaking.

The degree of physical proximity that occurs innormal conversation may be greater in some societiesthan in others. Physical contact also varies by culture.For example, people in Mediterranean and Latincountries have much more physical contact (e.g., fullembraces between men) than do people in America andBritain, who tend to shake hands.




If you are reading the nonverbalbehaviors of individuals from a culturewith which you are less familiar, it isimportant to look for changes in aperson’s behaviors— particularlychanges from the norm— and to learnthe particular rules of expression for thatsociety. Although a person may stand abit more closely to you in one culturethan in another, decreasing proximity islikely to have the same meaningregardless of the starting point.

Individual differences also exist evenwithin cultures. Research indicates thatmore extroverted people tend to stand

more closely to others and to engage inmore eye contact with others. Moreintroverted individuals tend to approachpeople less closely and engage in less eyecontact when interacting.

Each aspect of body language providesan overall picture of what a respondentis experiencing. If a respondent exhibitsclose proximity, positive expressions(including micro-expressions), a parallelrelative orientation, physical contactthat is appropriate for the situation, eyebehavior about half the time, a small-to-moderate amount of gesturing, voicebehaviors that do not include speecherrors or emotional leaks, and very fewadaptors, then this person likes and isinterested in the moderator, stimuli, andtopic. Not all of these behaviors may bepresent, but a preponderance of themwill tell a story.

Using Your Own NonverbalCommunication to Your AdvantageReading respondents is clearlyimportant, but so is using your ownnonverbal communication. One thingthat effective moderators are able to dois to increase comfort and disclosurefrom their respondents.

Three things will increase the length ofrespondents’ utterances: 1) a “ mmm-hmm” from the moderator, 2) the

Beyond Words: Reading theHidden Communications…C O N T I N U E D

Great moderatorsunderstand bodylanguage and use itvery deliberately intheir research.

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moderator’s nodding, and 3) the length of the moderator’s questions. A simple “ mmm-hmm” while arespondent is talking will tend to increase respondent disclosure and encourages a respondent toexpound on his or her response. Head nodding also delivers the same results. Interestingly, the lengthof a moderator’s questions can also influence the length of a response. When moderators ask a briefquestion, respondents tend to deliver brief responses. A longer question provides a cue that the answershould be lengthier and should include some degree of reflection.

Another moderator goal is to establish authority and to rein in a group that has careened off thetopic. You can achieve a sense of authority several ways:Use direct and sustained eye contact when speaking tothe group, direct your orientation toward the group,use a loud voice quality (particularly in getting

attention at first), don’t allow others tointerrupt you (persist when others arespeaking), and assume an open andrelaxed posture. All of thesebehaviors exhibit a clear nonverbalmessage that you are in charge andfully expect cooperation.

There are many applications fornonverbal communication. Goodmoderators may use it intuitively,but great moderators understandbody language and use it verydeliberately in their research. Theresults can be dramatic.Interpreting and using nonverbalcommunication effectively canmake the difference betweenordinary, uninspired research andqualitative research that revealstremendous insights and deliversreal benefits.


Another moderator goal isto establish authority andto rein in a group that hascareened off the topic.


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■ QUALITATIVE TOOLBOX ■

Healthcarecompanies are

discovering thatadvisory panels

can serve asa valuable

complement tothe knowledge ofthe management.

he term “advisory panel” refers to a group of executives, professionals, andcustomers appointed by a company to provide guidance and support onissues critical to the organization. This panel offers guidance, as opposedto a board that offers governance. Pharmaceutical companies and

healthcare organizations use advisory panels to help identify and shape theirpromotional messages and frame their marketing communications.

Healthcare companies are discovering that advisory panels can serve as avaluable complement to the knowledge of the management. Indeed, in today’sincreasingly competitive and complex healthcare marketplace, morecompanies use advisory panels to assist in developing strategies and tactics inorder to deliver sustainable, competitive advantages.

Advisory Panels andthe Healthcare Industry

Eric Swatek discusses healthcare advisory panels and the role QRCs can play.

B Y E R I C S W A T E K , C F G DKendall Gay Consulting • Venice, FL • [email protected]

T


Panelists are typically key opinion leaders who, bydefinition, are at the forefront of their field throughtheir work in a particular disease state, therapy, orarea of care. Some panels consist of experts in onefield of specialty, such as cardiology; others mayinclude multiple specialties, depending on the natureof the therapeutic area involved. Product managersfrom the client company typically coordinate thepanel activities and seek and maintainrelationships with product-friendlyclinicians. Members of the client’smarketing and marketing-researchdepartments also play a role, helping tocoordinate meetings and set topics fordiscussion.

While the advantages of usingadvisory panels are not alwaysimmediately obvious, there are severalclear-cut benefits:

■ They provide continuous, ongoingfeedback on issues that arise amongcustomers.■ They identify advocates for thebrand who will speak to local,regional, and national clinicianaudiences about the product and its use.■ They identify ideas to be promotedin marketing communications such asjournal ads or sales detail calls.■ They identify and refine productenhancements or a new indication fora pharmaceutical product, drivingmarket expansion.

QRCs help facilitate and guide theadvisory panel by working closely withtheir clients, usually the productmanager and marketing-researchcounterparts, to identify and defineobjectives, stimuli, and deliverables forthe advisory panel meeting. Successfuladvisory-panel meetings requireextensive preparation to help ensure themeetings are on task in addressing keybusiness needs and that participantsknow the roles they will play and thedesired outcomes of the meeting.

Planning for the Advisory-Panel MeetingPrior to a meeting, the QRC meets withthe clients to understand the businessproblem and seek answers to thesequestions:

■ What do we need to learn as a resultof the meeting?■ How will we learn it? Whatquestions will we ask, or what datawill be discussed?

■ What is the desired impact of the meeting in themarketplace?■ What will panel members be expected tocontribute?■ How will we measure success?

For the attendees, QRCs can assign pre-meetinghomework, which can consist of reviewing standards,

Advisory Panels and the Healthcare Industry C O N T I N U E D



reading monographs, studying slides, or any piece ofinformation that will help the advisory-panel member bebetter prepared for the meeting. Since business andtherapeutic issues can be complicated, encouragepanelists to familiarize themselves with the specific issuesat hand instead of arriving at the meeting with littleforethought.

One useful option is tosurvey attendees before themeeting, to gather directfeedback from thoughtleaders and help stimulatethought about the meetingtopics. Questions can centeraround the knowledge thatmembers have of the drug orproduct on which they areadvising. Other questionscan be targeted to helpimprove communication tophysicians. Then, use surveyresults as a springboard for in-depth discussions at the meeting.

QRCs will need toidentify potential issues andbe prepared. Consider, forexample, a new drug in thesame therapeutic class thatis being launched in directcompetition with the client’sproduct. Advisory-panelmembers must know thedata from clinical trials,how the new drug works,and any additionalindications in order toidentify potential ways thatthe competitor will try tocreate market share. QRCsshould share thisinformation with themembers and discuss it in anenvironment conducive touncovering ways to meet thechallenge.

An ideal way to fullyexplore the issues is throughSWOT analysis, measuringthe Strengths, Weaknesses,Opportunities, and Threatsof the drugs in the samecategory. Panel membersundertake an honestevaluation of the client’sproduct as well as thecompetitor’s to fullyunderstand the advantages

and disadvantages offered by each product and how to leverage the differentiating factors into a market advantage.

Finally, QRCs must consider deliverables before themeeting and determine how to organize the findings sothat data collection can feed into the final report.

At The Insight Works® we believe there is a difference between knowingyour customers and understanding them. Our visual ethnographic researchtechniques conducted by our multi-lingual anthropologists combine tobring a new level of insight into the motivational nuances underlyingbehavior in multicultural families. The learning that results far transcendsfocus group deliverables plus our documentary style video reports bothsubstantiate the written report and allow the new understanding to bedisseminated selectively within the sponsor corporation.

During the MeetingDepending on the size of the group, theremay be a general meeting session followedby focus-group breakout sessions. Thegeneral session serves to communicatemeeting objectives, format, expectations,and the like to attendees. QRCs can betapped to act as master of ceremonies,keeping the meeting on task and onschedule. They should present pertinentdata to participants in order to set context.This information may be new data on aparticular drug and/or data collected andanalyzed from any prior homework orsurveys conducted before the meeting. Thepresenter should certainly clarifyexpectations of the meeting during thegeneral session, since people are morecomfortable and productive if they knowwhat is expected of them and whatprocesses will be employed.

