As in-house design and video functions become more common in the market research industry and we consume more visual content than ever before, visual communication and storytelling are becoming increasingly important skills for insight teams to adopt. Integrating design and video teams into insight teams is key to ensuring design and video functions are not siloed, instead facilitating active collaboration across these disciplines that results in impactful, actionable and shareable insights. But how do you do this? We share 4 tips based on our experience of bringing the two functions together here at Kadence.

1. Invest in practical design and video training

At Kadence we empower our teams by providing tools and training that go beyond PowerPoint. We run regular video production, storytelling and visual communication training sessions across our insight and data teams. This allows teams to not only gain practical experience across design and video production, but also have a full understanding of best practice and processes involved in producing deliverables across these disciplines.

2. Think about theoretical training as well

We believe that understanding the theory of design, is just as important as practical training. As part of our global training programme, Kadence University, we’ve just launched a design module that provides teams across the Kadence group with extensive training materials, training sessions and interactive self-learn tools that cover design theory, visual communication and design thinking. We regularly run these sessions with everyone, from graduate to director level, encouraging team members at all levels to develop their skills in these areas so that they can apply the theory and frameworks when they think about design.  

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3. Develop accessible tools and design resources

We’ve developed a host of design resources such as curated icon and stock image libraries, standardised process documents for film production and post-production, as well as flexible brand assets and design elements. Easily accessible resources, along with regular knowledge sharing, training sessions and visual tools, provide insight and data teams with the resource and knowledge to create compelling, visual deliverables for our clients. These tools aid in raising awareness of design and video processes, encourage visual thinking and promote seamless teamwork across disciplines.

4. Foster integration and collaboration

There are many benefits of fully integrated design and video teams, but involving creatives early on in a project ensures they have a full understanding of studies and can collaborate with our insight and data teams to capture, communicate, visualise and embed findings across organisations most effectively. Integrated creative teams, along with the global network of Design Champions across the Kadence group, advocate design, storytelling and video amongst our global teams. This means that it’s not only our design and video specialists that can think about the role of design in our work. All employees, regardless of role, have the skills to understand how design can be used to raise the impact of our research in our client’s organisations.

It’s because of this that we’re able to collaborate with clients so effectively to ensure that outputs are functional, engaging and optimised for internal channels and platforms, ensuring our deliverables are shareable across the most relevant digital and physical touchpoints, and that the research ultimately lives on within our client’s organisations. Just take our client’s words for it.

“Kadence has taken my work and insights to a whole new level, helping to translate words on paper into an inspiring story and vision!  This has not only given me more credibility as an Insights leader at Mars but has helped me amplify and scale my work globally in just a few short months. Often something we overlook; strong visualization and engaging content is critical for delivering with impact. Both presentations they helped me design, as well as the beautiful infographic, were instrumental in driving a more engaging story across the business.”

– Mars

Cannabis talk in the US media is unavoidable these days as changing legislation and recreational dispensaries continue to open up across selected states in the country.  How can companies outside the cannabis space take advantage of this growing trend? Our research with over 2,000 US consumers sought to understand this new opportunity for brands.

One-in-five (20%) adults nationwide report they have used cannabis in the last 12 months. Of those, two-thirds (66%) consume regularly (at least once a week). While two thirds tell us that consuming cannabis has not changed their social life in any way, 17% are staying home more and 8% say they are going out more. 

Ultimately, this opens up a variety of opportunities for marketers to offer products and services that are tailored to the needs of this group. Meal kit delivery companies could make “dinner party boxes” suited to a night in with friends. Game makers could create games that facilitate creativity and fun. Netflix or Amazon could offer content particularly suited for cannabis-influenced viewers. And clearly, snack makers could have a field day.

In the survey, adults were asked whether they would prefer to consume cannabis or alcohol while doing different popular activities. While clubbing and hosting a dinner party are more likely paired with alcohol, for many other pastimes, cannabis wins.  At home, watching TV/ movies, doing chores, playing board games and socializing with family and friends are all activities where cannabis is preferred.  Going to the movies or to watch live music are also events where adults would prefer cannabis.  A host of other activities are decidedly not alcohol activities, but may be considered “cannactivities” – yoga, gardening, outdoor activities, going to the spa, cultural events and reading.  See the table below for details.

