Quirk's - Qualitatively Speaking: Going social with qualitative research

For 25 years Quirk's Marketing Research Review has been providing practical applications in marketing research. The company's mission is to be the marketing research information source for those that conduct, coordinate and purchase research product and services.

Quirks posted a very interesting article titled:

"Qualitatively Speaking: Going social with qualitative research"

OutsideIn Strategies has a broad array of strategic research methodologies including on-line and social media applications. Katie Sweeney, Founder and Principal of OutsideIn, commented on the Quirk's article:

"This is a spot-on article on how social media can be leveraged in strategic research.  OutsideIn Strategies is really excited to include this latest tool in our arsenal of qualitative methodologies to efficiently deliver valuable insights as a precursor or add on to more traditional approaches."

Some interesting excerpts from the Quirk's article include:

• Qualitative researchers use a trained eye to look beyond the obvious and pinpoint trends and translate statements into insights. That knowledge is harvested from online forums, such as social media posts and comments, and key pieces of actionable information are identified from the millions of conversations that occur publicly every day.

• Many qualitative researchers who use social media agree that it provides unparalleled opportunities for insight. At the same time, it is commonly viewed as one piece of a larger approach. There are numerous ways that social media analysis can accompany, supplement or guide traditional research efforts...Social media analysis can often be used as the first phase of a mixed methodology. When starting with a broad category, mining posts and comments on social media channels can help pinpoint areas that consumers care about the most.

• Just as social media is changing the way brands market to consumers, it’s also changing the way consumers expect to interact with a brand. More and more people are welcoming brands into their lives via social media platforms. Some consumers expect to experience a brand online and expect that brand to hear their opinions via online channels.

• One benefit of social media research is observing consumers in their natural environment. People who are familiar with the product/service chat candidly about what they like, what they don’t like and what they expect from a brand...Taking it further, understanding how consumers talk about a product or understanding what they expect delivers invaluable direction on how to market a product.

• Just as social media is changing the way brands market to consumers, it’s also changing the way consumers expect to interact with a brand. More and more people are welcoming brands into their lives via social media platforms. Some consumers expect to experience a brand online and expect that brand to hear their opinions via online channels.

• That firsthand glimpse of how consumers talk about a product reveals another distinct benefit: alternative product uses...Or, in some situations, it’s less about usage and more about audience. Social media research can reveal groups of people outside the target audience who are using the product...In addition, social media research can supplement traditional new-product development research. It can be used to discover what people are saying about competitive products or unmet needs in the marketplace.

Is 2012 the year for online qualitative? Qualvu closes on $1.85 Million

Qualvu closed on a "B" round of investment for their technology. Often the money anticipates the timing of a growing market. Perhaps this is the year that we will see online qualitative research move past the early adopter phase. From Qualvu's press release:

"Qualvu, the online qualitative research company that counts as its clients many of the world’s top brands, announced today that it has raised $1.85 million through a Series B round to finance expansion in people, places, and processes.

The financing, obtained through Tango and High Country Venture, will accelerate Qualvu’s growth, extend its technology leadership, and expand its operational capabilities to support an expanding client base in Europe.  Qualvu has opened an office in Dublin to serve Europe and the UK, and the company plans to have a European-based staff of 17 before the end of 2012.  Globally, Qualvu plans to increase its headcount in enterprise sales, product management, and research and strategy by approximately 70 percent more than its 82 current employees. The company will also use the funds to continue its technology innovation – including advancements in qualitative video data coding, the mobile client portal, and client collaboration and sharing tools that enable instant global syndication of research insights."

For full release, see here.

Qualvu on "How Online Qualitative Research Empowers the Introvert"

From Introverted Consumer to Brand Adviser: How Online Qualitative Research Empowers the Introvert

We often talk about "Influencers", and here is an interesting blog story from Qualvu on how online research brings in a type of data and analysis:

"To be empowered today means to have a voice. Whether in the work place or the community, having a voice equates to having influence. But what about those who are hesitant to speak their mind? Who don’t offer their opinions un-elicited, if at all? Consumers today can be divided into two categories: the introvert and the extrovert, or the “non-sharer” and the “sharer,” respectively. While extroverts are known for sharing openly about their wants, needs, and experiences, introverts are more likely to live inside their heads and be reluctant to share publicly."

Full story at Qualvu's Blog:

Social Media Research + Online Qualitative Research = New Paradigm

One of the things that I "brought over" to OutsideIn Strategies is my early experience with Social Media Research. To date, my favorite product to use is Sysomos, which enhances marketing campaigns with tools to monitor, measure, and understand their impact and success.

Radian6.com is another product where searches can be conducted to see what's happening within the social media landscape, and a marketer can make changes on the fly to give campaigns a better chance of success.

Social Media Research allows marketers to:

• Understand the target consumer demographic, it's sentiment and behaviour over time
• Measure the buzz, segmented by region, age, gender, and profession
• Follow main discussion topics and themes around your brand
• Monitor valuable product feedback and consumer complaints posted online
• Quantify the sentiment and impact
• Compare issues and competitors across many dimensions historically and identify current trends
• Adjust and shape your strategy based on real-time feedback for your campaigns

ITracks had a very interesting are on "The Changing Landscape of Online Qualitative Research", which stated in reference to Social Media Research:

The inclusion of social media data in qualitative reports is something that research buyers are beginning to expect. Adding an element of social media to a proposal or a report will give any qualitative researcher a clear differentiator. The good news is there are a couple of providers out there who are set up to assist marketing researchers.

Through social media researchers can use data to develop their research project or track the effectiveness of a campaign. This application has enormous potential and will soon become a standard component of most qualitative research projects.

“The infrastructure of social networking and user-generated content is firmly in place and generally accepted as an open portal to very rich and detailed information, just waiting to be analyzed.”

Research-live.com on Mobile Research timing

Jay Pluhar is vice president of strategic accounts at MarketTools, which provides software and services for research and feedback management. He wrote a very informative Blog about the evolution of mobile research, and here are some highlights:

• The world has gone mobile, and so has the web - According to IDC there are currently 4.6 billion mobile devices in use worldwide, and that number is estimated to increase to 5.9 billion in 2013. The global population is 6.9 billion.
• Mobile connects us to consumers in new ways - Traditional research is an ‘appointment-based’ interaction, with participants expected to take time out of their days to participate in studies. Today, more than ever, people are more likely to avoid committing to appointments in their busy lives.
• Tablet devices like the iPad provide researchers with tools that make research easier and more effective. Examples:
  • MarketTools has used iPads to conduct on-site interviews for a major CPG company.
  • A wireless connection allows researchers to segment customers in the grocery store aisle in real time, delivering a highly customised interview process.
  • The user-friendly iPad, together with a highly focused survey experience, makes the research process more interesting for respondents, improving the quality of participant engagement.
• Mobile lets you learn as you go - As companies discover new ways to measure and collect feedback through mobile, new business insights and opportunities will follow.

Full article.