The breakout groups typically have eightto 10 participants, each with its ownmoderator. In these types of advisory-panelmeetings, moderators may treat groupmembers more as insiders than typicalfocus-group respondents. Also, moderatorsmay be forthright regarding businessproblems and desired solutions, since theidea is that everyone involved in thisprocess is in partnership. A team ofproduct managers, marketing managers,and research managers from the client sit into observe the groups, but typically theydon’t interact beyond providing clarifyinginformation related to specific products. Insome cases, clients take a more active roleand present data and may even act as co-moderator with the QRC.

The individual breakout sessions mayhave different or overlapping goals.Discussions may center on current marketdynamics, newly found problems withtreatments, defining a new counter attackagainst competitors, new uses for a drug,or recent clinical studies illustrating newdata for a currently marketed drug. Outputfrom the breakout sessions can be fed backto the marketing department for use in anew promotional campaign or asinformation to be shared with members ofthe speaker bureau, for example, for use infuture presentations.

After the MeetingQRCs will have plenty to do following themeeting, including identifying findings and


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assembling them into a proper report for the client.These findings typically include a report of discussiontopics and, naturally, the panel’s recommendations.In addition, QRCs should offer their own objectiveobservations and recommendations, which offeradded value for the client.

While measurable endpoints are the desiredoutcome when assembling a panel, softer goals are

almost equally valuable since they may graduallyinfluence customer opinions and decisions regardingthe product. New promotional messages developedas a result of advisory-panel meetings can becommunicated through such vehicles such asdetailing, journal ads and articles, and at local orregional speaker meetings.

Even though the impact of advisory-panel meetings can be difficult to assessquantitatively, feedback aboutchanged communications strategiesthat trickles back to clients by salesreps who talk to customers every day certainly helps prove theireffectiveness.

QRCs can serve as invaluablepartners to client management inorganizing, facilitating and reportingon advisory-panel meetings, as wellas in helping establish strong andproductive relations with panelmembers.


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■ INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ■

A major take-awayfrom the MRS

conference:Consumers

throughout theworld are changing

and researchersneed to keep up

with them byadapting ourmethods and

research designs.

hen it comes to drinking from the fountain of new thinking, there isnothing as refreshing as spending several days with colleagues in theUnited Kingdom.

Participating in the recent conference of the Market Research Society(MRS), themed “ Welcome to the Dream Economy,” provided me with anopportunity to engage with old friends and make some new ones while payingattention for insights to apply in my own business and to share with myAmerican colleagues. Although the MRS is open to practitioners and users,consultants and planners of all methodological tendencies, it seems that ourqualitative cousins dominate the revolutionary thinking on exhibit at thevarious presentations and debates.

The chief joy of participating in a British conference is also one of its greatestchallenges. Although one is likely to hear breakthrough ideas, they may ormay not be easily integrated into research practice. Still, the engagement withalternative perspectives is quite worthwhile because they point to what we allare likely to be thinking and doing in the future.

Research Dreams and Marketing Nightmares: A Reporton New Thinking in BritishMarket Research

Hy Mariampolski describes ideas shared at the recent Market Research SocietyConference in London.

B Y H Y M A R I A M P O L S K I , P H . D .QualiData Research Inc.• San Francisco, CA • [email protected]

W

Presentors pointed to several trends that areimpacting researchers and marketers:

■ Consumers throughout the world are changing andresearchers need to keep up with them by adaptingour methods and research designs■ Shoppers are becoming more marketing smart andimpervious to manipulation. They are turning morecynical about media and are gaining a sociallyconscious streak that is challenging themarketing enterprise. ■ Our conventional ideas aboutdecision dynamics and the marketingprocess are losing their hold. Newapproaches to accessing, understanding,and interpreting consumers are neededto keep up with the wild tigersmarauding through our marketplaces.

BricolageAn engaging presentation by JohnGriffiths (Planning Above and Beyond),Siamack Salari (Everyday Lives), GregRowland (Semiotics for Brand) and JohnBeasley-Murray (University ofManchester) illustrates the benefits ofusing new approaches. Theydemonstrate how “ bricolage” — i.e.,drawing from a wide range oftechniques to build a comprehensivepicture of the customer— can advancethe process of analysis. Based on a studyconducted to develop ways ofcontrolling the problem of bingedrinking in the UK, four qualitativeapproaches— ethnography, semiotics,literary analysis, and groupdiscussions— were creatively integratedto produce insights that exceeded thepotential of each individual approach.

One of the more original tacticsapplied in the study was to start byvideotaping several natural friendshipgroups while they were out on the townin London and near Manchester and,then, to play back segments of thesetapes for several focus groups. “ Thiswas a first,” said ethnographer Salari.“ Conventionally, I make films forclients, not for consumer groups. It wasinteresting how showing the films at thestart of the groups created an impetusthat drove the subsequent discussion.”Respondents were able to visualizethemselves more objectively afterviewing the tapes and were able to fill inthe blanks, for example, by reinforcingthe observation that much of thebingeing occurs at home prior to theexcursion.

Applying the metaphor of a music remix, in whichvarious voices and sounds are creatively reassembled toproduce a fresh new piece of music, the researchersalso turned the films and group transcripts over to asemiotician who brought another perspective to theanalysis, focusing on “ some basic oppositions aroundcontrol and chaos, about the Romantic Self and about


Research Dreams and Marketing Nightmares C O N T I N U E D


the emotional lack to which alcohol seems to be theanswer in many Northern European communities.”The ultimate issue, according to his perspective, wasthe meaning of bingeing and how that fit with theproscriptions and liberties of British culture.

Literary criticism delivers a form of analysissimilar to semiotics; however, the critic’scontribution to the remix was original but somewhatpuzzling. He focused on the fictional creation ofreality in the group discussion and what could belearned by criticizing the moderator’s role as thecreator of the highly restricted “ truth” emergingduring the session.

Ultimately, the authors defend the premise ofsharing the analytic process with people coming fromalternative perspectives and not relying on the focus-group moderator as the solitary analyst. Their goal isto “ free the moderator from the untenable positionof being sole judge, prosecutor, defense counsel andjury.” In their view, the moderator should move frombeing the “ controlling auteur” to being part of acollaborative process, just one among severalviewpoints.

Three DreamsIn the Dream Economy, the value of everyday objectsno longer resides in functional benefits. Instead, whatthese items symbolize is what matters. For Dr. RachelLawes (Lawes Consulting Ltd.), “ this means that thevalue of a pair of shoes, say, no longer resides inproperties of comfort, fit or durability, but rather in thenames Prada and Nike, and in the ability of thosenames to serve in consumer culture as signs of wealth,exclusivity, athleticism, achievement, and so on.”

Alternative research models that focus less onindividual consumers’ psychological structures andmore on society and culture are required, according tothe author. Lawes insists that we need to move “ pastresearcher-generated questions about dreams and gostraight to the place where dreams themselves arelocated— in the social context and cultural output ofthe relevant consumer group.” In other words, askingshoppers questions may not be as relevant as goingstraight to the host of new social patterns and productsthat represent consumers in the Dream Economy,things like “ wedding videos, holiday postcards, pubquizzes, book groups, professional and amateur


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dramatics, skateboard parks, karaoke, speed dating,Coronation Street and Heat magazine.”

Lawes posits three dreams in this new economythat may be studied through alternative approaches:personal transformation or altered identity;painlessness and freedom from care; and hope’striumph over reason. She then uses three similar andeasy-to-integrate qualitative approaches—ethnomethodology, semiotics, and discourseanalysis— to deliver fresh insights in relation to theseissues. Although the latter two approaches havebecome quite popular recently, Lawes’ use ofethnomethodology was rather surprising. Aproduct of academic qualitative research,Harold Garfinkel’s approach inspired manytheorists and practitioners when it first appearedin the ‘60s and urged us, in the author’sparaphrasing, “ to examine people’s common-sense knowledge, to develop a real ‘insider’sview’ of the society under study.”

Zipping through a range of culturalreferences— from frequently viewed TVcommercials and magazine articles, toinstallations by the upstart British artist DamienHirst, to various web logs— Lawes sheds light onher objects of analysis. She proves the value ofgoing to more broadly defined sources anddefying the “ overwhelming attention toresearcher-elicited consumer talk in the form ofinterview transcripts and group discussions.”