How can your business take advantage of this fast-growing industry? Download the full research report to learn more.

“For each of the following, would you rather do this activity while consuming cannabis, drinking beverages containing alcohol, or neither?”

Cannabis research: would rather consume cannabis vs would rather consume alcohol

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The pace at which consumers are adopting EVs varies in different countries.
This time, our local team members from across our Southeast Asia offices(Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam) introduced the latest situation. Let’s catch up by watching the recordings below!

Watch the session in English

Watch the session in Japanese

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Kadence Indonesian office has launched an innovative online survey platform called K-OINS (Kadence Online Insight System). With an increasing number of people moving online, there has been a need for a high-quality online survey, and K-OINS is the solution.

The K-OINS Platform can be used free by registering through its website or by downloading the app on Google Play Store. Currently, K-OINS is still under development for iOS users.

K-OINS rewards users for participating in market research surveys on their platform using “Koins,” which can be transferred to the user’s bank account or any preferred e-wallet with a minimum balance of IDR 50,000 free of any administration fee. The incentive doesn’t end here. Every registered K-OINS user also gets a referral code to be shared with new users for more “Koins.”

“With the current digital technology, innovations are carried out by almost all lines of business, and market research is no exception,” Febri Nugraha, Managing Director of Kadence International, said. “While there are many online survey platforms in the market, we continue to focus on providing the best service to our clients through our in-house online survey platform.”

According to Nugraha, K-OINS will allow the Kadence Indonesia market research team to monitor the survey results, support them in providing recommendations to clients, and help them adjust survey results in real-time.

“Additionally, we also complement the K-OINS platform with efficient UI and UX, eye-catching visuals, so that all our users can enjoy K-OINS,” he added.

According to Sebastian Mulia, Quantitative Director of Kadence Indonesia, the company released the K-OINS platform to positively impact the community and help people earn additional income.

“Launched in 2022, we have gone through various processes and research since we first started developing the K-OINS platform in 2019. We have collaborated with third parties, like agencies, to help media placement and boost awareness,” he said.

As the newest entrant in the online survey platform market, K-OINS has already conducted many studies with companies in Indonesia from various industries such as FMCGs, education, finance, automotive, and healthcare.

In the future, K-OINS will continue to innovate in the digital surveys space and will not be limited to online surveys. “Currently, we are doing some development to cover the needs from two perspectives —both from our clients as the party receiving input and the community as the party providing input,” Benediktus Timothy, Senior Manager of Operations, said.

For more information about K-OINS, please check K-OINS Instagram @koins_id or visit the website at https://k-oins.com

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You probably won’t read this article word for word—and you’re not alone. Humans typically respond to visual stimuli by paying attention to some things more than others. They skim over some words, re-read others, and skip entire sections.

How a person’s eye moves around a page, design, or space reveals a lot about what does—and doesn’t—capture their attention. That’s why cutting-edge eye-tracking technology is growing in demand among market research professionals.

Eye-tracking is a powerful tool for gathering, analyzing, and utilizing data about what goes on in consumers’ minds. Those insights can be used to optimize brand performance and improve marketing ROI.

Read on to learn more about the fundamentals of eye-tracking technology and its uses in market research.

What is eye-tracking?

Eye-tracking is a research methodology for measuring where a person looks, providing insight into their thinking.

Using machine learning and advanced image processing, it’s possible to record almost everything about how the eye interacts with something in front of it.

This real-time data can be helpful in market research. It allows for a deeper understanding of consumer reactions to almost any visual stimulus, from a website or technology platform to product packaging or an in-store display.

Eye-tracking unlocks the unconscious decision-making process. It gives marketers quantifiable data about user intention, where their interest lies, what they overlook, and how they respond to different stimuli.

This data humanizes technology, creating intuitive solutions that meet consumers’ actual needs and desires.

How does eye tracking work?

Eye-tracking technology uses near-infrared light and high-resolution cameras to track how the eye moves in response to stimuli.

