Category: Blog

Common features of top viewing facilities

During the period of the lockdown the UK’s market research viewing facilities have understandably had a tough time.

As we enter July 2020 it appears that the lockdown is easing and that face-to-face, qualitative market research may be able to recommence in earnest very soon.  That means focus groups, co-creation workshops, depth interviews, product clinics and everything in between!

Of course, there are excellent viewing facilities the length and breadth of the country, and comprehensive details of these can be found on the Viewing Facilities Association website (https://www.viewing.org.uk) and on the Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) website (https://www.aqr.org.uk).

Selecting the right facility on a project-by-project basis can definitely make the difference between a good research project and a great one.  That is why we update our list of preferred qualitative research viewing facilities on an annual basis, based on a number of factors including:

Membership of the MRS.  

Like Brandspeak, all the viewing facilities used by us must be MRS company partners, so we can be sure that they are committed to upholding the same research and data protection standards as we are.

Location

Obviously this is a key one.  

If the viewing facility is poorly situated, it can be difficult to recruit respondents who are willing to attend the research session in the first place, or for recruits to arrive punctually – particularly if their session starts close to rush hour.

For groups involving mothers and babies / toddlers, the physical location of the facility is an important consideration, particularly if they are going to be arriving with prams or buggies.  

Ease of access to the building is also a key consideration as flights of stairs can be stressful or even impossible for mums with pushchairs to negotiate.

Access is also an important issue for clients who may be attending.  If they have flown in from abroad, then the venue needs to be easily accessible from the airport (particularly as they may be arriving at rush hour, intending to go direct to the facility).

Space

The proportions of the venue are important for several reasons:

• It is important that both the research and viewing rooms don’t feel cramped as this can have a negative impact on the mood in the room
• If the research requires the use of physical stimulus material the dimensions of the research room need to be sufficient to accommodate and display this with ease
• For longer groups and workshops, mid-session break-out areas are handy to give participants space to relax and catch up with their messages and calls.  Key to this is often a space that allows participants to remain separate from delegates attending other research sessions in the same facility

Service levels

Again, a bit of a no-brainer.  Excellent levels or cheerful service are a must because they:

• Put the moderator, the respondents and the clients at ease.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter how well the research has gone – if the client has a poor experience at the facility, it can reflect poorly on the research agency   
• Ensure that any issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently by the in-house team

Food preparation

Some facilities that advertise themselves as being suitable for food preparation / sampling actually have only limited kitchen facilities.

If required, its worth checking for:

In-house tech

In-house audio and video recording is now taken as standard. 

However, what is likely to become even more important as facilities reopen is their ability to offer streaming services so that clients who are unable to attend can still view proceedings live.

Rather than investing in in-house streaming technology, many facilities prefer to make streaming available via specialist, 3^rd party suppliers such as Stream Team (https://www.stream-team.net), that they will organise on behalf of the commissioning agency.

Costs

Facility hire costs can vary according to location, time of day, the size of the rooms booked and the length of the session(s).

For example, the basic cost of 2 x 2-hour, evening groups held in a Central London viewing facility with standard audio and video recording will be in the region of £950 excl VAT.  

This typically includes tea and coffee and nibbles for respondents – especially important for those who have come straight from work for an early evening group.  

More substantial refreshments for respondents and clients are available on request – and will push the price up.

Outside London and other major cities, facilities tend to offer similar packages at a c. 10% discount to London rates. 

If viewing facilities aren’t required, or are too expensive, then hotel conference rooms can be hired instead.  These cost c. £400 for 2 x 2-hour evening groups, albeit without audio or video recording (this can be arranged separately).

The best viewing facilities in the UK

So, which are the best viewing facilities in the UK?

London

Well, if you are a London research agency like Brandspeak, or simply looking to run focus groups in the capital then these are a few of our favourites:

Spectrum London – centrally located in W1 (just north of Marble Arch), the building houses 5 large studios.  In fact, the largest can accommodate up to 20 respondents and 25 clients! https://www.spectrumview.co.uk

i-view London – located in the Strand and winner of the Market Research Society’s Best Viewing Facility award in both 2018 and 2019. Great location and service and some well-appointed rooms. http://www.i-viewlondon.com

Schlesinger Group (formally The Research House) – another excellent, central location in Wigmore Street, W1.  Well-appointed rooms, great service and one of a handful of facilities to boast their own, in-house chef! https://www.schlesingergroup.com/en/locations/united-kingdom/london/

Bristol

Bristol is a great place to conduct qualitative market research because it tends to be overlooked by many agencies and clients. 

