The document summarizes interviews with 26 clients from various industries in 6 countries regarding their views on qualitative research methods. Key findings include: - Clients are demanding research that is faster, cheaper, more relevant and insightful but not at the expense of quality. - There is a trend toward using more online methods and technology as well as research with a behavioral focus like observation and user-generated content. - "Focus groups" are still commonly used but their limitations are recognized, and clients see value in adding other methods to compensate like more immersive techniques. - The role of qualitative researchers is expanding from simply providing information to also offering strategic consulting and ideas to clients.

1. Qualitative research at a crossroads:
where to now?
Clients’ views of qualitative research methods
Prepared for the AQR/QRCA Conference, Rome, 2012
by Kevin McLean, Wardle McLean, UK

2. View from the hilltop
 Imagine standing on a hill overlooking
 the valley / the woods
 the vast plain
 the hills and mountain range

3. Which way to go?
 Valley = face-to-face
 Forest = observational
 Plain = online, neuro
 Hills = analytical frameworks
eg semiotics, BE

4. Crossroads
 ‘Marketing at a crossroads’
 Keith Weed, CMO Unilever, 2012
 we need to think more about how we
get back to serving consumers
 ‘Capitalism at the crossroads’
 Umair Haque (2011), HBR
 learn to create authentic, lasting value
for (people), ‘shared value’

5. Crossroads

6. Interviews
 26 client interviews in 6 countries
 by phone and face-to-face
 taking BRIC markets into account
– network of local researchers in
– France, UK, China, Australia, Brazil, USA

7. Credits
Researchers
 Thierry Tricard, Gatard Research, France
 Simon Barker, Firefly Millward Brown, Beijing, China
 Qing Wang and Sharon Zhou, The Behavioural Architects, Shanghai, China
 Cristiano Schenardi and Maria Helena Rodrigues, Kyra, Brazil
 Thais Senger, Insight Evolution, Florida, USA
 David Tunnicliffe, Storyville, Australia
 Ilana Bryant, Special Forces NY, USA

8. Clients  P&G
 eBay
 Diageo
 Coca-Cola
 Kraft Foods
Agencies
 McDonald’s
 Molson Coors
 BBDO
 Ogilvy
 Kimberly-Clark
 Publicis
 Schick Energiser
 JWT
 AB InBev
 Westpac
 PepsiCo
 Ferrero
 Gillette

9. Objectives
 What do clients say about qualitative
research methods?
 How are the various methods
characterised by them?
 What do clients want from qualitative
research nowadays and is this
changing/evolving?

10. A word from our sponsors
Do clients care passionately about
qualitative research methods?
It’s not about method, it’s about
solution and result! (China)
I don’t give a (damn) about methods,
I just need to know what to do (UK)

11. Another caveat
 OF COURSE …
 methods reflect business
and research objectives
 WHAT is done matters less
that HOW it is done

12. Methods madness
Face-to-face Telephone Online User-generated
Online groups Self-completion tasks
groups interviews
Written diaries
depths groups Bulletin boards
Video diaries
workshops Social media
MROCs
Observational Psychological Neurological Analytical
Pure observation Trance interviews Eye-tracking Semiotics
Participant Implicit association EEG NLP
observation assessment BE

13. Summary
 More demands on process
 faster, cheaper, better, newer, more relevant, insightful
 NOT a case of, out with the old, in with the new
 Trends towards:
 online/use of technology
 behavioural focus (observation, user-generated)
 other forms of face-to-face than FGDs
eg workshops, direct interaction clients/consumers

14. ‘Focus groups’ criticised, shock
 Recent examples
 Diageo: ‘say no to focus groups’
 Linked In Consumer Insights Group:
‘have classical group methodologies
had their shelf life?’
 Technical clarification, ‘FGDs’

15. ‘Focus groups’ to date
US military origins
ESOMAR data (2007) vs conference platforms

16. Our survey said …
 ‘Focus groups’ do still have a key role
 some advantages over other methods
 more support in China and Brazil
 Awareness of shortcomings / reputation
 compensate by adding other methods
 Evidence of declining share
 to other face-to-face methods
 to ethnography and online

17. Our survey said …
FGD +ves FGD -ves
Efficient Superficial
Consumer Reported behaviour
experience (not actual)
Listen in Distancing
International Boring
Debate the issues Vested interests
Entertaining Not cool. Not even close