The Tipping PointFurther challenging received wisdom, Dr. PaulMarsden (Brand Genetic) offers another highlycontroversial solution to the dilemmas of theDream Economy in his paper, “ The Tipping Point:From Dream to Reality.” Building on thechallenging principles about the adoption of newproducts presented by Malcolm Gladwell’s TheTipping Point, Marsden concludes that marketresearchers need to cure their obsession with themasses and, instead, focus only on thoseconsumers that make a difference by theirtendency to try new products andconvince their fellow shoppers.

Gladwell’s Law of the Few recognizesthat the popularity of products is spreadby the early adoption patterns of a highlyspecialized and self-confident group ofpeople that will vary for every productcategory. The major implication of thisphenomenon for research, according toMarsden is that, not all consumers arecreated equal. Some are more equal thanothers. By preferentially partnering theinfectious Few in research, we will befocusing on the “ consumers that count,”addressing the right needs of the right

people who have the power to unleash an epidemic ofdemand for our products and services.

Gladwell’s work extends our understanding of thisprocess by demonstrating how word-of-mouthmarketing works on the micro-level throughconnectors and mavens who have the requisiteknowledge and contacts. Eventually, if the context isright, product adoption works virally— using themetaphor of disease— as a kind of contagion thatspreads through a population that runs out and buysPost-it Notes, Nike sneakers, or Microsoft Office.

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In a surprising turnabout, however, Marsdenargues that researchers ought to involve themselvesactively in this product-diffusion process bycollaborating with clients in a way that encouragesmarket research to become an active promoter ofviral marketing.

Every researcher has encountered instances in whichthe act of interviewing encourages a respondent to buysomething he had no intention to obtain beforeagreeing to participate. Building on this observablefact, Marsden controversially proposes that weobliterate the strict differentiation between researchand sales and that we select influentials likely to act asconnectors to get involved in our studies. He ends upapplauding a controversial effort by Procter & Gamblethat uses research participation as a way of gettingteens to try their products. As he says, “ Instead ofmarketing at teens who no longer want to listen, theyare listening to them, putting new products in theirhands and onto conversational agendas in the spiritand name of research.”

It appears to me that this was tipping a bit too faraway from ethical research norms. If we blur thedistinction between research and sales, it will

complicate our recruitment efforts and break thetrust that respondents feel when they agree toparticipate in our studies.

GeezerlandIan Pierpoint and Andy Davidson’s (Vegas) session on“ Geezerland” shared a light and humorousethnographic exploration of contemporary working-class culture in Britain. Whether they are called“ geezers,” “ townies,” “ neds” or “ charvers,” Brits havealways expected their working classes to be somewhatboisterous, yet charming. The “ haves” in Britishsociety treat working class people with a mixture ofdisdain and affection, expecting them to act as loutish


Every researcher has encounteredinstances in which the act ofinterviewing encourages arespondent to buy something hehad no intention to obtain beforeagreeing to participate.



drunks and provide cheery entertainment in TVprograms like Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Geezers should not be dismissed as a targetedmarket, however, since the authors find that theirsheer numbers are growing and purchasing power isbooming as geezers take up lucrative trades scornedby young Brits going off to university. Anxious

marketers like Burberry fret that their brand imageswill be swept downward as geezers adopt theirbrands as iconic badges of achievement. By way ofreassurance, the authors proclaim, “ The Geezer ishere to stay— they’ll make you laugh, they’ll makeyou cry, but don’t ignore them.”

PowerPointFlamingo’s James Parsons offered aprovocative session about Microsoft’spopular presentation software titled,“ PowerPoint is Not Written in Stone:Business Communication and the LostArt of Storytelling.” Parsons exposedthe meaning structures embedded in theprogram and suggested ways to keep thesoftware from overtaking real thinking.

Semiotic analysis suggests thatPowerPoint enforces a narrativestructure that produces “ grand, inflatedauthority, an authority to which theaudience, by convention, acquiesces.”Indeed, its hierarchic informationpattern, Parsons complains, suggests animperial edict that can confoundcreative and clear-headed thinking.Despite his delectable deconstruction ofPowerPoint, Parsons’ goal is not todefeat the program but to revivify itthrough integrating it with the “ lost artof storytelling.” Drawing on sources asdiverse as Walter Benjamin, IBM’s LouisV. Gerstner, Jr., and the writer of LaChanson de Roland, the authorconcludes: A key challenge for ourindustry is to revisit the arts of clear,concise, well-argued oralcommunication, backed up withinvolving and engaging visual props(and PowerPoint is still the best tool forthe latter) and further backed up byconcise typographic documentation fordissemination.

Anti-AmericanismAs one of the few Yanks in attendanceat the conference, I could not help beingattracted by the title of Tom Woodnuttand Greg Burnside’s (Green LightInternational) thoughtful analysis of theimplications of Europe’s faddish anti-Americanism for U.S.-based marketers.“ Wake Up and Smell the Cynicism:Anti-Americanism and Its Implications”reports the results of a study thatcombines a review of relevant literature,


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interviews with experts, focus groups among UKconsumers holding a range of alternative views, anda quantitative survey of around 600 people.

Politically oriented consumption appears to bethe aim of many who are disappointed by America’smilitary adventures, foreign policy initiatives, andthe character of our political leaders. Furthermore,the anti-U.S. position gains support from thegeneral opposition to globalization, which isregarded as advancing Western interestsat everyone else’s expense, and fromreports on exploitative businesspractices overseas.

Woodnutt and Burnside insist,however, that reports of the collapse ofAmerican marketing power arepremature. First of all, beliefs do notappear consistently to be reflected inaction. “ Although they might condemna U.S. brand because of their anti-American sentiment on one occasion,they can still be willing to consume iton another,” the authors find.

Various factors underlie this

contradiction. Consumption is driven by functionalbenefits rather than politics, Woodnutt and Burnsideargue. Furthermore, many U.S. brands areunavoidable or so well embedded in British cultureas to be indistinguishable, such as the popular lunchchain Pret A Manger, a unit of McDonald’s.Research findings also demonstrate that politicallymotivated consumption is simply not that relevantto most British shoppers. Moreover, Brits maintain a

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balanced view, which recognizes the positive as wellas negative aspects of American culture. You maydislike George Bush but nothing beats a Coke whenyou need that thirst quenched.

The authors warn, though, that their positiveconclusions should not lead to complacency. British

consumers are certainly becoming more cynical, andtheir political passivity seems to be in decline. Theyneed to be watched carefully, and Americans need toreevaluate the potential marketing disruptiveness oftheir government’s foreign policy.

The LobbyAt any professional meeting, the bestlearning and the most valuablenetworking seems to take place in thelobby rather than inside the conferencechambers. The Barbican Centre, despitethe brutalism and confusion of its interiorarrangements, and nearby pubs, true toform, offered the best of divergentthinking.

Discussions with Kevin McLean, co-chair of the first AQR-QRCAInternational Conference in Paris andchair of next year’s MRS, perhaps bestsummarized the conclusions of theproceedings. “ We seem to be focusingmuch less on what we do as opposed towhat our clients need,” McLeaninsisted. “ We need to look critically atwhat we provide.”

At this moment, British research seemsto be speaking with a growing confidence,eager to be radical and different, andengaging the future in creative termsdespite considerable challenges to ourprofession. As user companies are cuttingback or disappearing through mergersand acquisitions, researchers are seekingcloser embeddedness with clients. Most ofall, as McLean says, “ We still need todemonstrate the benefits of listening,watching, and conversations withconsumers.”


At any professionalmeeting, the bestlearning and the mostvaluable networkingseems to take place inthe lobby rather thaninside the conferencechambers.

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■ TECH TALK ■

In keeping with thetrend that small

devices do bigthings, today’s

digital audio voicerecorders

accomplish whatthe large, bulky

ones never could.

opics for this column usually arise from current technology that interestsme and that are applicable to qualitative research. Our editor, SharonWolf, mentioned that she recently began using a digital voice recorderand suggested a focus on this product category for this issue. My first

reaction was that such a subject seemed ordinary, given the many othergleaming tech tools on the market. After all, what could be more mundanethan voice recordings for qualitative researchers?