First Sight Studios is perfectly situated in the city centre, right at the end of the M32 and opposite Cabot Circus. 

Despite its central location there is plenty of low- cost, metered parking right next to the facility, which is great if the moderator has to cart around loads of stimulus material.

Manchester

If you are a research agency based in Manchester, or are heading that way to conduct qualitative research then we suggest:

The Talking Shop – a great location, just minutes from Manchester Victoria and Salford Central stations and a few minutes by taxi from Manchester Piccadilly.  

It’s another well-appointed facility with a friendly atmosphere and great levels of service. 

Their Magic Marker gizmo is great too.  It gives the moderator the ability to ‘mark’ any point of the discussion on the MP4 recording using a discretely-placed foot pedal.  

Whilst it shouldn’t be used instead of detailed analysis of the recording, it does give moderators the ability to locate specific parts of the conversation quickly and easily. 

Leeds

Roundhay Viewing – If you are heading to Leeds to conduct focus groups then our favourite viewing facility is Roundhay, situated in the Moortown area of the city.  It has provided consistent levels of excellent service over many years. 

Brandspeak is qualitative research agency that uses viewing facilities extensively, both in the UK and globally.  This is just a sample of our favourite, UK market research viewing facilities.

Please refer to the Viewing Facilities Association website (https://www.viewing.org.uk) or Association for Qualitative Research website (https://www.aqr.org.uk) for other options.

For more information about Brandspeak’s extensive, qualitative research capability please contact us at enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk or on +44 (0)203 858 0013.

Kantar has just launched its 2020 Creative Effectiveness Awards, listing its 2019 winners in several categories, as voted for by consumers.  

The winners have been selected from a large number of ads tested by Kantar during 2019 using Link, its advertising pre-testing tool .  They come from 13 different markets across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. 

Link determines each ad’s ability to contribute to brand equity in the long term and driving sales in the short term.

Short term sales likelihood is a validated probability that the ad drives short term sales based on its creative impact and the impressions it leaves behind about the brand.

Kantar describes long-term power as the measure of the ad’s potential to contribute to the brand’s long-term equity, based on on the ad’s creative impact and how strongly the ad positions the brand as being different in the consumer’s mind.

The ads in this category have the power to make people stop what they are doing on their device and pay attention to the ad, but also contributes to the brand in the short and long term.

On the basis of the above, the top 2 digital ads in this section were as follows:

Brand: Milka 

Ad Name: Milka Christmas: Give to Those Who Give The Most 

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam 

Country: Germany 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4M7tsEDhfA

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam 

Country: Germany 

Brand: Google App
Ad Name: Search the Lyrics With Google
Agency: Ambilhati Indonesia Country: Indonesia 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KwVop6GlCw

Print and OOH winners

The ads in this category illustrate the power of creative to make a lasting brand impression in literally seconds

On the basis of the above, the top 2 ads in this section were as follows:

Brand: HSBC

Ad Name: No fixed address 

Agency: Wunderman Thompson 

Country: UK 

Brand: Estrella Damm 

Ad Name: Silja 

Agency: &Rosàs 

Country: UK 

TV winners

According to Kantar, the ads in this category demonstrate the continued sales-generating and brand-building ability of broadcast content.

Brand: BP

Ad Name: Blind Date 

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather 

Country: Spain 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGEVJvIppUc

Brand: Tim Hortons

Ad Name: Ask a Timbits Kid 

Agency: Zula Alpha Kilo 

Country: Canada 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWJunFOw-ng&feature=youtu.be

https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/creative-effective?utm_source=Pardot&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Creative-Effectiveness-Awards-2020

WPP and Kantar retail market research have just launched their 2020 BrandZ Most Valuable Global Retail Brands report, which identifies the world’s top 100 most valuable retail brands. The report is based on extensive insights from 3.9 million consumers worldwide combined with financial data from Bloomberg. It also reflects stock market performance through to mid-April 2020, in order to capture the impact of COVID-19 crisis. 

The rankings reflect brands that are pure retail, fast food, apparel and luxury.

Highlights from the report reveal that over the course of the preceding 12 months the value of the world’s top 75 retail brand has grown by 12% to $1.5 trillion.  To put this rise in context, Amazon alone grew its brand value by $415.9 billion and remains the world’s most valuable retail brand, commanding 27% of the top 75’s total brand value. 