  1. Light is directed toward the center of the eye to create reflections in the pupil and cornea. Infrared light is invisible; it doesn’t distract or harm the eyes.
  2. A camera records the reflections (called pupil center corneal reflection or PCCR), tracking the person’s exact point of focus.
  3. Advanced mathematical algorithms calculate various data points, such as eye position, gaze or focus point, duration of attention, eye openness, blink rate, and changes in pupil diameter.
  4. The data processed by eye tracking software helps researchers understand where, when, and what people viewed.

The exact data a researcher collects depends on the hardware and software they select from the many companies that offer the technology. 

Some tools also integrate biometric data, like heart rate and galvanic skin response, to add depth to findings. Also, a similar head tracking technology monitors the position and movements of the head. It can be combined with eye tracking to uncover more meaningful data.

There are two main types of eye-tracking technology: 

Screen-based devices

● Participants sit in front of and interact with a computer screen that has a stationary unit mounted below or nearby. Movement is limited within the static area.

● Recommended for controlled environments. Webcam options can be used in a participants’ home, but proper calibration isn’t guaranteed and can negatively affect results.

● Ideal for screen-based materials (pictures, videos, and websites) or static offline stimuli (packaging, magazines, books).

Head-mounted devices

● Wearable devices are integrated into eyeglass frames or inside a virtual reality headset, allowing users to move freely around a space.

● A large amount of movement, as with sports, could cause glasses to shift during recording and negatively affect results.

● Ideal for performing tasks in a real-life or virtual environment (shopping, usability studies, product testing).

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What does eye-tracking measure?

This advanced technology can measure almost anything about the eye, but what does the information tell us?

Gaze Point

Discover where a user’s eyes look at a rate of up to 60 points per second. This tells you exactly how long the eye fixates on an object or area or what actually generates visual attention.

Scan Patterns

Plotting out where the eye fixates in chronological order creates a visual path that reveals how consumers tend to scan something. This can help determine whether the information is logically and efficiently organized.

Heat Map

Aggregate data showing the distribution of users’ focus points to understand what consumers are most and least likely to notice. The larger your sample pool, the more you can determine differences in how various populations view the same object or space.

Areas of Interest (AOI)

Measure specific areas of a video, website, package, or display to determine how long it takes a user to notice something, how many people notice an AOI, how long they view the area, and how often they return to an AOI. You can also compare the performance of separate areas.

Using eye tracking in market research

The eye-tracking market is exploding, expected to reach nearly $1.1 billion by 2025, up from $368 million in 2020. Clearly, the data this technology generates is valuable.

Let’s explore exactly how to use this information in marketing research.

●     In-Store: Head-mounted eye tracking is highly effective for evaluating store navigation, signage, and product displays. Rather than using unreliable recall methods, customers walk around a store (or a VR simulation). At the same time, the technology captures the path they take, what draws their attention, and what they ignore.

●     Packaging design: Before releasing a product, eye tracking can test how well users respond to the various elements. This type of testing is particularly well-suited to A/B testing that compares two or several options to see which generates the most fixations on key AOIs. 

●     Website: To deliver the best user experience on a website, it helps get inside the consumer’s mind. Eye-tracking is the most effective way to test what elements of a site capture attention (or cause someone to click away), and what influences desired actions. Initial and follow-up retesting can determine what messages, fonts, colours, and placements best attract and retain leads, dramatically increasing marketing ROI.

●     Advertising: Eye tracking can help assess the success of print or digital advertising communication—what does and does not draw attention. It’s also an effective tool for testing changes to see what improves results.

Regardless of the visual stimulus tested, eye tracking can help determine which elements attract immediate attention or above-average attention and in which order they’re viewed, as well as what is ignored or, perhaps, misunderstood.

Market researchers can propose changes that improve usability, effectiveness, and overall customer experience with this data. Best of all, the technology can be used to retest new iterations to determine how successful they are at improving desired results.

It’s important to note that eye-tracking falls short in determining the psychology behind a user’s actions. It can provide accurate data about what, where, and for how long a person looks, but understanding motivation requires other market research methodologies, such as surveys and interviews.

What industries can use eye-tracking?

As eye-tracking technology continues to become more affordable and more widely understood, it’s not surprising it’s attracting more users.

While applicable to many industries, the technology is commonly used for market research on various commercial sectors. Bank branches, car dealerships, groceries, malls, and other retail environments frequently employ the technology to better understand and improve the customer experience.

