Quirk's - Qualitatively Speaking: Going social with qualitative research
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 11:50 AM 
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.
