promise and perils : qualitative research in our connected, mobile world

#NewMR Virtual Conference December 2012 1

Promise and perilsQualitative research in our connected, mobile world

Why did we start exploring this?

We want to meet people where they are

But we can’t be with them all the time

And, talking about experiences changes the dynamic

We are missing some details

So let’s leverage the range of smartphone capabilities that people are already using

photographs voice

geo-locationBarcode scans

Push notifications

text notes

check-ins

The Promise:

Is mobile the holy grail of consumer-generated ethnography?

Get closer to mobile lifestyles, hard to reach targets and real situations

We can access immediate reactions in consumers’ natural environment

And, collect data in ways that are unobtrusive yet engaging for participants

In one study, we undertook a pilot using the mobile qual research app EthOS. We created a hypothetical case study with the premise that a US car rental company approached us wanting a deeper understanding of their consumers’ journey while renting a vehicle with them. Tasks (pre, during and post rental) were created and… well…

We’ve conducted a variety of studies, across app-technology, category, geography and target

Have a looksie

Disclaimer: The following is a true story and is intended for mature audiences only. All parties involved consented to their appearances. No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.

Nifty, eh?

But this brings us to the perils…

Hours of researcher prep

Multiple meetings to design exercises

Story-drafting, storyboarding

Refine tasks and draft task booklet

Multiple hours of participationInfringe on vacation

Voice memo transcription

Analysis, data immersion

Video production, revisions

The creation of this output took a LOT of work

#NewMR Virtual Conference December 2012

We are only half the equationWe need consumers to take us on a journey

And give us the whole story

In another study, conducted earlier this year amongst teen trendsetters, we found many of the outputs were fairly average

S T A N D A R D

I N T E R E S T I N G

But… we got some ‘accidental’ footage of a framed photo of Tupac Shakur

What does a young Persian guy, from an affluent neighborhood in LA, see in Tupac?

Without the ability to probe (at that time impossible via the research app), we weren’t able to dive deeper into what we saw

Picture Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000637/

Mobile is a toolGetting the most out if it is about putting the most in

While each project is customized, these broad steps must be followed It is essential to take the consumer/participant journey into consideration - keeping it streamlined so they go from feeling it’s fun, to being involved, to committed.

All that work. Why bother?

Because mobile gives you access in fresh, meaningful ways

Video: immersive aural and visual content

Personal, authentic view into the consumers world

Photo: ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’Visually rich stories capturing that moment in time

Random Photo – not seen this before, definitely away from LA!

Audio: intimate, expressive and in-depthConveying emotion & personality beyond the words

Random Photo – not seen this before, definitely away from LA!

with rich detail

Notes: ‘low tech’ yet invaluableUnobtrusive recording of key moments of truth

with rich detail

Notes: ‘low tech’ yet invaluableUnobtrusive recording of key moments of truth

Geo-location: pin-pointing the sceneBroad to detailed location information

with rich detail

Going back to our car rental pilot, mobile provided continuous and intimate access to the experience

Insight: Renting a car offers the ‘illusion’ of ownership, easily punctured.

Car renters tell themselves a story that this car has only been driven by them to mitigate how creepy it might be that hundreds, if not thousands, have been in this car.

Reco’s: Car rental company needs to work harder to keep the story alive. Not just about hygiene, about transporting.

Dedicated apps are just the start

Mobile can be used in many creative ways

Social sharing, liking and pinning are normal activities

Dedicated apps offer easy integration of both online and participants’ own pictures to be uploaded on their device of choice

But always with a purpose

To best use mobile qualitative, we need to be able conductors

We still need to flex our research muscles to forage, make meaning and tell stories

Mine itCapture the right data Turn it into actionable insights

Picture Source: www.laphil.com

To make it work for you: Get in touch with your inner control freak

Thank you

Aliza Pollack aliza.pollack@added-value.com

Read Added Value’s blog www.added-value.com/source

Follow Added Value tweets @AddedValueGroup @AddedValueUS

Zoë Dowlingzoe.dowling@added-value.com@zoedowling

promise and perils : qualitative research in our connected, mobile world

depthconveying

wordswith

authentic

low tech

invaluableunobtrusive

consumers

visual contentpersonal

immersive

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