The ranking provides an indication of the brands that are in the strongest position to withstand the impact of COVID-19, as they restructure their businesses to address the numerous challenges the virus presents.

The report emphasises the role of strong brand equity in enabling speedy brand recovery. It states that historical BrandZ data shows brands with strong equity recovered nine times more quickly following the financial crisis of 2008.

The report also asserts the importance of maintaining brand visibility in an appropriate manner during the crisis and details the activities being undertaken by some of the leading brands in this regard. For example; 

• Amazon (positioned at No.1), has managed demand, reduced its speed of delivery and prioritised the delivery of essential products

• Alibaba (No.2) has been using its AI expertise to help Chinese medics shorten coronavirus diagnosis time

• JD (No. 13) has been using its distribution network to deliver essential medical supplies and food

Not surprisingly, the fastest category riser is pure retail, as grocery outlets benefit from consumer stockpiling. Digitally-oriented brands fared well with Amazon, JD and Alibaba up 32%, 24% and 16% respectively.  But stablished bricks and mortar brands fared well too, with Costco, Target and Walmart up 35%, 27% and 24% respectively. 

Other highlights:

• McDonald’s (ranked No. 3 at $129 billion) remains the most valuable fast food brand globally, although other brands in the sector are experiencing rapid growth too as a result of delivery services and other innovations

• Louis Vuitton (No. 5 with a brand value of 152.5 billion) is the world’s most popular luxury brand, with a new, flagship store in Seoul and creative partnerships with major artists

• Nike (No. 6, $50 billion value) heads the Apparel category, as a result of collaborations, product customisation and e-commerce which have driven sales

The 2020 top 10 looks like this:

Graham Staplehurst, Global Director for BrandZ at Kantar commented:

‘Brand value isn’t just determined by financial performance but also by reputation in the eyes of consumers.  How retailers behave now in terms of helping people through the crisis, as well as the way in which they treat their staff and whether they comply with government and health advice, will be important to their survival.  Those that have actively demonstrated their relevance and usefulness and continue to do so as consumers’ lives start to get back to normal, will be best-placed to strengthen customer relationships both in the recovery phase and the long-term’.

For more information on creating the equity required to protect and grow your brand call Brandspeak on 0203 8580052 or at enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk

The Public’s View on the Government-Imposed Lockdown and how it should be Relaxed

22^nd April 2020

YouGov has just published the results of a survey conducted to assess the public’s view on the current lockdown and how and when the different measures should be relaxed or lifted.

Whilst a minority of the population are still flouting the Government-imposed rules, the survey results paint a picture of a population that is broadly in favour of the lockdown restrictions and the disruption they are causing –  even to the extent of wishing them to be extended.

For example, when asked about whether the Government should start loosening restrictions in c. 3 weeks as has been widely mooted, only 30% agreed it would be the right time,  whilst 26% felt that it would be the wrong time (i.e. it would be too early).  44% said they don’t know.

Regarding the criteria that the Government should use to determine whether or not the lockdown should be relaxed, the public again took a cautious view. 32% felt there has to be a ‘substantial’ fall in daily deaths beforehand, whilst 37% wished the Government to take a harder line and wait until no new cases are being reported.

The public was also clear about what the Government’s priorities should be, once it begins to lift the lockdown.

The reopening of schools and getting people back to work were regarded as the top priorities, whilst allowing people to travel to the UK from other countries and the holding of large events (such as sports or music festivals) were regarded as the lowest.

Finally, YouGov’s survey addressed a commonly-held view in the press that certain groups (e.g. those under 40) should have restrictions relaxed ahead of others. 

The survey revealed that 42% felt this would be wrong, with only 36% thinking this would be the right thing to do. 

On the other hand, 48% agreed that it would be right to both right and fair to loosen lockdown restrictions for NHS workers ahead of the general population.

Overall, YouGov’s survey paints a picture of a nervous public, that wishes to err on the side of caution at this present time.

Introduction

Over the coming months, the COVID-19 pandemic is going to make life very challenging for businesses as they attempt to deal with the economic downturn it is causing. 

However, this isn’t the first downturn most of us have experienced and it is just one of many that organisations have successfully navigated over the last 100 years – going right back to the time of the Great Depression!

There are some very simple, but very important actions that brands can take to protect themselves during recession.  If done well, some will even emerge stronger than they were before.

