Qualitative Research

Qualitative or Psychological Market Research goes beyond the descriptive data of quantitative market research to provide explanations of consumers’ motivations.

Whenever it is not enough to know who what consumers think about products and services, how they feel about new offers, what changes they feel in their lifestyles, who buys what, when, where and how often – because you need to know why consumers behave as they do, then qualitative market research is indispensable.

Small, homogeneous samples provide information about motivational structures, making it possible to reduce a large number of behavioral factors to a few important drivers. It is necessary to know these in order to be able to integrate significant consumer insights into communication concepts and to understand the way people behave.

In qualitative market research it is possible to identify

  • motives;

  • needs;

  • subjective images.

The basic fields of qualitative market research are:

  • motivational research;

  • image research;

  • concept and product research;

  • advertising research;

  • target group segmentation.

Most often used methodologies and techniques of qualitative research in GfK Romania

Standard Focus Groups (FGI):

 

"The fast way to better understanding of consumers’ attitudes and motives” 

The Focus Group method is a qualitative research instrument in which a small group of participants rationally discuss a specific topic under the guidance of a psychologist/moderator.

 

  • Broad range of applications;

  • Results obtained very quickly;

  • Possibility of direct observation by the client;

  • Benefits of group dynamics;

  • Use of various techniques;

  • Relatively low cost;

  • Multi-purpose (one size fits – almost – all research types);

  • Multiple opinions;     

  • Creativity enhancing;

  • Freedom of movement among topics;

  • Instant adequacy to client needs.

 

GfK Romania has 3 focus-groups rooms completely equipped: 2 rooms in Bucharest and 1 room in Iasi.

Each room is equipped with:

  • Discussions room with one way mirror and a comfortable viewing room;

  • Simultaneous translation equipment, headphones in dual-bilingual system for following the discussions;

  • Permanent audio-video connection between client room and respondents room;

  • 2 additional audio-video mobile equipment;

  • Necessary technical equipment for presenting the tested materials (TV LCD, video and DVD recorders, the possibility of projecting materials on VCR system and also DVD etc.).

 

Bellow you can have a look at our facilities and technical equipment

 

Mini-groups 

Alternative to standard focus groups advisable in situations when experts or high standard people opinions are required. Allow more space for each respondent to talk and express his/her opinions on the discussed topic and create a more intimate atmosphere, a better opportunity for participants to relate one to another, to share more information and to find out more about the others’ insights.     

Individual in-depth interview (IDI) – BtoB or BtoC 

Recommendable especially for highly specific or "sensitive” topics (i.e. personal hygiene products) or when needed to find out more about experts or people in decision making positions, high income people etc.

Advisable in standard researches (sometimes in combination with standard focus groups) for package tests, advertising or product tests, situations when individual opinions are highly required and a group dynamic could influence some of participants reactions.

Main advantages:

  • "Emergency” situations suited;

  • Detailed exploration of topics;

  • Confidentiality – good for very sensitive issues;

  • All opinions are equally expressed;

  • Cost-effective when too wide target group is aimed for a certain research.

Pair interviews

Used when creating a challenging setting between to two respondents. Advisable in situations when need to find out opinions on a certain topic coming form two different respondents typology. The mix of respondents may be made based on brand preferences, gender, age, etc.

The deeper we need to dig in respondent’s potential conflicts of opinion; the better is using this methodology.

 I.e.: evaluating a brand image from the perspective of consumers vs consumers of a main competitor, finding out opinions of women vs men on a new communicational route for a specific brand etc

Ethnographic researches  

– in home, in-store, in consumption places, using pre-tasks (diary method, photos, video materials produced by respondents)

Ethnographic approaches give us a way to:

  • Explore the reality of people’s lives, in their "natural” context –no artificial settings;

  • Give the respondents the means to track their own behaviour and report their actions over time;

  • Generate findings that are insightful and can be communicated to the end –users of the research.

Ethnography is recognized today as a new form of consumer research that is useful in uncovering and identifying emerging and unmet customer needs.

Ethnography is a way of developing an intimate understanding of the day-to-day processes and structures that shape and order individuals into identifiable collective "units” (families, villages, cultures, social groups etc.).

Ethnography's major concern is the investigation and discovery of the variety of cultural arrangements that human beings can build in the relationship they establish with the "world” in which they live.

Through ethnography the researcher aims to understand:

  • Consumers lifestyles;

  • Consumers’ daily routine;

  • Consumers true and core values.

This methodological approach will give inputs for clients:

  • Product development, 

  • Communication, 

  • Marketing strategies 

by generating directions for further actions.

Ethnographic research implies participating observation by extended periods in the field (an important aspect of ethnography is the immersion of the researcher into the "world” of consumers, especially when it is concern with concept testing).

The interview / observation takes up a day in people’ life having their thought, impression on tape.

Researcher does not only decode the verbal and non-verbal language of the "respondent” but also participates in most of the activities in order to understand better the environment. He aims at identifying the aspects which influence respondents’ behavior and attitudes with regard to a category of products and its brands.