I was wrong.Technology always seems to raise the bar on the mundane. Who could have

predicted the transition from land phones to cell phones, from Day-Timers toPalm Pilots, or from VCRs to laptop DVDs? While I continually keep an eyeout for new devices, I was surprised to learn the many functions of digitalaudio recorders.

Shrinking TechnologyOften, new technological gadgets alter in size to achieve uniqueness. TheWalkman shrank radios, computer monitors became paper thin, and CDsmorphed into small, shiny silver or gold discs. In keeping with the trend that

Making the Most of DigitalAudio Voice Recorders

Gina Thorne provides an overview of the capabilities of digital audio recorders.

B Y G I N A T H O R N ENew Think Inc. • Harrison, NY • newthinkinc.com

T


small devices do big things, today’s audio voice recordersaccomplish what the large, bulky ones never could.

Short of making coffee, today’s digital recorders offer a host ofinteresting features beyond simply the ability to record sound.They are about the size of cell phones in small, colorful cases,and weigh less than 5 ounces. Clearly these tools prove that evenresearchers like to use— and be seen using— nifty gadgets.

Recorders for Basic UsersThe basic digital recorder’s built-in memory starts at 16megabytes, which allows recording with no separate mediarequired. Your choice of recording speed (high quality,standard, or long-playing) determines the total length ofrecording you can store at a time. These units with built-inmemory have shorter recording times than others, up to about

two hours, which is suitable for asingle focus group or several one-on-ones. Like its name implies, the long-playing mode offers the greatestrecording time, with a barelyperceptible difference in sound quality.

These basic recorders operate onAA or AAA batteries, which last up to25 hours. They can be outfitted withtelephone recording devices andheadphones, making them suitable fortranscribers. Files are transferred tothe computer via USB cables and ports,and transcribing or writing field notescan be done directly from thecomputer.

In addition, such basic models canstore voice messages in three to fourfolders, as reminders, to-do-lists, orhowever else you see fit. These simplemodels range in price from $40 toabout $80, with the higher-end modelsoffering indexing of recordings foreasy search and retrieval. Check outbasic models from Olympus: ModelsVN 120 (about $40), VN 240 (about$60), and VN 480 (about $80).

These models would require you to transfer the files to a computer after each group or series of one-on-ones. For those who only recordoccasionally, these devices couldprove useful for immediate capture of voice data.

Recorders for Power UsersAs you might expect, you’ll pay morefor more sophisticated devices. Thesefancier models, which are still as svelteas the basic options, offer storage ofvoice recordings on media cards,identical to those used with somedigital cameras. Using a 64-MB or128-MB card, you can get 22 hours ormore of recording time— enough forfour focus groups. And if you areconducting a series of groups, it takesonly a few extra media cards to storeadditional data.

Olympus seems to be an innovatorin this area, collaborating with IBM

Making the Most of Digital Audio Voice Recorders C O N T I N U E D


on a system that compresses voice data so that 20minutes of voice recordings requires only 1 MB ofspace— quite a feat.

When you’ve finished recording, you can downloadthe compressed voice data onto a computer via USBcable. That data can then be directly transcribed onthe computer using special software. One of the bestexamples of such a program is Quikscribe, whichfunctions exactly like a physical transcription machineand gives the transcriber the same control as if he orshe were using a word processor. Further, the softwareallows on-the-fly editing, and you can even insertimages into the text files.

Because the data is digital, the files can then be sentvia email or stored on the computer or on media cards.This can be a boon for inserting quotes and imagesinto reports and presentations, or for simply listeningto the recordings whenever you wish. And did Imention you can speed up the playback by 50%?

Transcriptions sent electronically reduce the cost andbulkiness of cassettes and lessen the likelihood of dataloss if the cassette is lost or stolen. Since most of ustravel with computers, we can transfer the data

immediately to the computer or simplytransport the thin, one-inch-square mediacards back to the office for latertranscription. With no bulk, no need toFedEx cassette tapes, and no heavytransporting, experience the joys oftechnology!

Olympus has two similar devices, the DS2000 and DS 3000, selling for about $259,though you can sometimes find betterprices using price-comparison websites.

Recorders with Pizzazz

SONY ICD-MSS15: TRANSCRIPTIONWITHOUT THE TYPING.Sony makes an interesting device that fitsinto the multifunctional class of recorders.The ICD-MSS15 model functions similarlyto the Olympus offerings, except that voicefiles are stored on Sony’s memory stick. Thismodel only provides a little less than twohours of recording time, but what makes itunique is that the device is compatible with aspeech-recognition program called DragonNaturallySpeaking, which converts voicefiles to text without the need for typing andmanual transcription.


With no bulk, no need to FedExcassette tapes, and no heavytransporting, experience thejoys of technology!

Pictured: Left, Olympus VN120; Right, Olympus DS 2000


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Making the Most of DigitalAudio Voice RecordersC O N T I N U E D

This can be convenient for thosewhose typing skills are less than perfector who prefer not to engage the servicesof a transcriber. You can get around thelimited recording-time capacity by usingadditional memory sticks. Most likely,those of you who own Sony digitalcameras already have several sticks, andyou can use them with this device. TheSony sells for a little over $200.

OLYMPUS W-10: MIXING SOUND WITH IMAGES.When it comes to digital recorders,Olympus offers a wide variety of modelsfrom which to choose. The W-10 modelprovides up to three hours of recordingtime and comes with a built-in digitalcamera. The device has special folders tostore digital images that can beinterspersed with text files. How cool isthat? This image-and-audio recordersells for less than $100.

OLYMPUS DM-1: RECORDER ANDHANDY MP3 PLAYER.Another Olympus device, the DM-1, is both practical and useful for businessas well as fun and interesting for long,boring plane rides. This Olympusrecorder not only makes voicerecordings and allows for transcriptions,but it also contains an MP3 player that’sable to receive and play musicdownloads with remarkable clarity.

The sleek, blue metallic case holds asmart media card and, depending on thesize of the card, can accommodate up to22 hours of compressed voice files. Atthe same time, it can play about anhour’s worth of music. One can listen tovoice recordings or music, either throughthe included headphones or through thesmall, but powerful speakers.

Voice files are downloaded onto a computer via a USB port fortranscription, but an AC adapter mustbe purchased separately. This devicesells for about $185 or less from variousonline stores.

RIPFLASH PLUS: MP3 MUSCLE WITHVOICE RECORDER.Last, but not least, is an MP3 player withvoice recorder. This device functionssomewhat differently from the others. Itsunusually high-capacity memory of 128MB allows recording of about 30 hoursof research with no outside media.

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Further, the device also accepts smart media cards,which can then store yet another 30 hours of voicedata. With this device and several media cards, you canrecord all groups or interviews for a single projectbefore you need to download the data.

What’s more, this device can record from anysource, such as from conferences, radio, CD player,cassette tape player, or record player. Withthe appropriate cables, playback can beheard through the included bud earphonesor through any home, office, or car audiosystem. As an MP3 player, it alsodownloads and plays music with CD-quality sound. Because of the very largecapacity of this unit, you can store bothmusic and voice recordings.

The RipFlash PLUS is particularly usefulif a client wants a moderator to play radiocommercials, which can be recorded ontothe device and played to the groups,followed by recordings of the groupsthemselves. When preparing a report, thisconvenience eliminates the oftencumbersome task of keeping track of theorder that audio commercials werepresented. It also eliminates the vagaries ofdealing with different audio devices indifferent cities.

This silver and black device with the LCDscreen sells online for about $130.

Summing It UpThese tiny audio digital voice recordersoffer a wide range of both function andquality levels. In addition to all of the time-saving options they offer, for those of uswho regularly use digital cameras, havingthe media cards double as recording devicesis convenient and easy. In addition,transcription of voice data directly on thecomputer is a convenient way to produceedited transcripts, especially when usingsoftware that automatically corrects as youtype. And perhaps best of all, for those of uswho dislike typing, voice recognitionsoftware can be used with some devices forcreating transcripts on the computer.

These recorders allow us to keep our datain our own hands, conveniently and safely.Moreover, keeping voice data for a periodof time no longer presents a storageproblem since computer files can remaintogether with all other files related to aproject. When it’s time to purge voice data,you simply move the data files to thecomputer trash bin.

We can easily email the voice files toclients, if they wish, or provide them with

transcripts at their discretion, and all of this can occurbecause of a tiny device that can slip into a purse orbriefcase and still leave plenty of room for our laptops,Palm Pilots and cell phones.