18. The case for …
with
(groups) are what the market is comfortable
cient
and is asking for … (groups) are the most effi hina)
e ba sic ideas of consumers (C
method to understand th
Focus Groups are still the standard reference in qualitative studies.
(I) believe (they) can be improved to guarantee dynamism ...
(but) nothing replaces a good focus group (Brazil)
there is still tremendous va
lue from having conversati
with customers … which is ons
analysed (UK)

19. The case against …
Very uneven … superficial … stale … boring …
nothing has changed … posturing … false (Australia)
We are moving away from focus groups, it’s been the
number 1 over-used methodology for years now (USA)
(Focus groups) justify more than they invent, they reduce
analysis into Powerpoint quotes and they (give the impression
that) anyone can do it (France)

20. Conflict at the heart of the method?
Colliding client/consumer agendas

21. The rise and rise of digital
 Increase in online methods
 from online FGDs to social media analysis
 newer, can be faster and cheaper
 great reach, capacity will only develop more
things are definitely moving digitally (France)
 And yet:
 jury still out for some, uncertainty
 partial data set; not fully trusted, how deep, how reliable?

22. eople are still
terpret (‘ traditional’) qual …. but p
Everyone knows how to in hodologies, learning how
to use them,
igital met
becoming familiar with d e (Brazil)
is import ant to have experts to hir
how to assess them, so it
The most recent th
ing is neuroscience
years now, and up , but I’ve been hea
until today, nobod ring about it for 7
y uses it confidentl
y (Brazil)

23. Behavioural focus
 Technology, zeitgeist … clients return
to behavioural focus
It’s even more important than ever to try to live in
the consumer’s shoes (USA)
We observe more and ask less, these days (UK)
 Behaviour more central
 video ethnography, mobile phone
diaries, immersion studies, pre-tasks

24. Behavioural challenges
 ‘Ethno-lite’
 but how lite?
 definitions
 standards
 training
 Interpretation is key
e output was
I’ve done ethnograp hy, webnography and th
l stuff (Brazil)
d anything to the traditiona
not so good, it didn’t ad

25. Roles of qualitative researchers
 The method used will be determined by the project,
the project is conditioned by how research is framed:
 so, what do clients want from qualitative research
 … and qualitative researchers?

26. artist jester consultant geek scientist genius
scholar detective teacher listener therapist
curious observer storyteller guru ideas person mediator

27. consultant
ideas person
listener curious
storyteller observer detective geek guru therapist

28. Sum up in a single word
 Multifaceted
 Critical dimensions:
 inside vs outside
 ideas vs information
 specialist vs generalist
 speed vs depth
 pictures vs words
 Role has expanded, emphasis shifted …
… but at its heart remains the same

29. I’ll tell you what I want
‘wide-eyed’ and curious but business savvy (with) a strong
pull towards those who can speak the internal language
the researcher role should move from 'mediator' to a mix of
'observer’, ‘story-teller’ and ‘business consultant'. I have great
faith in qual done … in a human-centric and creative way
the qual researcher is largely a follower, I wish them to be more
of consultant …(less) carrying out what is assigned to them
(but) brave enough to be forward and strategic thinking

30. The heart of the matter
the heart of it is respondents being listened to;
being listened to is happening less and less …
and this is true for our clients as well
if we abandon the tried and trusted ways, we
impoverish the quality of our insight, not grow it
the fundamentals have not changed, we still
need to know why people do what they do.
The basic skill is (still) about wondering why.

31. A shift from …
client consumer
QR
ideas information

32. A shift to …
client consumer
QR
ideas information
results INSIGHT experience

33. Where to now?
 Explore
 Examine
 Expertise

34. Onwards and upwards
 Explore
 the newer methods and techniques
 add to and fit with our core skills
 used appropriately and well
 expand F2F beyond FGD

35. Do wonder
 Examine
‘Perhaps it is strange to speak of wonder as a method.
But if we understand method as methodos, as path or
way, then we may consider wonder an important
motive in human science inquiry. The "way" to
knowledge and understanding begins in wonder.
From this moment of wonder, a question may emerge
that addresses us and that is addressed by us. It
should animate one's questioning of the meaning of
some aspect of lived experience.’
(Dr Max Van Manen, Phenomenologist)

36. Expertise

37. Just do it well
 Expertise
 face-to-face/observation: ‘whole person’ methods
 how to reclaim/hold our ground?
‘A good conversation is one in which you say
what you have never said before …
Conversation … doesn’t just exchange facts
but transforms them … doesn't just reshuffle
the cards, it creates new cards.’
(Theodore Zeldin)
 fundamental inquiry values
o curiosity, respect, imagination, courage

38. Which way …?
Any way we please, starting in the Valley