Eye-tracking is also vital in technology, becoming a more frequent interface method for computers, phones, video games, and televisions.

Finally, the methodology contributes to advancements in automotive safety, workplace safety, medical diagnoses, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

What are the pros and cons of eye-tracking for market research?

Modern eye-tracking technology has been used for market research since the 1980s. It endures because it of three key benefits:

●     Unique: Eye tracking reveals what other data collection methods cannot. It shows what a user actually looks at and ignores and how they scan an object or a space.

●     Reliable: Very little market research is 100% accurate, but eye-tracking precisely captures eye movements down to milliseconds. It provides an accurate history of the what, where, and how of viewing patterns (interpretation of the why is a different story).

●     Easy Testing: You can immediately test a hypothesis about what might improve the visual performance of a website, package, or display. Make the change, then see if it had the expected effect on the user’s view.

Despite the many benefits, there remain a few challenges with using eye-tracking technology in marketing research.

●     Cost: Eye-tracking studies require money, time, and labour. The equipment and training can be pricey. Plus, each device can record only one person at a time, so it takes a great deal of time to get a meaningful sample size.

(For researchers with budget constraints, tools like Hotjar’s Heatmaps and Mouseflow may be an affordable alternative. They show where a mouse hovers. While not perfect, there’s some correlation between where a person points the mouse and where their eyes move.)

●     Limitations: Eye-tracking technology can be less effective for participants who wear contacts or glasses or squint. Also, incorrectly calibrated trackers or head-mounted devices that shift can invalidate results.

●     Bias: The Hawthorne Effect, or a person changing their behaviour when they know they’re being observed, may create some degree of error with results. Likewise, there is always some bias in data interpretation or deciding the “why” behind the eye movements.

Best practices for eye tracking in market research

Eye-tracking technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s also not the best and only option for market research.

In truth, eye tracking is best combined with other research methodologies, such as interviews and surveys. Using eye-tracking in conjunction with other tools is the best way to ensure more accurate results.

Many researchers prefer to use eye tracking in the latter stages of market research as a diagnostic tool. It can be used to test a few solutions to perceived problems. For example, if people aren’t clicking through a website as desired, eye tracking can be used to test whether a button in a different colour or location improves results.

Summary

According to research from Harvard Business School, 95 per cent of purchase decision-making occurs in the subconscious mind. That’s why many market researchers rely on eye-tracking. It’s a powerful tool for understanding what goes on in consumers’ minds. 

While not failproof, eye tracking provides reliable data about how a person views the world in front of them. Those insights can be valuable in optimizing websites, product packaging, store displays, and most importantly, improving marketing ROI.

The overriding purpose of market research is simple: The better a brand understands its customers and position in the marketplace, the stronger equipped it is to seize advantage of future growth opportunities. 

In most cases, market research starts with a macro understanding of consumer trends and behaviours before zooming in on the nuances within the desired target audience. The process incorporates data from various sources—consumers, industry experts, and additional research materials. The objective is to combine broad contextual insights with targeted findings, resulting in information that brands can act upon when it comes to future sales, potential expansion, new product launches, and so on. 

This research can be broken down into two broad categories—primary and secondary research. When conducted properly, primary and secondary research enables companies to:

  • Acquire a deeper understanding of why customers use their products or services
  • Design strategies to set themselves apart from the pack
  • Set the foundation for successful product or service innovations
  • Identify new opportunities for growth

Effective market research paves the way for brands to stay agile and strategic in an ever-changing marketplace. The key is knowing where to find the data supporting this process and how to go about collecting it.

Primary Research Offers a Trove of Insights

Actionable market research must start with primary sources. And, as we have noted before, the ideal time to conduct primary research is “before crucial decisions are made about a brand or product,” meaning “it is essential to speak directly with members of that targeted audience” before making a significant change in business operations.

Conducting primary research can involve significant costs and the use of resources. The process encompasses a broad period to identify potential respondents, conduct interviews, and analyze results. But in general, the cost and use of resources are well worth it. Primary research offers deep value in answering specific questions about a brand and offering businesses the opportunity to hear first-hand what consumers have to say. 

