International Research Pitfalls

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Avoiding the pitfalls of international qualitative research

Avoiding the pitfalls of international qualitative research

So you’ve decided you would like to do some international research. Whether the research is about understanding how consumers use or could use your product in Europe, what your brand is about in Bulgaria, who the competition is in South Africa or what new product innovation you could offer to the Brazilian market, or anything else, you’re likely to encounter similar doubts and obstacles to most businesses conducting qualitative research in a foreign market.

You may or may not have run international projects before, but you are probably very much aware of the potential disasters: Poor reporting, delays and cancellations to fieldwork and analysis, lack of strategic insight, inexperienced moderators, logistical nightmares, objectives lost in translation, and the dreaded ‘the research has not been a success and it’s all my fault for commissioning it!’

So before you begin, take a deep breath and ask yourself:

1. Are you planning to use known partners or agencies that have been recommended to you by somebody you trust? Do you know their setup, as well as the experience of the researchers committed to the project and how they work? In some markets moderators have nothing at all to do with final reports and therefore no overall responsibility. In others, one person will manage the whole project for you.

2. Are you sending a UK researcher out into field to ensure that all runs smoothly? Sending somebody out from the primary market may seem like an added expense, but think again! It ensures not only that things run to plan and that objectives are fully understood, but also that you have ‘backup’ if something goes wrong later on i.e., cars hijacked and local researcher laptops stolen (it happens…!) In some markets, such as China for example, the standard and quality of work produced is much better when there is a strong degree of emotional involvement with the commissioning market.

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3. Does the UK researcher/do you know about the local culture and language? This makes a difference! You need to encourage familiarisation on every level – knowing about local brands, supermarket shelves, media events, trends, etc. all makes a difference to the level of insight in the final report. This may mean allowing an extra day or two to gauge differences in the local market aside from the fieldwork and templates should always allow for researchers to provide detail about local nuances.

4. Are you ensuring that the local team is excited about the project and involved way before the fieldwork starts? What about staying involved once results are ready to be delivered? Do they feel they are allowed an opinion? Many researchers in other markets do not feel involved in international projects as a whole, meaning again that they sign out of responsibility for the end result. Involving all teams together from the beginning and encouraging exchange of opinions on methodology is invaluable.

5. Do you know about recruitment related nuances in the other market? How is social class defined? How are groups generally separated out and when is it not okay to put people together? Would you get the most benefit from running groups, depths or online research? What is standard in one market may not be in another.

6. Are you giving information from your side on a timely basis and being clear about your deadlines and logistical requirements? It is good to know in advance what you need in terms of video clips, quotes, remote viewing, client attendance, audio recording, saving of self-completion forms and any homework/images so that all of these can be included in the initial quote and setup plan.

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7. When product samples are involved, have you been super clear about the labelling and ensuring that both the UK and local team are in the know about what is in the box?! Taking a photograph of the product before it leaves your office and sending this in advance to the researchers can save endless time and confusion when unexpected products arrive. Part of this may be about internal communication amongst your different departments.

8. Whoever is in charge of your project from the research side should be able to answer all of the above questions as well as being involved in drawing up the methodology, discussion guide, coordinating local researchers and reporting/presenting the outcome. This should be the same person from beginning to end because when this changes halfway through or when too many people are involved, then issues communicated right at the outset can be lost in the chain and key objectives disappear.

If you are interested in conducting international qualitative research for the first time, or if you would like to explore the above questions with an experienced international researcher, contact us with your query.

Rotting on the Inside?

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What Good is Being Rotten on the Inside?

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I saw a play at the Galway Theatre Festival this week ‘What Good Is Looking Well When You’re Rotten On The Inside?’ by Emma O’Grady.   It was a play ‘in development’ put together by the theatre maker herself and based on the writings and recordings of her late grandfather Paddy O’Grady. 

Paddy O’Grady was an interesting man – full of character, full of words.  He wrote four plays during his long life.  He also recorded 14 cassette tapes of stories about his life, one month before he passed away.  Nothing was ever released for public consumption.

The aim of the play was twofold:  Firstly, it was a tribute from a granddaughter who seemed to have much loved and admired her grandfather, his way with words and his ability to tell a story.  Secondly, it was a warning to anybody in the process of putting talent to waste – as she witnessed her grandfather had done.

There’s a scene in the play where Emma shouts something like ‘why should I be the one doing this work?  What were you doing your whole life?  You HAD TIME!  Why am I being the midwife to your words, getting my hands bloody and dirty, to bring them to life?  Why didn’t you do what you were supposed to do?’

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The play made one think.  Sometimes, we make excuses.  Excuses for not doing what we know we are meant to be doing in life.  We say we’re too busy.  We’re scared of failure.  We don’t advance as souls, as ‘whole’ people.  We think it won’t work out so we don’t bother trying.  The years pass by, and opportunities befall us.  One day we realise, we never lived the life we were meant to live.  Our chance has passed – just like Emma’s grandfather.