If in doubt, consider the words of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart.  When he was asked about the recession of 1991 and its likely effect on his company he said:

 I’ve thought about it, and decided not to take part!

In the same year, Wal-Mart went on to become the world’s largest retailer with a net sale of $43.9 billion. 

Below we have identified the top 5 actions brands should consider during a downturn.

1. Maintain or even increase advertising spend

Throughout previous recessions one truism has stood out consistently – those brands that cut advertising spend suffer more in the short term and take far longer to recover once the recession has abated.

Consider this excellent chart from Dentsu Aegis Network:

It shows clearly that during the 1990/91 recession the sales of those companies that maintained advertising spending kept on rising and that, as the recession receded they rebounded quickly.  

On the other hand, those that cut spending remained static during the recessionary years and their recover was much weaker in the years that followed.

Marketing commentator Mark Ritson supports the view that advertising budgets should be maintained. He says:

The reason why you should maintain your advertising budget during a recession is that recessions are always ultimately short-lived.  It will leave you with a stronger share position for many years afterwards, once things settle down.  You should view recession as a tough time, but also as the ultimate time to build brands and grow market share. 

In support of the above, Kantar’s recent COVID-19 survey reveals that only 8% of global consumers feel that brands should stop advertising during the crisis.  

However, the survey results also make clear the extent to which consumers feel that during the downturn brands shouldn’t attempt to capitalise on events but should instead demonstrate a real sense of responsibility both to their employees and to the wider community.

Specifically, the survey revealed:

• 45% of consumers want to see companies putting in place plans to protect the supply of services or products
• 74% of consumers believed brands should not exploit the situation
• 78% of consumers believed brands should help them in their daily lives 
• 75% of consumers believed brands should inform people of what they are doing.  
• Nearly 80% of consumers believed employee health should be treated as a priority 

These numbers suggest very clearly that consumers want and expect brands to step-up, rather than just ‘go dark’ and wait for the crisis to pass.

The emotive nature of these views also suggests that those brands that are seen to act accordingly will win customer favour that can benefit them in both the short and longer term. 

Consider this recent initiative by Scottish brewer Brewdog:

Brewdog has been using its distilleries to manufacture hand sanitiser which it has then been distributing free to charities and hospitals.  

At the same time, the brand has also launched virtual bars where consumers can share a beer online, whilst taking part in homebrew classes and virtual pub quizzes.  

Through these activities the brand has successfully demonstrated that it has a social conscience, supporting both the community and its customers during difficult times.

According to YouGov’s BrandIndex, two weeks after the initiatives were launched consumer perceptions of the brand were up by a statistically significant 4.6 points.

• Focus on your most profitable brands – and be ruthless if necessary

During a downturn its vital to support your healthiest and most profitable brands – the ones that generate the income that will help your business survive.  

If necessary, this may mean that less profitable members of the portfolio need to be  suspended or even cut, in order to free up budget.  

The problem is that, like consumers, companies can become emotionally attached to the brands they own.  

Often, these are the legacy brands that are closely associated with the heritage of the company.  Not only can they soak up precious budget during a downturn whilst offering relatively little in return, they also absorb a disproportionate amount of management time and attention to keep them afloat.

• Remind your core customers why they love you

Its much easier to re-activate existing customers after a downturn than it is to acquire new ones.  

After all, your existing customers know and trust you – they only hit the pause button because of the economic situation.  

Problem is, the longer they have done without your brand, the more they need to be reminded about it – and what made it their product or service of choice in the first place.

Consider a campaign that:

• prioritises your most important segments and reasserts the brand’s core credentials.  This  will remind people what they have been missing

• (re-)establishes emotional connection with your customers.   This helps to ensure that it gains System 1 stickiness and differentiates it from the competition

• Reward your core customers for their loyalty

Re-establishing the (emotional) connection between consumer and brand is essential, but on its may not be enough, as your competitors will also be fighting hard for your customers’ attention.  

All customers want financial recognition and reward from the brands they buy – particularly the ones they have been loyal to, particularly as they are likely to be under considerable, financial pressure of their own.

Correctly positioned discounts, giveaways and loyalty benefits act both as a reward and an incentive to buy.

• Review your brand positioning

Whilst we don’t advocate a knee-jerk reaction regarding brand strategy, conducting a review of your brand’s positioning is essential after a downturn.

This is because:

• The downturn may have caused consumers’ own expectations and priorities to change, at least in the short term,  meaning that your brand may have considerably less relevance and meaning than it once did.  