This type of first-hand research can be conducted in a variety of ways, including:

Telephone depth interviews. Telephone interviews with individual customers enable researchers to get closer to the target audience. They can “dig deep” to better understand customers’ needs and pain points, as well as discuss their views and experiences of a brand, its products, or services. 

Face-to-face interviews. There’s nothing better than interacting with customers face-to-face, depending on the situation. Researchers can get direct, real-time answers and have the option to follow up immediately on crucial points. They can also glean insights from survey participants’ body language and other “quirks in communications” that might otherwise go unnoticed. The main advantage of the interview approach is gaining first-hand knowledge of what’s most important to the targeted audience. 

Surveys. Distributing surveys is another valuable method for gaining insights into target customer behaviours. Surveys are conducted using several different methods, including: 

  • Email. Email surveys are designed to reach many individuals at an affordable cost. At the same time, researchers understand that email survey respondents may be wary about clicking on a link for something they are unfamiliar with and initial email survey requests can sometimes end up in a Spam folder. 
  • Telephone. Phone surveys can be beneficial for acquiring feedback from targeted demographics, such as older customers who may not regularly use online tools.
  • Post. These days, conducting surveys via mail is rarely a researcher’s first choice, simply because of the length of time involved to get responses and because this method is more costly to deploy than others.

Surveys work best when the questions asked are relevant, engaging, and open-ended. The results are used to predict, with reasonable accuracy, how customers are likely to act in future purchasing activities.

Focus groups. Groups of consumers participate in a discussion guided by the group moderator. This approach is practical when exploring niche markets, introducing a new product, embarking upon a marketing campaign, etc. When a trained moderator leads the discussion, there is great potential for gaining valuable knowledge about how consumers think and act. 

Online polls and social media. Online polls have become the “method of choice” for collecting quantitative data in recent times. The wording and format of online surveys can be tailored for existing customers or designed for groups of people identified as potential customers. Online polls often lead to highly accurate representative samples and data needed to extrapolate the findings to a broader population. 

Social media monitoring (also called “social listening”) is an increasingly beneficial method for gauging customer sentiment about a wide range of topics.

On social media, consumers offer direct, unfiltered feedback about what they like, don’t like, need, don’t need, and what they want to make their lives and businesses better in the future. Social media platforms provide a relatively easy and inexpensive way to share surveys and questionnaires and recruit participants for upcoming focus groups. 

Field studies. This methodology, also known as “contextual interviews,” focuses on observations and interactions that demonstrate how users behave in their home or work environment. The results compiled through field studies often supplement data gained through face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Brands benefit when they fully grasp how their products or services are used in these environments. 

The desired outcome of these efforts “is a closer alignment between what a brand has to offer and the needs and expectations of its targeted customers.”

Secondary Research Delivers Solid Contextual Foundation 

The treasure trove of information gained from primary research is only part of the overall market research process. Interpreting this data becomes more effective when supplemented by secondary research. These sources—widespread and diverse—broaden the context of research and amplify what was uncovered via primary research methods. 

A large part of the value of secondary research lies in its depth, variety, and availability. Chances are, your brand has already compiled a significant amount of secondary research simply by just “doing business.” 

Start investigating the depth of your brand’s secondary research by looking at your internal sources:

  • Year-to-year financial statements
  • Sales analyses produced by your sales team
  • Corporate annual reports describing institutional values and culture
  • Findings from past focus groups
  • Consumer surveys and feedback
  • Website analytics, user patterns, etc.
  • Customer call logs and other stored information concerning customer behaviors. A trip through your business archives can uncover additional valuable information. 

External sources are also abundant in terms of secondary research: 

Books and magazines about general business trends can deepen your understanding of primary research data.

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Many relevant government statistics can be accessed online instead of time-consuming requests for information in the past and waiting around for government approval to review this data. Of course, it takes time to research and compile information regarding trade activities, the formation of new businesses, economic trends, etc. But the insights to be gained from reviewing government statistics are well worth the effort.

Industry associations are another valuable source for secondary research. In addition to trade publications and industry reports, researchers can also comb through press releases, technical data, and industry-specific news stories for a “big picture” view of where specific brands fit in. 

On business websites, there’s often a wealth of information regarding a company’s products and services, in the case of public companies, investor presentations, and other data concerning organizational structure, sales trends, marketing campaigns, new product launches, and more. 