Interesting.  But how does this relate to my business?

Brands and organisations are like people too.  They have their own fears, their own shoulds, shouldn’ts, coulds and mustn’ts.    Sometimes, businesses, organisations, groups, councils and governing bodies of all types fail to take the leaps that are indicated for them.  They do not move forwards, because they are not sure that moving forwards will work. 

Sometimes, when organisations consider investing in research to determine how to move forwards, the investment can seem too risky.  There is no way of seeing what the research will bring.  What if there’s no return?  What if the research does not reveal anything new?  What if the feedback is negative?  What if it says we shouldn’t be in business at all?!!

Magic Wands

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As people, we have no magic wand for ourselves.  Some people are never sure what it is they want to do with their lives.  They don’t know what they were ‘born to do.’  Some end up seeking psychics and tarot card readers to give them a helping hand.  At the end of the day, as a human being, it’s only you who cares if you’re living your purpose.  

Businesses are different.  There are many people involved in the success of a business.  There are many people who care. 

And there IS a magic wand.

Establishing what needs to blossom, develop and grow within an organisation is the job of its members – and the magic wand that enables this is research.

Why invest in a magic wand?

A thorough qualitative research design will always tell you something new.   Thinking around and defining your objectives in a clear way will ensure that you have the right questions.  Having the right questions means that you will get answers that will be actionable and constructive.

Qualitative Research can tell you where you can win, and where you may lose.  It can tell you more about your actual and/or potential customer base – not from the results of yes/no answers to questions asked through robotic-sounding surveys made on Google, but by interpreting real emotional responses from the people who matter. 

Ready to blossom from the inside?

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If you would like to discuss a research brief – whether that’s to think around the most constructive research questions, to know the best methodology to use, or to analyse something you have already discovered and make it actionable, please do get in touch.   I would love to hear from you.

Everyday Rituals

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New Year Resolutions or Every Day Rituals?

 

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New Year is the time when people make strong, fearless resolutions, determined to change their lives for the better.  It’s when we all decide to become stronger, fitter, healthier, more organised, kinder, more sensitive and, well, more like the people we want to be.  It’s also when many people finally decide to get engaged, tie the knot, or in some cases, finally get that divorce rolling.

 

Rituals and MOTs

Of course, it’s important to have the ritual of New Year to remind us about the importance of checking in on ourselves, as well as the fact that without an end to the year, life would be just one continuous trek up a very steep hill!

Any sort of personal ritual can act a bit like an MOT (Irish: NCT) – a writing down of what needs doing in order to be where we want to be, or give the performance that we want to give.  A ritual can also be a symbolic burning of what no longer serves us and can free us up to put all of our energy into what really matters.

Just like a car or motorcycle, all individuals and all companies need this self-check from time to time in order to function effectively. Without it, we may suddenly find that we’re wearing ourselves into the ground, that something needs changing and we haven’t done it, and perhaps we’re not living the life we planned, nor managing processes as they need to be managed.

In many ways, though, it’s a shame that we wait for the MOT/NCT date to come around before we start planning to make such necessary changes in our lives or our businesses. If only every day were as symbolic as the New Year, perhaps our lives would be less chaotic, more harmonious and more conducive to our ultimate goals.

 

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Grand Promises

 

It is perhaps this build-up and waiting for symbolic times, dates and reminders, that makes our resolutions to ourselves so grandiose and so destined for failure. If we don’t say it now, then will we say it at all?!  I’ve seen countless ‘new year bucket lists’ on Facebook in 2017, as well as hearing things like ‘it’s the year I’m getting pregnant,’ ‘I’m planning on turning over 100k this year,’ ‘it’s the year I visit such a place,’ ‘it’s our last chance to be successful,’ ‘I’m going to lose 3 stone,’ ‘I’ll finally get my dream job,’ or ‘I’m finally going to buy a house in the country and move up north!’

 

In 2013, Dan Diamond from Forbes told us that only 8% of people achieve their NY resolutions, due to both the number and the extreme nature of the resolutions they set.  I would add to this that the reason so many resolutions fail is that they consist of great, huge promises that really could be re-framed as simple everyday changes.

Results Hidden in Simplicity

 

Back to the MOT. Something big and expensive might need changing in the car in order for it to pass the legal test. But it’s the way we drive the car every day that has the most impact on what is going to need changing. If we’re accelerating then hammering on the brakes every two minutes, or driving with the handbrake on, it’s going to have an effect!
If we want this year to turn over a decent profit, then we need to change our everyday habits to make that happen. If we want this year to see better working relationships within our organisation, then we need to start creating better relationships ourselves (as well as with ourselves!), and if we want to lose weight, then we need to change our diet long term in a way that suits us and will make us happy in the long run, instead of depriving ourselves for two weeks only to put the weight back on a month later!