• Recession typically causes some brands to disappear and new ones to emerge.  Post-recession, the competitive landscape for your brand may well have changed.  This could be either an opportunity or a threat – but either way it needs to be recognised and addressed.

Moving forwards

Of course, there are many other steps that your brand will need to take as it re-establishes its momentum post-recession.    The question is, which steps do you need to undertake – and when?

Carefully constructed and executed market research is likely to be an essential part of this decision-making process.  For example, it can tell you:

• Which consumers have deserted you, why and what you need to do to recapture them
• Which competitors have prospered, why, and whether that has been at your brand’s expense
• Whether your brand’s proposition is still valid, whether it has been undermined by events, if it needs tweaking and how to do so
• If and how you need to rationalise your portfolio to give your fittest brands headroom
• The campaign messages and offers that are likely to resonate most strongly with consumers 

Brandspeak can help. For an informal chat call us on 44 (0) 203 858 0052 or contact us at enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk

Introduction

There is obviously a lot of talk about a COVID-19 recession right now, with comparisons being drawn with the economic slumps of 2008/9 and even the 1930’s.  

With startling surveys about plummeting consumer confidence emerging daily, along with dire projections regarding the impact on business and the economy, it easy to understand why.

But just how serious is the situation for consumers, marketers and brands?

Sobering COVID-19 statistics

The emerging figures are certainly stark.

Marketing Week’s COVID 19 survey at the beginning of April suggested 69% of UK businesses had already started to see a drop the demand for their products and services during March.  The figures were even worse for SMEs, with 77% reporting a drop in business.  

Clearly, most sectors are already feeling the impact and will continue to do so over the course of 2020 – and beyond. 

For example, a report by GlobalData on 24^th March suggested that UK retail sales are due to plummet by £12.6 billion over 2020 as a result of COVID-19, with the clothing and footwear sector alone predicted to fall by 20.6% to £11.1 billion. 

However, not all sectors are suffering equally in the short term.

Kantar reports that during March, UK supermarkets saw a 20% rise in sales overall, with corner shops actually recording a 30% sales spike during the same period.  

The organisation also confirms that during the week beginning 16^th March, 88% of UK households made an average of 5 shopping trips between Monday – Thursday of that week – equivalent to an additional 42 million shopping trips for the country as whole.

The result was that consumer spend during the period amounted to an additional £10.8 billion, contributing to Q1 grocery market growth rate of 7.6% – the highest in more than a decade.

Other sectors have also found favour during the pandemic. For example, YouTube reported a massive increase in watch time throughout February 2020. 

Italy, for example, saw a 2,000% rise in the amount of online content viewed during February, with Germany seeing a 1,100% rise. Britain saw a more modest 650% rise during this period, largely due to its lockdown beginning slightly later than many other European countries.

Not surprisingly, the effects of the pandemic on the economy are forecast to be profound – in the short term.

Currently, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is forecasting a 35% drop in the UK’s economic output for the 2^ndquarter of 2020, should the current lockdown remain in place for 3 months. 

The OBR also estimates that unemployment in the UK could rise to 2,000,000, or c. 10% of the working population in the short term, although this figure should ease later in the year.

However, whilst such forecasts are not unreasonable under the circumstances, the fact is that it is far too early to build economic models that can accurately paint a picture of the next 6-12 months. 

This is because so much depends on when lockdown can be relaxed and whether or not the UK then enters a phase of rolling lockdown that continues in to 2021.

Reasons for Cautious Optimism

And there are also some reasons for cautious optimism.  

For example, the 2008-9 recession was caused by a fundamental lack of liquidity.  This time it’s different, with many businesses having reasonable amounts of accessible cash on the balance sheet. 

Also, after 10 years of highly controversial austerity, the  balance sheet of UK PLC is also healthier than it was.  The country is therefore in a better place to offset the worst ravages of the pandemic, through subsidising wages, deferring taxes and undertaking additional borrowing.

In addition, even though the OBD is forecasting a contraction of up to 35% in the UK economy during the second quarter of 2020, it is also anticipated that with a gradual relaxation of the lockdown from May onwards,  the contraction is likely to be followed by a strong bounce in the quarter following.

Lastly, marketers learned a lot about surviving an economic downturn during the 2008-9 slump. The current crop of senior marketers are subsequently far better placed to navigate their brands through choppy waters this time around.