According to Square, secondary research is “a better option if you have a limited budget or already have a good idea of what your target market is.” It’s often a good idea to “try doing secondary research [before primary research] to understand what areas you need to focus on” to get the most out of your research budget.

Square suggests looking into these low-cost or free secondary research sources:

  • Census bureaus for information about the economy and population
  • Government sites for statistical data culled from several agencies, with information on trends in education, small businesses, etc. 
  • Small Business Associations for information about small business trends, as well as demographic, employment, and income statistics
  • Commerce departments for data on industries, services, and products
  • Associations and Trade Groups for information on specific industries and relevant trade publications

When embarking upon secondary research, keep these action steps in mind:

  1. Define your goals. Strive to understand what you want out of the research process. This helps focus the search on data that’s genuinely relevant and useful.
  2. Pinpoint existing trends. To better grasp the state of the industry, set up a Google alert to notify you of what’s happening in the marketplace right now.
  3. Subscribe to business publications. Look into general business publications and websites, then burrow down to those with the highest relevance to your brand. Subscribe to key publications and follow research sites on social media platforms.
  4. Finally, know when to stop! As with any research effort, it’s always possible to overdo it. That can lead to “data burnout” and the possibility you’ll overlook important statistical information. As the research process unfolds, work on narrowing your inquiries and avoid wasting time on irrelevant data.  

Research Leads to Future Growth

Conducting primary and secondary research requires patience, time, the application of resources, and a willingness to confront hard facts about the growth potential. But when a brand has completed this type of comprehensive research, it is far better equipped to customize its sales and marketing efforts. This helps boost growth and presents numerous opportunities to increase that brand’s return on investment. 

For many brands, it’s often more efficient and cost-effective to enlist the services of a professional market research firm. Skilled professional researchers draw upon an extensive toolkit of methodologies to better understand potential target audiences. 

The process results in more informed marketing strategies and an impressive level of success in identifying—and connecting with—untapped consumer populations. 

Businesses strive daily to provide what customers want. Their success depends mainly on how well they understand the needs and motivations of their target audience. 

In the past, this frequently translated into a scattershot approach to meeting customer demands—build more products, design more features, and so on—with, at best, a goal of growing sales. 

But this slapdash strategy occasionally resulted in overspending, overcommitment of resources, and other strains on business operations that could threaten the business’s existence. 

The organised process of data collection in market research has changed all that. Now the focus is on collecting and analyzing high-quality data—information relevant to meeting customer demands—and how this data is obtained. The goal is the “systematic method of collecting and measuring data gathered from different sources of information,” as Medium notes, adding that an “accurate evaluation of collected data can help researchers predict future phenomenon and trends.”

Broadly speaking, there are two chief forms of data:

  • Primary data refers to first-hand information gathered straight from a primary source. 
  • Secondary data encompasses information found in public records, trend reports, market statistics, etc. 

Armed with high-quality data, businesses can better understand their prospective customers—what they want, what they already like, where they conduct their research, and much more. Companies come away with a deeper grasp of their markets, how their products will benefit that market, and the potential challenges they may face later. 

At its best, market research offers a blueprint of how a brand can move forward while avoiding the pitfalls it might otherwise encounter (without the benefit of high-quality data). 

It’s helpful to remember that a wealth of relevant data may already exist in your company. Information gleaned from business analytics and customer service scores offer vital insights into why consumers act the way they do. It’s an excellent place to begin research and avoid any duplication in data mining. 

What sources of data collection work best? What should brands know about the methodologies employed to acquire and measure such data?

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The Value of Quantitative and Qualitative Data

Within the broader scope of primary and secondary data, there are other aspects of data collection worth noting:

  • Quantitative research relies on hard facts and numerical data to gain an objective view of consumer opinion. In general, this approach focuses on uncovering insights about large groups of consumers or the population as a whole. It enables brands to easily compare purchasing and other behaviours of different groups (age, gender, market) and to identify potential buying trends on the horizon. 
  • Qualitative research is less concerned with statistics and trends and more focused on the “human” aspect of buying. This research digs deep into the more intangible and subjective reasons why customers behave the way they do. 