If you have ideas for future topics you’d like to see in thiscolumn, please write to me at [email protected].

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n the very heart of downtown Atlanta, a bronze sculpture of a flying phoenix lifts awoman from the flames below. A poignant reminder of the past, the landmarkstatue of the mythological bird symbolizes Atlanta’s resurrection from the ashesafter the city’s burning by Civil War General Sherman. And risen she has, in the

splendor, grace and hospitality befitting the New South’s quintessential standard ofcosmopolitan success.

Today, Atlanta stands as a dynamic, energetic city, with her footings in a richheritage yet her focus set firmly on the future. Home of Georgia’s state capital, theworld’s busiest airport, and the global headquarters of CNN, Atlanta sparkleswith contemporary flair, sweetened with old-fashioned flavor.

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DowntownFor a firsthand feel of Atlanta’s earliest beginnings,start at Underground Atlanta. Steeped in history andculture, this six-block area in the heart of downtown iswhere Atlanta first took root around the railroad.Today, showcased among some of the city’s oldeststructures, this 12-acre urban market features more

than 100 stores and a dozen spectacular restaurants(including the Old Alabama Eatery), as well as twodozen historical markers.

As the cradle of the nation’s Civil Rights movementin the 1960s, downtown Atlanta’s Sweet Auburndistrict is home to the Martin Luther King, Jr. NationalHistoric Site and The King Center, the official

memorial dedicated to Dr. King’s legacy.The four-block area on Auburn Avenueincludes Dr. King’s birth home, his finalresting place, Ebenezer Baptist Church,library, archives, and more.

Located next to CNN Center, the GeorgiaDome and the Georgia World Congress Center,Centennial Olympic Park is Atlanta’s 21-acrelegacy from the 1996 Centennial OlympicGames. Today, the park’s central attractionis the Fountain of Rings, the world’s largestinteractive fountain and designed in theOlympic symbol of five interconnectingrings, each 25 feet in diameter. More than250 water jets, 400 fog jets, and 487 lightsare computer synchronized to dance toseven songs, including “ Chariots of Fire,”“ Coming to America,” the “ 1812 OvertureFinale,” and “ Summon the Heroes.”

Other downtown attractions include:SciTrek, The Science & Technology Museum ofGeorgia; the World of Coca-Cola visitor’s center;and the APEX Museum, The African-AmericanPanoramic Experience.

For a quick lunch, stop by The Varsity, theworld’s largest drive-in restaurant, for aworld-famous chili dog and a FrostedOrange® . Later, for supper, try the porktenderloin, sweet potato puree, and peachcobbler at Pittypat’s Porch, Atlanta’slandmark Southern restaurant, where youcan also sip a mint julep on the upstairsporch. Or, if you’re in the mood for a littlepool, head to Barley’s Billiards, voted the #1billiards club in America, with great casualfood in a smoke-free environment.

MidtownAn eclectic blend of culture, dining, andnightlife, Midtown Atlanta is the city’s heart ofthe arts. Here, for instance, you’ll find theWoodruff Arts Center, home of the AtlantaAlliance Theatre Company, the Atlanta Collegeof Art, 14th Street Playhouse, the AtlantaSymphony Orchestra, and the High Museum ofArt, the leading art museum in theSoutheastern United States— with acollection of more than 11,000 works.

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Egyptian, and Art Deco architecture. Firstopened in 1929, the building wasoriginally designed to serve as a Shrinersmosque but, before opening, was leased tomovie-theater-palace mogul William Fox.Today, impeccably restored, the theaterhosts performances by the Atlanta Ballet(which is, incidentally, the oldest,continuously running dance company inthe United States), visiting productionsfrom Broadway, the Coca-Cola Summer FilmFestival, and much more.

Some might also call Midtown Atlantathe soul of the South, as here you’ll findthe Margaret Mitchell House and Museum,where the classic Civil War novel Gonewith the Wind was written. Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, thesite now includes the author’s furnishedapartment, a Gone with the Wind moviemuseum, and a museum gift shop withsouvenirs, collectibles, and memorabilia.

More Midtown treasures include theAtlanta Botanical Garden, with one of theworld's largest permanent displays oftropical orchids; the William Breman JewishHeritage Museum, the largest museum of itskind in the Southeast; and the Center forPuppetry Arts, the largest organization inNorth America dedicated to puppetry.

For a unique and sumptuous eveningexperience, dine at The Abbey. Located in ahistoric 1915 church, the restaurantfeatures 40-foot vaulted ceilings, massivestained-glass windows, and waitersdressed as monks, as well as some of thefinest Continental cuisine in Atlanta.

Looking for a meal a bit more casualand funky? For finger-licking southern-style barbeque ribs, served with a sideorder of blues music and décor, stop in at5th St. Ribs ‘n Blues.

Buckhead, the Beverly Hillsof the South EastJust north of Midtown, Buckhead is one ofAtlanta’s most prestigious and affluentneighborhoods. In addition to upscaleshopping and high-end residences(including the Governor's Mansion), theneighborhood is also home to the famedBuckhead Village. With no fewer than 100bars and clubs, the Village is legendary forpartygoers looking for an evening ofexcitement and entertainment.

Along Buckhead’s West Places Corridor,the Atlanta History Center beckons with theAtlanta History Museum, where award-



winning exhibitions detail the many fascinating facetsof Atlanta’s history, including the Civil War, Southernfolk arts and Georgia golf legend Bobby Jones. TheCenter is also home to the 1845 Tullie Smith Farm (alook at plantation life in the Old South), the lavishlyfurnished 1928 Swan House mansion, the Swan HouseCoach Restaurant, and 32 acres of gardens, wildlifetrails, and woodland areas.

On the 74-acre grounds of the former “ Joyeuse”country estate now stands Lenox Square Mall, a premiershopping destination. Designed by architect JoeAmisano, one of the pioneers of modernism in Atlanta,Lenox Square opened in 1959 and is now home to someof the region’s most upscale, glitzy stores and shops,including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, LouisVuitton, Bernini, Kate Spade, and many more.

If it’s fine dining you seek, Buckhead is the spot inAtlanta for gourmands. Below are just a few of yourmany options.

■ Atlanta Fish Market, a local landmark, oftenrated as Atlanta’s best seafood, with reportedly thelargest fish sculpture in the world.■ Buckhead Diner, rated Atlanta’s “ quintessentialspot” in Food & Wine magazine’s 1998 restaurantpoll and “ Best for a Celeb Sighting” by bothreaders and critics in Creative Loafing.■ Chops & Lobster Bar, frequently ranked as one ofthe top 10 steakhouses in the country.■ The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead,one of only 14 restaurants in the nation to win afive-star rating in the 2004 Mobil Travel awards.Classic French cuisine with Japanese nuances, withwine pairings by the Southeast’s only MasterSommelier.

■ Fogo de Chao, an all-you-can-eat Brazilian-stylesteakhouse, featuring 15 skewer-served, slow-roasted meat cuts.■ JOËL, ranked “ Best New Restaurant, 2002” byEsquire magazine, unique French cuisine withAsian and Mediterranean accents.■ Kyma, featuring both traditional andcontemporary Greek cuisine, specializing inseafood from the Aegean Sea.■ Landmark Diner, a classic 24-hour diner with anoverwhelming menu of selections, from all-nightbreakfasts and cheeseburgers to blackened-shrimpCaesar salad and Greek specialties such asmoussaka and pasticcio.■ Seeger’s, named by Esquire magazine in December1998 as America’s Restaurant of the Year, and aMobil Travel Guide five-star winner in 2002.

South AtlantaAnother of Atlanta’s oldest attractions is Grant Park,just south of downtown. Named for Lemael P. Grant,a Confederate colonel who donated 100 acresaround his home to the city, Grant Park is home tothe Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum. At 50feet high and more than 400 feet in circumference,the Cyclorama is the world’s largest dioramapainting. Vividly depicting the 1864 Battle ofAtlanta, the Cyclorama revolves around visitors asaccompanying narration, music, and special effectstransport viewers back to the Civil War.

Next door to Grant Park, Zoo Atlanta features thegiant pandas of Chengdu, as well as lowland gorillas,Bornean orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and more than240 other species. Less than a mile west of Grant

©1998, Kevin C. Rose/AtlantaPhotos.com

Atlanta Centennial Park

Park, on Hank Aaron Drive, Turner Field ishome of the Atlanta Braves professionalbaseball team and the Braves Museum.