The Role of Market Research in a Downturn

Market research providers like Brandspeak have a significant role to play in helping B2C and B2B organisation’s navigate the downturn successfully .

• We can do this by assessing all aspects of your brand within the context of the changing needs, attitudes and (financial) behaviours of its target audience to address key questions such as:
• Does the existing customer segmentation model work during the downturn, or does the brand need to think afresh about who it should be targeting? If so, which are the ‘new’ priority targets and why?
• Do the brand proposition and positioning still stack up – or does the brand strategy and architecture need to be amended to better reflect the changing market place. If so, where does it need amending, how, and why?
• Is the pricing model still valid, should a new price point be adopted and / or should offers be implemented? If so, what would the new pricing regime look like?
• Is there a need or an opportunity to undertake range extension by introducing a more basic product or service – one better suited to the budget of the both the consumer and the organisation during the period of the downturn? If so, what would the new offer look like and what impact would its introduction have?
• Are the brand’s campaigns and marcoms still valid at the current time, or do they need adjusting to reflect a changing market place.

Please contact us at enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk for more information.

In the next COVID-19 Brand Snapshot we’ll focus on what else brands need to do to offset the damage that will otherwise be inflicted by COVID-19. 

Introduction

Perhaps you are relatively new to market research and find the research terms qualitative research and quantitative research totally unfamiliar (yet at the same time annoyingly similar).  If so, then this article is for you!

Or perhaps you are a seasoned marketer who makes frequent use of research but is occasionally unsure whether it is qualitative or quantitative data that would best suit your needs.  If so, then read on!

By the end of this article, you will not only know your qual from your quant, you’ll know what qual involves and when each is best applied. 

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative vs quantitative research definition

Whereas quantitative research focuses on measurement of the known, qualitative research typically involves the exploration of the unknown.

And whereas quantitative research is based on a pre-defined survey comprising mainly closed questions, qualitative research is conducted as a dialogue based on a discussion guide comprising a series of semi-structured, open questions posed by a moderator, 

The role of qualitative research

Due to its exploratory nature, qualitative research is perfect for use during the early stage development of brands, products, services and communications.  

On these occasions its role is typically to validate or enhance that development process, by identifying the relevant thoughts, needs, attitudes, motivations, expectations, beliefs and / or preferences of the target audience, as well as any actions or behaviours that these may give rise to.

Qualitative research examples

Qual may be used during early-stage development to:

• Evaluate and refine a new brand proposition
• Identify the defining attitudes and behaviours of the target audience 
• Assess and refine new product or service prototypes
• Assess a number of early stage advertising concepts 
• Review and optimise a multi-channel customer experience 

Examples of relevant projects include:

• Investigating the appeal of a proposed, new high street current account on behalf of a UK bank
• Assessing the appeal of the features and benefits proposed for a new type of insurance product on behalf of a major car insurer
• Reviewing changing attitudes and behaviours of Generation Z towards the consumption of meat and dairy products on behalf of a frozen food producer
• Identifying the ‘must-have’, experiential elements of a high street, automotive store concept capable of acting as a viable alternative  to ‘traditional’, out-of-town showrooms for a major car marque
• Exploring reactions to an online, medical proposition being designed as an alternative to the GP’s surgery on behalf of a new start-up
• Evaluating the potential of a  global, forecourt promotion to increase the consumption of premium fuel for a leading petrol retailer
• Exploring the attitudes and behaviours of business people to a new, online discussion forum aimed at the global business community

Qualitative vs quantitative research

Fine, but surely each the above examples could have been addressed using a variety of quantitative approaches instead?  Well, yes and no!  

All too often, organisations rush to quantify a subject before its parameters have been identified and understood.

When this happens, the quantitative results are likely to be incomplete.  At worst, they will be misleading.

Qualitative research methods and project sizes

Qualitative research is conducted face-to-face, by phone or online and the number of people involved is relatively small in comparison to the sample sizes typically involved in quantitative research.  

For example:

• A ‘typical’ qualitative research project may involve 2-6 focus groups, each lasting up to  2 hours and comprising up to 8 respondents each (making 16-48 respondents in total).  
• An online qualitative research exercise that utilises a bulletin board or community (MROC) may involve up to 30 respondents dipping in and out of the moderated e-discussion over a period of several days or weeks.  
• A qualitative research project comprising 1-2-1, phone or face-to-face depths may comprise no more than 5-10 interviews.  

Ad-hoc versus continuous qualitative research 

Broadly, there are two types of qualitative research project.  

