promise and perils : qualitative research in our connected, mobile world
DESCRIPTION
The promise of Mobile Qualitative Research is huge, and incredibly exciting: Real time, immediate, unobtrusive access to respondents. In a space that can feel fatigued by tried-and-true methodologies and even knowing and experienced respondents, mobile qualitative feels like a fresh and authentic way to engage people as people (not as consumers). At its best the mobile device, an appendage for many, enables people to conduct their own ethnographies with the researcher as virtual observer. The implications titillate: What is seen when we’re “not around” has got to be the most interesting and insightful, because it occurs when people are not being “watched.” The cost implications are doubly enticing: we can now engage with respondents domestically and internationally without the travel expense (and inconvenience)! But don’t get distracted by the shiny object: Mobile is a tool. Like a focus group, an in-depth interview or a psychodrawing, which needs facilitation to make sure it’s used optimally. To deliver on its promise of engaging respondents and delivering quality, thoughtful output requires careful and considerate thinking and planning – pre, during and post field. Yes, we have access to real people but do we have involvement? Do we have ownership? A picture from a shop-along is only as good as the story attached, and the insights we, as researchers, draw from it. In this presentation, we address both the promise and perils of mobile qualitative, and share some best practices and the latest findings from our mobile development labs.TRANSCRIPT
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Promise and perilsQualitative research in our connected, mobile world
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Why did we start exploring this?
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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
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So let’s leverage the range of smartphone capabilities that people are already using
video
photographs voice
geo-locationBarcode scans
Push notifications
text notes
check-ins
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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
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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
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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.
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Nifty, eh?
But this brings us to the perils…
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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
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We are only half the equationWe need consumers to take us on a journey
And give us the whole story
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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
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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/
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Mobile is a toolGetting the most out if it is about putting the most in
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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.
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All that work. Why bother?
Because mobile gives you access in fresh, meaningful ways
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Video: immersive aural and visual content
Personal, authentic view into the consumers world
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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!
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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
Audio: intimate, expressive and in-depthConveying emotion & personality beyond the words
Random Photo – not seen this before, definitely away from LA!
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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
Audio: intimate, expressive and in-depthConveying emotion & personality beyond the words
with rich detail
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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
Audio: intimate, expressive and in-depthConveying emotion & personality beyond the words
Notes: ‘low tech’ yet invaluableUnobtrusive recording of key moments of truth
with rich detail
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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
Audio: intimate, expressive and in-depthConveying emotion & personality beyond the words
Notes: ‘low tech’ yet invaluableUnobtrusive recording of key moments of truth
Geo-location: pin-pointing the sceneBroad to detailed location information
with rich detail
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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.
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Dedicated apps are just the start
Mobile can be used in many creative ways
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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
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But always with a purpose
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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
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To make it work for you: Get in touch with your inner control freak
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Thank you
Aliza Pollack [email protected]
Read Added Value’s blog www.added-value.com/source
Follow Added Value tweets @AddedValueGroup @AddedValueUS
Zoë [email protected]@zoedowling