Atlanta EastJust one mile east of downtown, the 88-acreHistoric Oakland Cemetery is the final restingplace of 70,000 people. Established in 1850,Oakland is Atlanta’s oldest cemetery. SixGeorgia governors, 25 Atlanta mayors, authorMargaret Mitchell, golfer Bobby Jones, andBishop Wesley Gaines are buried here, as arefive Confederate generals, more than 3,900Confederate soldiers, and many slaves. Amarker in the cemetery’s northern sectionmarks where General John Hood watched theBattle of Atlanta. The third largest green spacein downtown Atlanta, the magnolia-shadedpark also preserves an impressive collection ofstained glass found in the 60 imposingmausolea, as well as gorgeous Victorian andNeo-Classical carvings.

East Atlanta is also home to the CallanwoldeFine Arts Center, located in the magnificentGothic-Tudor style home of Charles HowardCandler, the oldest son of Asa Candler, founderof the Coca-Cola Company. The 27-square-foot mansion, completed in 1920, is part of a



12-acre estate in the Druid Hills neighborhood,planned by the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead,designer of New York City’s Central Park.

If children are part of your visiting entourage,you simply must stop at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which boasts the “ Giants of the Metazoic” exhibit of the world’s largestdinosaurs. In addition to two species of the flying pterosaurs, the museum showcases a 123-foot-long plant-eating Argentinosaurus and theworld’s largest meat eater, the 47-foot-longGiganotosaurus.

Additional east-Atlanta attractions include theFernbank Science Center, with one of the nation’slargest planetariums; the Jimmy Carter PresidentialLibrary, the only presidential library in thesoutheast; and, of course, the prestigious EmoryUniversity, whose campus also houses therenowned Michael C. Carlos Museum of ancient art.

Hungry? At Casbah Moroccan Restaurant, youcan enjoy authentic Moroccan cuisine in aceremonial tent while being entertained bybellydancers.

Quick TripsIf your visit to Atlanta allows time for a quick daytrip, you can’t go wrong with a visit to StoneMountain Park, Georgia’s top tourist attraction.Just 16 miles east of Atlanta, the 3,200-acre StoneMountain complex features the world’s largest

high-relief carving on the world’s largest mass ofexposed granite (825 feet high). The ConfederateMemorial carving features three mountedConfederate generals, with a nighttime LaserShow Spectacular. The park’s newest attraction,Crossroads, replicates an 1870s town withcostumed characters and skilled craftsmen. Thepark also offers a sky lift to the top of themountain, Georgia’s only 4D theater, the AntiqueCar and Treasure Museum, tours of anantebellum plantation and trips around themountain aboard the Scarlett O’Hara, an authenticside-wheeler riverboat, or on a railroad trainpowered a steam-driven locomotive.

Or take an Outback safari at the KangarooConservation Center in Dawsonville, just one hournorth of Atlanta in the foothills of the SouthernAppalachian Mountains. Spread over 87 acres,the park is home to more than 200 kangaroos, thelargest ‘roo collection outside of Australia.

For pure old-fashioned family fun, Six Flags OverGeorgia is the state’s world-class theme park withthrill rides (including the new Superman-TheUltimate Flight roller coaster with the first everpretzel-shaped inverted loop), Broadway-styleshows, and much more. In addition, Six FlagsWhite Water offers lots of waterslides, raft rides,waterfalls, and other water amusements. Locatedin Austell, the Six Flags park is just west of Atlantaon Interstate 20.

©2003, /AtlantaPhotos.com

Carter Library Gardens

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2

1

■ BOOK REVIEW ■

The Tipping Point: How Little ThingsCan Make a Big DifferenceMalcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown & Company, 2002)

Defining that precise moment when a trend becomes a trend, MalcolmGladwell probes the surface of everyday occurrences to reveal some surprisingdynamics behind explosive social changes. He examines the power of word-of-mouth and explores how very small changes can directly affect popularity.Gladwell is a former business and science writer at the Washington Post. He iscurrently a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine.

Gladwell looks at why major changes in our society so often happensuddenly and unexpectedly. Ideas, behavior, messages, and products, he argues,often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. These are social epidemics,and the moment when they take off, when they reach their critical mass, is the“ tipping point.” The author introduces us to the particular personality typeswho are natural pollinators of new ideas and trends, the people who create the

phenomenon of word-of-mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail, and theearly days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious, and he visits a religiouscommune, a successful high-tech company, and one of the world's greatest salesmen to show how to start andsustain social epidemics.

In The Tipping Point, Gladwell also shows how very minor adjustments in products and ideas can make themmore likely to become immensely popular. He reveals how easy it is to cause group behavior to tip in a desirabledirection by making small changes in our immediate environment.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding:How to Build a Product or Serviceinto a World-Class BrandAl Ries and Laura Ries (HarperCollins Publishers, 2002)

One of the world’s authorities on branding turns his attention to some of thebest— and worst— decisions made by America’s top companies in regard tobranding. After becoming the “ marketing buzzword” of the late 1990s,everyone now knows that building your product or service into a bona fidebrand is the only way to cut through the clutter in today’s crowdedmarketplace. The only question is, how do you do it? The 22 Immutable Lawsof Branding is a definitive text on branding, distilling the complex principlesand theories espoused in other tomes into 22 quick and easy-to-read vignettes.The book describes branding strategies from the world’s leading brandsincluding BMW, Federal Express, and Starbucks.

Summer Reading: Six PicksC O M P I L E D B Y T I M M S W E E N E Y • SIL Group • [email protected] N D S H A R O N W O L F • QualiData Research Inc. • [email protected]


3Emotional Branding: TheNew Paradigm forConnecting Brandsto PeopleMarc Gobé (Allworth Press, 2000)

Leading brand designer Marc Gobé revealscutting-edge marketing strategies to engagetoday's increasingly cynical consumers ondeeper, emotional levels. The author argues thatmarketing executives have ignored at their ownrisk the powerful emotional dimension ofbranding. Supported by case histories fromGobé’s high-profile client list, the book analyzesand responds to major upcoming demographicand behavioral shifts in consumer populationsand distribution channels at the retail and e-taillevel. The book introduces a groundbreakingbranding paradigm that utilizes high-impactsensory experiences to facilitate intense,emotional relationships with the consumer.Gobé details how to:

■ Develop unforgettable brand personalities.

■ Customize brand presence to differentconsumer segments.

■ Incorporate brand strategies into productand retail architecture design.

■ Facilitate interactive access to yourproducts through the Internet.

Summer Reading: Six Picks C O N T I N U E D


4

The PDMA Handbook of NewProduct DevelopmentMilton D. Rosenau (Editor), Abbie Griffin, George A.Castellion, Ned F. Anschuetz (Wiley, John & Sons,Incorporated, 1996)

With 33 chapters written byleading professionals in the field,The PDMA Handbook of NewProduct Development offersauthoritative practicalinformation on every stage of theproduct-development process,from idea generation to deliveryof the final product. For thenovice, there is essential coverageof important fundamentals, suchas market analysis andsegmentation, choosing andimplementing the “ right”development process, the creationof multifunctional teams, andmore. Experienced practitionerswill find important guidance ontopics outside their own area ofexpertise, as well as materials onmore advanced and emergingconcepts, such as processownership, pipeline management,metrics, and product architecture.The book’s concise, how-toapproach enables readers toquickly access the basicinformation they need, whileproviding helpful references toup-to-date sources of furtherinformation. By providing acomplete picture of theknowledge needed for effectivenew-product development, thisall-in-one guide is an invaluable

asset to marketing professionals at every level. Topics include the strategic environment for new-

product delivery; implementing a product-developmentprocess; understanding customer needs; generating ideasand concepts for new products; tools for quantitativeresearch; product development in the service sector; andlaunching a new product. Includes a summary of thePDMA’s Best Practices Research, a glossary, and an indexto articles, abstracts and book reviews.



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65Positioning: The

Battle for Your MindAl Ries and Jack Trout (TheMcGraw-Hill Companies (2002)

Positioning details an innovativeapproach to creating a “ position”in a prospective customer’s mind— one that reflects a company’sown strengths and weaknesses, aswell as those of its competitors.The book describes how to:■ Use leading ad-agencytechniques to capture the biggestmarket share and become ahousehold name.