Firstly, an ad-hoc, qualitative research project.  This term is used to describe a single qualitative research exercise, undertaken to address specific research objectives in the form of a one-off study.

Secondly, a continuous or longitudinal qualitative research project.  These terms are used to describe a qualitative research study of two or more stages run over a period of weeks, months or even years, to understand if and how people’s attitudes and behaviours regarding a particular subject are changing over time.

Qualitative research approach

Whatever the approach, some form of unstructured or semi-structured discussion guide will be used to provide a framework for the conversation.  That guide will contain a variety of open questions designed to ensure that:

• The discussion flows
• Subject matter can be is explored in a structured manner
• That exploration is conducted on both rational and emotional levels, using projective techniques to uncover unconscious sentiment.

Moderators may be free to diverge from the discussion guide and go ‘off-piste’, to explore individual comments, issues and ideas as they arise.

Qualitative research sessions are audio-recorded as standard (subject to necessary respondent permissions being obtained) and possibly video-recorded as well.  If the research is conducted in a bespoke research facility then clients may choose to watch and listen to proceedings from behind a one-way mirror.

The role of projective techniques in qualitative research

Any qual research project tasked with exploring the consumer’s reaction to a particular brand, concept or experience has to be capable of accessing the fundamental thoughts, feelings and associations of research respondents.

The challenge for the researcher is that the subject’s top-of-mind responses are likely to emanate from the System 1, conscious mind, meaning that they are also likely to be logical, superficial and potentially even misleading.

The insights that researchers require are typically buried deep within the respondents’ System 2, subconsciousmind and further obscured by the influence of cultural and social norms, heuristics and intuition.

Projective techniques are therefore used as a means of gaining access to the sub-conscious mind and the wealth of insights it holds for researchers.  

Such techniques have their origins in clinical psychology and have been adapted for use in marketing and market research, with both B2C and B2B research audiences 

The simplest example of a project technique is brand personification.   Brand personification enables moderators to probe the respondents’ brand perceptions indirectly, by asking them to consider that brand in human form.  

Questioning might go as follows:

Imagine that Brand X came to life as a person.  What sort of person would they be?

The moderator can then probe on physical characteristics such as gender and appearance, as well as emotion-led issues such as personality,  likes, dislikes, shortcomings and aspirations.

Depending on the degree to which respondents are able to work with this particular projective technique, respondents can also be asked to think even more laterally and comment on where the persona lives, the type of car they drive (this can also be the subject of a separate projective exercise) and the sort of friends that they have.

Projective techniques can also be visual in nature.  A common example of a visual projective is the mood board or collage, where respondents can be asked to express their thoughts and feelings regarding Brand X using different forms of visual imagery.  

Magazines are a great source of such imagery, and respondents can be directed spend time sifting through them identifying pictures, colours, words and icons that all reflect their impression of the brand in some way – even if they can’t think why.

Once complete, the collage becomes the subject of further discussion, whereby the moderator works with the respondents to understand  the significance of the different themes emerging.

Ultimately, the success of any such technique depends on the moderator’s ability to select the right projective in the first place, to introduce it appropriately and then analyse and understand the feedback received, separating that which is merely interesting but ultimately irrelevant, from that which truly adds to brand understanding and insight.

Data analysis in qualitative research

When analysing the research recordings they have made, many researchers will opt to have those recordings transcribed, whilst others will simply listen back to them, making notes on a ‘coding frame’ as they go.  

The purpose of the frame is to cluster responses by question or by theme, so that relevant comments from across the research sample can be quickly and easily isolated and analysed.

Whilst some researchers will then compile a debrief that faithfully reports on the feedback gained in relation to each question (whether it is significant or not), others adopt a more interpretive, consultative approach whereby they will discard feedback that they regard as insignificant, whilst interpreting and adding value to feedback that they regard as relevant and important.

Qualitative research – a final word

Ultimately, the insights delivered by qualitative research that is capable of going beyond the obvious can make the difference between commercial success and failure.  

Brandspeak specialises in providing qualitative research capable of identifying game-changing insights that can turn a so-so brand in to a sector-defining champion. 

More information

For further insights about qualitative research read Brandspeak’s article on The skills and attributes required to become a great qualitative researcher

Or read about Brandspeak’s qualitative research offer on our website.

Contact

For more information on Brandspeak’s qualitative research capabilities please email us at enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk or call us on +44 (0) 203 858 0052.