As we have noted before, “People are complex and often unpredictable,” so qualitative research “means getting to know your customers and their motivations better.” As a result, brands can more effectively study customer pain points and barriers to consumer use while also guiding the way to a more personalised approach to marketing.

Where Qualitative Data Comes From

So, what are the sources of data collection? Here’s a quick rundown:

Focus groups. A group consisting of a small number of customers (usually no more than 15) meets to discuss a specific issue. Information derived from this approach often leads to rich insights around consumer attitudes and behaviours, underlying motivations, and perceptions about a brand. 

One-to-one, in-depth interviews. Researchers talk to consumers directly, seeking to understand participant opinions better. This method can be in the form of face-to-face interviews and phone or online interviews. 

Expert interviews. Industry experts are another rich source of data collection. Leveraging their knowledge through expert interviews can help brands explore the impact of emerging trends, thus helping to “future-proof” their business. 

Ethnography. In this realm, researchers immerse themselves in customers’ worlds to learn more about the role brands and products play in their daily lives. This can entail visiting consumers and accompanying them as they go about their day or through self-ethnography, where consumers take on video tasks to show us how they live. 

Online communities. Through an online platform, consumers undertake individual or group tasks that enable researchers to explore potentially sensitive issues and better grasp the attitudes and values that lead to that all-important decision to purchase a product or service. 

The personalized focus of qualitative research goes hand-in-hand with more quantitative research methods, adding context and depth to more numerical and data-based metrics.  

Survey Research Plays a Key Role

Sending out surveys is another key method for drawing insights to understand target customers or explore a new market. Surveys can be conducted in a variety of ways, including:

  • Email. This approach offers the benefit of reaching many people at an affordable cost.
  • Phone. Phone surveys are helpful for researchers seeking feedback from a particular demographic, i.e., older consumers who may not use online resources. 
  • Post. Postal surveys are another option, though of increasingly limited use. Prohibitive costs and a long time lag for responses often rule out this approach.
  • In-person. This method is useful when researchers want to know more about how consumers physically interact with a product or a similar situation. Again, the costs and logistics of this approach make it a less appealing process in general.  

These days, online surveys are often the primary method for collecting quantitative data. Existing customers can complete online surveys or respondents sourced from online panels (groups of people matching a brand’s target market who agree to participate in online research). Based on the results, brands can build accurate representative samples and extrapolate findings to the broader population. 

When it comes to quantitative research, survey questions usually include closed rather than open questions. For example, a survey participant being asked, “How satisfied are you with our delivery policy?” would be restricted to answers such as “Very satisfied/Satisfied/Don’t Know/Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied.” This method generates data that can be categorized and analyzed in a quantitative, numbers-driven way. 

How Technology Facilitates Data Collection  

Social media has emerged as a valuable source for insights into consumer perceptions and behaviours. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others have potentially vast data reservoirs on a target audience. 

On social media, consumers provide direct, unfiltered feedback about their needs, emotions, pain points, and hopes for the future. These platforms offer a relatively easy and inexpensive way to share surveys and questionnaires and enlist participants for upcoming focus groups.

In this respect, “social listening” offers an expedient method of gauging customer sentiment—what they like and don’t like about the buying experiences, preferences regarding how a purchase is made, and so on. 

Technology also makes it possible for researchers to dramatically expand their horizons, connecting with audiences in far-flung areas of a brand’s home country and around the world. Researchers can conduct real-time interviews and focus groups with consumers in multiple time zones using tools like Zoom and Skype. In this way, data collection for international research often yields a more powerful and richer understanding of consumer behaviour. 

Working with a Research Partner

It’s crucial to remember that every customer group is different. Some brands have a strong command of their markets and may conduct research on their own.

For many other brands, partnering with a professional research firm is the best approach to broad-based marketing research. At Kadence, we draw upon our extensive toolkit of qualitative and quantitative methodologies for a deep understanding of the needs of these under-served communities. The result is:

  • More productive research
  • Valuable insights into different demographics
  • Gaining a step on the competition 

By bringing companies closer to their customers, a third-party research firm can embed rich understanding across your organisation and promote more effective, customer-centric decision-making. This understanding often leads to more informed marketing strategies and greater success with untapped consumer populations.