■ Build your strategy around your competition’sweaknesses.■ Reposition a strong competitor and create a weakspot.■ Use your present position to its best advantage.■ Choose the best name for your product.■ Determine when— and why— less is more.■ Analyze recent trends that affect your positioning.

Ries and Trout provide many valuable case historiesand penetrating analyses of some of the mostnoteworthy successes and failures in advertising history.Revised to reflect significant developments in the fiveyears since its original publication, Positioning isessential reading for marketers.

Bobos inParadise:The NewUpper Classand How TheyGot ThereDavid Brooks (Simon& Schuster AdultPublishing Group,2001)

David Brooks coins a new word, Bobo, todescribe today’s upper middle class— thosewho have wed the bourgeois world ofcapitalist enterprise to the hippie values of thebohemian counterculture. Their hybridlifestyle is the atmosphere we breathe, and inthis witty and serious look at the culturalconsequences of the information age, Brookshas defined a new generation. Convinced thata new social class has been formed, heprovides a lighthearted taxonomy of itsmanners, mores, and hidden assumptions,ranging from its shopping habits to itsbusiness culture and intellectual life.

Drawing on diverse examples— from ananalysis of the New York Times’ marriagepages, the sociological writings of VancePackard, Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyteand such films as The Graduate— he defendshis thesis that the information age, in whichideas are as “ vital to economic success asnatural resources or finance capital,” hascreated a culture in which once-uptightBabbitts relax and enjoy the sensual andmaterial side of life and anti-establishmenttypes relish their capitalist success.

David Brooks is an editor at the WeeklyStandard and a commentator on NationalPublic Radio.

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oomer grandparents are a new breed of consumer. Healthy, well-educated, and livingdiverse lifestyles, their roles as grandparents is excellent news for marketers, sincemany are at peak wealth with high levels of disposable income. They want todevote both time and money to their grandchildren.

Around 70 million Americans are now grandparents, and they are mostly Boomers. By2010, the number is expected to rise to 80 million. With an average age of 47 for first-timegrandparents, Boomers are younger than ever and have an average of five grand- andgreat-grandchildren. Boomer grandparents’ shopping habits have developed alongsidetechnology— they buy toys for their grandchildren both at retail and online. Recentindustry trends indicate that many grandparents favor experiential products that willallow them to be engaged in play with their grandchildren, such as board games and artsand crafts projects.

Boomers As GrandparentsSarah-Jane Muskett and Sharon Wolf highlight market trends and opportunities for targeting Baby Boomer grandparents.

B Y S A R A H - J A N E M U S K E T T A N D S H A R O N W O L FQualiData Research Inc. • Brooklyn, NY • [email protected], [email protected]

B

Grandparentsaccount for 25percent of toy

purchases andspend about

$35 billion ontheir

grandchildren.


Booming BusinessAccording to Kasia Dawidowska (SpecialtyRetail, Winter 2004), grandparents currentlyaccount for 25 percent of toy purchases in theUnited States. Free of the burden of expensesrelated to bringing up their own children, theysubsequently have more money available forgifts for the grandkids. Grandparents in theUnited States spend around $35 billion a yearon their grandchildren, an average of $500 perchild. Many spend much more— 33 percentspend over $2,400 a year, and 7 percent spendover $5,000 (AARP, 2003).

Quality TimeBoomers don’t simply send grandkids a checkfor Christmas; instead, they favor sharingexperiences with their grandchildren. Theywant to offer gifts with added benefits—gifts that are educational, fun, and offeropportunities for spending time interactingtogether. Popular activities include shoppingfor toys and clothing. Interest in interactionwith grandchildren extends to going tomuseums and sharing crafts and hobbies. This form of gift-giving is arguably the mostvaluable present they can offer theirgrandchildren— and it also presentsopportunities for museums, theaters, zoos, and sports centers to market to grandparents.

It’s no surprise then that Boomergrandparents are taking their grandkids onvacations. In the summer of 2003, six percentof grandparents traveled with their grandkids.

Some travel companies are already offeringgrandparent- and grandchild-only trips.Intergenerational travel also represents targetedmarketing opportunities for tour operators, asmany grandparents are likely to prefer packagedeals and group tours. If a holiday iseducational, so much the better. These kinds oftrips provide the perfect holistic gift purchasefor Boomer grandparents.

As Helena Koenig, owner of Grand Travel inFlorida, points out, “ Anyone can leave theirgrandchildren money, but these grandparentswant to leave them memories. They want toparticipate in making these children’s lives withthem significant.”

Toy Industry OpportunitiesMany Boomer grandparents prefer to buysimple, well-made toys rather thancontemporary, mass-produced items, especiallywhen it comes to babies and pre-schoolers. Toyretailers should be tapping into this trend,offering traditionalist and retro product ranges.

Boomers as Grandparents C O N T I N U E D

Boomers don’t simply sendgrandkids a check forChristmas; instead, theyfavor sharing experienceswith their grandchildren.


Retailers should also take steps to make shoppingeasier for older people. Boomer grandparents shouldbe able to walk into a toy store, ask for advice, andimmediately be pointed in the right direction.

In Cycles: How We Will Live, Work and Buy(2003), Maggie Dychtwald states, “ … retailersshould be ready to offer suggestions. They need toempower grandparents to buy gifts that create anemotional connection with the grandchild.”

Most mass toy retailers display products bymanufacturer, rather than by age-appropriateness. If promotional material instead displayed thepopular toys for children by age, it would add easeand convenience to a grandparent’s shoppingexperience. This would decrease feelings ofconfusion when faced with dozens of aisles stackedfrom top to bottom with toys. A positive toyshopping experience will also make repeat visits tothe same store more likely.

Book stores already group children’s books byage, making it easy for anyone to choose the rightmaterial, including grandparents. Toy stores woulddo well to follow suit.

Dawidowska suggests having copies of children’smagazines in stores for customers to thumbthrough. This would give them more informationabout the types of toys available and would, whencombined with age-appropriate merchandising,make the whole experience much more fruitful. Ifretailers can bridge the generation gap betweengrandparent and grandchild then everyone wins.The grandparent will be confident in their purchase,the grandchild will be happy with the gift theyreceive, and the retailer will sell more merchandise.

Despite their disposable income, Boomergrandparents, like most American consumers, aremotivated by discounts and special offers. At thesame time, because they are active and feel youngerthan their years, Boomers aren’t ready to classifythemselves as Seniors. Gary Onks, principal of Soldon seniors, a marketing consultancy, suggests thatretailers should offer discounts with a flatteringspin, such as “ 55+ discount” rather than “ Seniordiscount.” Promoting a “ Grandparent’s Special” isanother effective way to communicate because itfocuses on social role rather than age.

Boomers as Grandparents C O N T I N U E D


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Financial Services Marketing OpportunitiesAnother popular gift forgrandchildren, and one thatrequires much financialinvestment, is education. Overhalf of the Boomer generationare college-educated.Consequently, it is not surprisingthat they place high value ontheir grandchildren’s educationalachievement. If they can helpthe parents afford private schoolor college tuition they will helppay the costs. Recognizing thistrend, savvy financial servicescompanies are setting upinvestment products targeted atgrandparents who want to investin their grandkids’ future.Fidelity Investments, forexample, offers a range ofcollege saving plans forgrandparents so that they cancreate special investment fundsfor their grandchildren.

TechnologyBoomers are tech-savvy—of the 70 million Americans aged 50 and older, nearly halfhave a home PC. They use emailto keep in touch with theirgrandchildren, and they use theinternet to manage portfolios,make purchases, research andbook vacations, and much more.They are as likely to buy gifts fortheir grandchildren over theinternet as they are to go to Toys“ R” Us, Walmart, or Target.Consequently, retailer websitesshould offer guidance for age-appropriate toys and offerguidance for toy selection thatspeaks to grandparents. Typicalhigh tech gifts that grandparentsbuy online include video games,MP3 players , DVDs,educational software, andcomputers.

Boomers as GrandparentsC O N T I N U E D

QRCA is the largest body of independent qualitativeresearch consultants in the world, with over 800experienced qualitative research professionals from over 20countries. All QRCA members sign the QRCA Code ofMember Ethics and pledge to maintain integrity in theirrelationships with clients, field suppliers, and respondents.QRCA is on the forefront of trends and innovations inqualitative research worldwide. QRCA members share theirresources, expertise, and knowledge to continually raisethe standards of excellence in the profession.