Main advantages:

Brakes the time constraints;

Establishes greater rapport, comfort and better reflection both for respondents and for researchers;

Allows observation of the natural habitat of the consumers, genuine attitudes and way of leaving their lives, relating to different values, products, brands etc.

Allows understanding the end-consumer multi-dimensionally and holistically by putting together insights about that persons from different perspectives (observation, individual tasks, discussions, video materials).

Creative groups/creative idea generation sessions

The Creative Group method makes it possible to gain access to consumers’ emotions in an indirect and entertaining way. Barriers such as the desire for social approval, inhibitions about discussing things that are taboo and fear of saying the wrong thing are circumvented with the use of this approach.

Each creative group lasts 3 hours and has 8 to 10 participants.

Typical topics explored: 

  • Consumer needs and buying motives;

  • Assessment and structuring of range of products offered/segmentation;

  • Choice criteria for brands and products;

  • Ascertaining brand images, brand equity;

  • Development potential of specific brands;

  • Requirement profile for product launches.

Creative idea generation sessions is an alternative to creative groups, a means of getting a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time.

They involve research team and client’s team as well and they are recommended in "crisis” situations when other research instruments failed in providing fresh and useful data for moving ahead a brand position on the market.

It supposes:

  • Working with a group of people;

  • Usually a client or an in-house team – but also groups/depths;

  • Generating ‘new’ ideas;

  • Exploring their value, practical application/ feasibility;

  • Gaining commitment to taking action, creating change;

  • Using left brain/right brain thinking; 

  • No wrong answers/no criticism.

Tgroups

Tgroups are simultaneous cross-impact groups with two complementary targets among them. The dynamics with one and the other target in which each explains the other its perspective regarding the marketing problem, afterwards reaching a consensus.

They generate an enriched vision on the studied case: various optics of the agents involved and the relation of the two worlds and possible meeting ways.  Doctors and patients or pharmacists, librarians ands distributors, husbands and wives, in the TV audience or parents/ teachers in education, teaching system, behavior.

Why/when using Tgroups:

When looking for solutions in the complex market fields with a simultaneous action of the various agents or working teams involved: 

  • Suppliers (external-internal)/clients in any sector (free time, recovery); 

  • Education: teachers/parents/students ... 

  • The pharmaceutical sector: patients/ doctors/ nurses/ pharmacists; 

  • Financial: making decisions in formulae of products /services (the residential field vs clients; administrators vs enterprise/company). 

Genius sessions

Genius was developed in order to include all the categories of people involved in the marketing process, to ensure maximum flexibility and to meet the pressure of time constraints. It is a method of qualitative research for the development and evaluation of CONCEPTS and serves as a Basis for Decision Making.

Genius takes advantage of the synergies between consumers (who communicate their needs), the client/agency (who develop(s) the initial concept and make(s) ongoing revisions) and the market researcher (who directs the research and serves as an interface).

The client and agency play an active role in the analysis process, developing an information platform with the market researcher.

In a 2-phase process (development phase and validation phase) basic concepts are first developed and then are adapted in line with the needs and attitudes of consumers and finally evaluated.

Main advantages of Genius:

  • quick results;

  • carried out in one place;

  • taking into consideration various approaches/points of view;

  • examines technical implementation and feasibility;

  • allows recommendations and decisions in line with client’s company philosophy;

  • flexibility in design/process development.

In the close future we aim to implementing qualitative semiological analysis and qualitative on-line research using:

a. on-line diaries:

  • Collection of data on consumer behavior and/or experience with a particular product or service;

  • Recording/accompaniment of decision-making processes;

  • Can be combined with other ethnographical projects;

  • Up to 30 people;

  • Recruitment and invitation of participants to take part in the forum conforms with screening specifications;

  • Participants log in with user name and password (access only for the selected group of people);

  • Project director/moderator programs the diary and monitors it on a daily basis;

  • Participants record their experiences and thoughts regarding the subject/product every day;

  • Possibility of interaction with other participants if desired;

  • Analysis time: approx. 2-3 weeks;

  • For one’s own area it is possible to discuss questions/system problems and to have a corrective, regulating influence on the moderator.

b. on-line focus groups: 

Participants log in at an appointed time. The moderator maintains control by posing questions from a discussion guide as well as asking anything else that the client – as an observer/silent participant – requests.

Advantages:

Respondents may send and see images, short films and their own answers on their computer screens, which saves a significant amount of travel expenses

Recruiting is simplified because it is done from the already created GfK online panel, counting over 12.000 members, those who best match the research criteria specific for each type of survey being chosen.

c. bulletin board discussions

A bulletin board is a place where different people can place messages and can interact and chat about all these ideas placed there. It allows users to connect and login to the system. The access is made only for selected people we are interested in for a particular research. Once a user logged in, they could perform functions such as downloading or uploading data, reading news, and making comments by exchanging messages with other users. Clients can participate as observer or actively, according to prior designed scenario.

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Contact

Oana Mirilă Oana Mirilă
Qualitative Research Director
+40-21-205-5500
info.romania@gfk.com

Qualitative Ressearch

Psihodrama En
Psihodrama En