 

Organisational Rituals

 

Individuals are not unique in creating rituals that don’t serve us in the long run. Rituals can also be observed in companies who, for example, ‘use up’ all of their market research or marketing budget at the end of the accounting year on ‘any old focus groups’ (usually calling it something different!) or those who only get things in order when an audit happens, or when a new manager is arriving!
Obviously, these actions do serve the company in many ways, but what if market research were used optimally throughout the year to create real lasting change? Or if procedures were smooth throughout the year and the right people immediately knew how to answer auditors, all of the time?

 

 

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Creating Rituals, Every Day

The secret to success is in the everyday habits, rituals and relationships that you create for yourself or your company. Make this year a successful one, by creating daily habits that serve you in the long run, instead of grandiose resolutions that may be setting you up for failure.

 

If you would like to conduct some research in order to identify where you could allocate marketing spend most effectively throughout the year, or if you’d like to book in a workshop session to learn how to create smoother relationships within your company, please get in touch.  I coordinate and work internationally on qualitative research projects for large and small businesses, as well as offering relationship workshops for companies.

Destination Branding

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Destination branding for Rochdale As a former Rochdalian and qualitative researcher interested in destination branding, I was interested to come across this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpXb-KQIlOg which advertises my birthplace as a great place to live, work and play. The video aimed to market Rochdale as a unique and dynamic destination in order to raise awareness, improve automatic perceptions, attract funding […]

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5 things to know about Online Communities

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5 things all Research Buyers need to know about Online Communities

 

5 things all Research Buyers need to know about Online Communities

So you need to know more about what drives and motivates consumers but feel that focus groups are not really providing new and interesting results?  You’re bored of the insights coming out of current research and want to try something new, but can’t quite get your head around what seems like ‘anonymous’ research ?!

Online communities are moving up in the market research world.   Despite this, many buyers are still reluctant to use them above traditional groups.  Why?  Is it really the ‘chit chat and live interaction that gets people relaxed and telling the truth?’  Unlikely!  Creative thinking flows more easily when people are not time pressured, and the truth comes out when social defenses are no longer necessary.

1.        Online Communities encourage participants to be more open

Participants of Online Communities are exactly that – Participants.  They are no longer ‘Respondents’ because they’re not simply responding to a series of frenzied questions asked by a tired moderator with 3 more groups to get through that day.   Consumers ‘participate’ in the truest sense of the word, being encouraged to take their time to think things through before providing a response, hence likely to be more open and engaged online than off.  In fact, people are much more likely to tell the truth when they do not have 7 strangers (more behind the mirror) causing palpitations about whether or not they are being acceptable!

2.       Online Communities filter into the participant’s life

Participants make an active and conscious commitment to participate in an online community.  They are not just rushing to a 2 hour grilling about shampoo after work, out of context and out of time.  Each day they commit to logging on and answering new questions, responding to one another frequently and ensuring that they get to know one another on a deep level (sharing photographs, anecdotes, feelings, stories, task results, etc) – a much more profound sharing than would be the case in a rushed face to face group.  Participants are also more likely to ‘carry’ awareness of the subject into their lives offline and tend to notice triggers and behaviours they then mention to us in the community.

3.       Clients can easily be involved

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Many research clients do not have the time to attend live focus groups and depth interviews.  In addition, attendance by too many people either behind the mirror or in front, can cause disruption for respondents due either to questions being asked that are off topic, or the constant awareness of ‘being watched.’  As the end client of an Online Community qualitative research project, you can attend the research each day as much or as little as you like and will always be actively consulted in the questionning process.    Questions are written in advance but can be changed and adapted at any point, as well as targeted at different participants within the community where it is necessary to separate out different types of consumer.   It is usual to end the community with a ‘live online group’ to test hypotheses and theories that have come out of the research so far.

4.       A wealth of information for analysis!

There is a knack to analysing online communities!  Every community yields great quantities of information each day from typically 20-40 participants.   Of course, this depends on how well your community is tailored and designed but generally you need to be looking at getting as much information as possible in as much psychological depth as you can.  Analysis should be carried out by an experienced online moderator who is prepared to be constantly involved to ensure that the questions each day reflect the rolling nature of the research.  If both moderation and analysis are not carried out on an ongoing and timely basis, there is a risk of losing key information which could feed into the next day’s questions or into the summary insights.

Consumers  can be asked to use and analyse imagery, concepts, quotes, videos, adverts, objects, articles and stories.   They can be tasked to interview people themselves, to fill in diaries and tables, to visit locations of interest and to send updates through mobile phones to the community.

5.       Online Communities bring different demographics together in one place

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Gone are the days when ‘oldies’ couldn’t be considered capable of online research (how      rude)!  Internet research grabs the interest and attention of customers and audiences of all  ages in the UK from teens to the long retired.  What’s more, true to the results of theDeath  of the Demographic research I carried out for Smooth Radio in 2012, Online  Communities can ‘take’ the mixing of demographics much more easily than would be the  case in a traditional focus group.  Questions can be tailored to one segment or the other  where necessary.  This of course saves you money!

If you would like to find out more about how a private and tailored Online Community could help your business to prosper, contact us for more information.