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Call for Authors: Publishing Opportunitiesditorial content for QRCA Views is managed byan editorial team that includes the editor-in-chief, managing editor, copy editor, contributingeditor, and the features editors for each of Views’

regular columns such as “ The Qualitative Tool Box” and“ Tech Talk.”

Views’ editors welcome QRCA members and membersof the marketing research community to submit articleideas or manuscripts for consideration.

We review each manuscript on an individual basis toensure that the article conforms to Views’ mission andgoals as well as to the topic mix needed for each issue.Occasionally, we may save a manuscript to use in a future issue. We reserve the right to edit anymanuscript or to change the title.

Submissions should be objectively written andsupported by case-study examples. Self-serving articles orthose that promote a moderator’s or a research company’sexpertise will not be published in Views.

Please remember that it takes a good deal of time forour editors to read through all the submissions. We willlet you know as quickly as possible whether or not yourarticle has been accepted for publication in QRCA Views.

Submitting a ManuscriptPlease send articles via email as an attached Word file to the attention of Timm Sweeney at: [email protected]

■ The preferred article length is 1,500– 2,500 words. ■ To make sure that your manuscript can be easily identified and retrieved once it has beendownloaded in our “ Article Submissions Folder,”your Word document/file attachments should belabeled as follows:

Brief title.Last name of author.doc

■ Please be sure to tag each page of yourmanuscript with a left header that identifies thearticle title and author’s last name and a rightheader with the page number.■ In addition to the title of the article, the front page of your manuscript should include the author’sfull name, full company name and address, phonenumber, and email address.■ Please use only simple formats in your Worddocuments. Avoid using unusual indentations ortabulations as well as outline-style paragraphs withsubsets, boxes, or other page graphics. When theediting process has been completed, Views’ graphicdesigners will format your manuscript so that it will be attractive and easy to read.■ Include your full name, company name and mailingaddress at the bottom of your manuscript. If yourarticle is published, in appreciation of yourcontribution, we will send you three complimentarycopies via U.S. mail.

FAQs about Article SubmissionsWill I see my article before it is published in QRCAViews? No, our tight publication schedule does notallow for author review of edited manuscripts.

Will I be paid for the time and effort I put intowriting the article? No. Like most professionalassociation publications, Views does not paycontributors. However, since the magazine isdistributed broadly in the research community, youwill gain a good deal of visibility as a result of beingpublished in Views.

Can I submit an outline for consideration before I submit the completed article? Yes, you may submit a 50-100 word description of your story idea to theappropriate features editor.

My article was published in another journal ormagazine. Can I send it to Views? No. We don’t havethe resources to deal with the complicated copyrightissues raised by articles that were publishedelsewhere. An article is considered “ previouslypublished” if it was published before in another printor online trade journal, magazine, or newspaper.However, if you have substantially rewritten thearticle before submitting it to Views, we will considerit. Should this be the case with a manuscript that youare submitting to Views, please inform us. Along withthe rewritten manuscript, please enclose a copy of thearticle as it was first published.

Writing Style Guidelines■ Write in the present tense and use the active voiceas much as possible. Avoid the use of contractions,i.e., don’t, wouldn’t, can’t, etc.■ Footnotes, endnotes, or lists of references are notnecessary in a trade magazine such as Views.■ Make liberal use of topic subheads to help readersscan your article and follow your main points easily.Please direct your queries and/or submit yourmanuscript to Managing Editor Timm Sweeney,[email protected]

Electronic Article ReprintsAuthors who publish in Views now have theopportunity to obtain a PDF file of their article as itappeared in the magazine. The cost to authors foran electronic article reprint in PDF format is $50.Please direct your request by email to Eddie Coutrasat Leading Edge Communications, ecoutras@ leadingedgecommunications.com.

We look forward to working with you!

E

■ EDITORIAL GUIDELINES ■

printing • product catalogs and price lists • logos • stationary • signs • advertising • brochuresnewsletters • annual reports • direct mail • trade show exhibits • television/radio production

and media placement • web site design and hosting • and more!

At Leading Edge Communications, we work with a variety of clients and companies providing a range of products and services, and we pride ourselves on building long-lasting relationships.

There’s a lot we can do to help build your business through marketing and advertising. Which is why we would likethe chance to tell you more about us andwhat we can do for you. Give us a call at 615-790-3718, or visit us online at:www.leadingedgecommunications.com.

You may know us as the publisher of QRCAVIEWS, but did you knowwe offer Marketing and Creative Services as well?

JUNE

Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI)50th Golden Anniversary ConferenceJune 20-25, 2004, Grand Island, NY. Sponsoredby the Creative Problem Solving Institute. www.cpsiconference.com

Youth Marketing 2004June 22-23, 2004, London, UK;Menier Chocolate Factory.Sponsored by the Market Research Society.www.mrs.org.ukwww.centaur-conferences.co.uk

Global Cross-Industry Forum 2:The Blueprint for the FutureJune 27-29, 2004, New York, NY;Marriott East Side. Sponsored by ESOMARwww.esomar.org

JULY

European Telco Data Summit:Transforming Data into InsightJuly 12-13, 2004, London, UK.Sponsored by the Market Research Society.www.mrs.org.ukwww.centaur-conferences.co.uk

2004 AMA Nonprofit Marketing ConferenceJuly 12-13, 2004, Washington, D.C.;Fairmont Hotel. Sponsored by the American MarketingAssociation.www.ama.org

AUGUST

Summer Marketing Educators ConferenceAugust 6-9, 2004, Boston, MA;Marriott Copley. Sponsored by the American Marketing Association.www.ama.org

SEPTEMBER

Annual Marketing Research ConferenceSeptember 19-22, 2004, New Orleans, LA.Sponsored by the American Marketing Association.www.ama.org

Integrating Marketing Research in Business:From Managing Data to Generating DecisionsSeptember 19-22, 2004, Lisbon Congress Centre,Portugal. Sponsored by ESOMAR.www.esomar.org

Compiled by Sarah-Jane Muskett,QualiData Research Inc., Brooklyn, NY,[email protected]

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Index of AdvertisersAccurate Data Marketing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Active Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back CoverBaltimore Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Baltimore Research Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 14-15Bernett Research Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Campos Market Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Columbia Focus LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Consumer Opinion Council Research Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Consumer Opinion Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Contemporary Research Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Copley Focus Centers, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Crimmins & Forman Market Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Databank Marketing Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Delve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Doyle Research Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Ebony Marketing Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Ecker & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Facts ‘N Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Field Facts Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Field & Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Fieldwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Flagship Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Fleischman Field Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Focus First America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Focus First, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Focus Groups of Cleveland Survey Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Focus Market Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3The Focus Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7The Focus Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Focus on Boston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 74Focus Pointe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 39Focuscope, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Focus Suites of New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63FocusVision Worldwide, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover, 5Glickman Research Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Gongos & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Group Dynamics in Focus, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Groupnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Herron Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Home Arts Guild Research Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Infoco, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Ingather Research of Denver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69The Insight Works, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29International Fieldworld, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Jay Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48JRA, J. Reckner Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Leading Edge Communications, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Leibowitz Market Research Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Market Vision Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Market Voice Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Morpace International, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52MRC Group Research Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23MRT Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41National Data Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40National Field & Focus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42O’Hare in Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Observation Baltimore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Opinions … of Sacramento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Precision Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45QSR International Pty. Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Qualitative Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Questions & Marketing Research Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Research House, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Rickman Research & Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Riva Training Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Ruth Nelson Research Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Sabena Qualitative Research Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Schlesinger Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back CoverSNG Research Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Tape to Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Taylor Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Tragon Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Wilkins Research Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Patricia Sabena • Nicole Sabena Feagin

Phone: (203) 454-1225Fax: (203) 221-0180Email: [email protected]: www.qual.com

11 Bradley Street • Westport, CT 06880

In Salt Lake City

Utah

We offer great services and are committed to providing the sameexpertise and dedication you have come to expect over the years.

We’d like you to help us celebrate our new corporate look. Fromnow until August 31, 2004, you can save $100 on room rental atany one of our four locations.* Just mention this ad at time of booking.

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call us toll free at 866-549-3500www.SchlesingerAssociates.com

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VOLUME 2 • NUMBER 4 Beyond Words: Reading the Hidden