Article 3 of 3 about transforming research into insight. Published May 2012 in the Market Research Association’s Alert! magazine. Part 1: The Four Places Insights Hide http://www.slideshare.net/tpulliam/alertmarketingresearchorg012012 Part 2: Qualitative Data http://www.slideshare.net/tpulliam/marc-halertmarketingresearchinsightsqual

1. Alert!
Marketing Research Association
Technology & Software Directory
MAY 2012 · Vol. 52 · No. 5
Tomorrow’s Technology in Today’s Research
Navigating Trends and Technology
MRA 2011 Annual Report

2. Keeping Informed
Making the Leap from Market Research to Insight
Part Three: Quantitative Data
By Thom Pulliam
This is the final of a three part series that has provided practical counsel on
the subject of insights and where they hide. In January’s issue, we looked at
The Four Places Insights Hide, using the “Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign
as an example of how a few words can communicate so much and to so many
– effectively. The second article, published in March, focused on drawing
insights from qualitative data.
As mentioned in earlier editorials, decision makers. Thus, one of the major with clear research objectives. When
as market researchers and brand roles of the researcher and strategist is to using quantitative research to test
strategists, we hunt for insights – unique examine, organize, and statistically test hypotheses, concepts, copy, products,
combinations of information that give the data so that meaningful conclusions etc., it is very clear what your research
meaning to the marketplace. We are and insights can be drawn. All too objective is: figure out how an audience
familiar with a myriad of methodologies often, clients conduct quantitative responds to the work. Do they like it?
used in the collection of data, but research only to have the work result Does it resonate? Is the brand linkage
oftentimes struggle with making the in a “data dump” with no discernible there? Clients adverse to risk frequently
information we find useful. How do we conclusions, implications, or direction for rely on this type of testing to validate
transform information into insight? This implementation of the results. Likewise, their direction before bringing something
third and final piece for Alert! magazine clients frequently spend significant sums to market. But, what are the best ways
will focus on answering this question as it of money not on actionable and insightful to use quantitative research early on, as
relates to quantitative data. research, but on reports and binders an input of the discovery process; when
Quantitative research measures queries of quantitative data that sit – largely you are searching for a leading insight to
on a numerical scale and encompasses unused – on shelves or in filing cabinets. inspire strategy? The key first insightful
three types of research techniques: This happens, not because quantitative and actionable step to quantitative
observation, physiological measurement research is inherently unable to surface research is for both researcher and client
(i.e. eye tracking and brain wave insights, but because the approach is to define and agree upon what they
studying), and survey research. Raw often not optimized to do so. want to learn. By always setting research
data derived from a quantitative study is If you put garbage in, you get garbage objectives first, before determining what
useless by itself; only data that have been out. When embarking on any research questions to ask or how to ask them, you
thoroughly analyzed is of any value to project it is of vital importance to start set yourself up for success.
MRA’s Alert! Magazine – May 2012 39

3. What are your research objectives? If
you want to learn what an audience’s
top motivators for visiting the Biltmore
Estate in autumn are, then you can
count on asking questions about price,
travel distance, weather, attractions, and
holiday vacation time. If you are looking
to understand, by market, how consumers
compare ULTA to Sephora, then your
line of inquiries would involve selection,
proximity, price, customer experience,
store environment, and networks of
communication.
Once your research objectives are
established, your questions developed, Paper Surveys
and your study fielded, it is time to I Full print and mail capabilities
analyze the information and uncover
insights. In quantitative research, I Automated inbound mailroom
insights live in the juxtaposition of data I Postage discounts
with surrounding observed associations.
These associations, represented as I Scanning/data entry
Paper Surveys
correlations, indexes, and scales provide I Litigation surveys
I Full print and mail capabilities
context and meaning to the data and I Automated inbound mailroom
allow us to make statements about I Verbatim open end capture
I Postage discounts
the likelihood of an event given the I Print and mail within Canada
I Scanning/data entry
occurrence of another event. Quantitative
research allows us to zoom out and I Litigation surveys
see patterns that are not obvious from Open End Comment Coding
Verbatim open end capture
I
our usual vantage point. For example, I Computer assisted traditional
I Print and mail within Canada coding
data mining helped retailer Victoria’s
I Text End Comment Coding
Open analysis
Secret find geographic differences in
preferences for bra sizes and colors that I Computer assisted traditional coding
I
Over 30 languages
were previously unnoticed. As a result, I Text analysis
the company improved its purchasing
I
I
Healthcare, financial and technical specialists
Over 30 languages
and inventory management efficiency. Healthcare, financial and technical specialists
Transcription
I
In a different example of zooming out
with quantitative analysis, Berger and Transcription
I IVR and recorded CATI open ends
Le Mens looked at the prevalence of first IIVR and recorded CATI open ends
names going back to 1880 (as recorded I Focus groups
I Focus groups
by the US Census). They found that the I 1-on-1 interviews
I 1-on-1 interviews
faster a name becomes popular, based on
the number per one million children, the
faster it declines to “pre fad” levels. Only Contact Dave Koch
by “zooming out” in a temporal sense
and looking at data over a long period
Contact Dave Koch
dkoch@adaptdata.com
(and a large number of names) could the
(952) 939-0538 ext.114
dkoch@adaptdata.com
researchers discover this pattern.
Another technique for making
(952) 939-0538 ext.114analysis, the raw data from quantitative
quantitative survey helps provide a more
quantitative research more actionable exhaustive set of variables to test. This research yields meaningful insights.
is to set it up with discovery qualitative qualitative discovery provides the people Furthermore, the power of quantitative
research. In other words, use methods writing the quantitative research with research lies in the safety of statistical
such as qualitative focus groups to more knowledge about the consumer significance – knowing at a specific
expand your thinking on a research mindset and marketplace, and helps confidence level that your insight is
objective and better articulate your inform the creation of quantitative representative of the larger population,
quantitative methodology. For example, methodology. and not an anomaly reflected by a few
when the research objective is to Qualitative research provides rich outliers (as is the risk with qualitative
understand what consumer wants and understanding of consumers and the research).
needs are driving the shift from agent- marketplace, while quantitative also has
based auto insurance providers to its place and is more than a tool used to Thom Pulliam is an independent
direct-to-consumer providers, talking post-test ideas. When set up with the strategic communications professional
with consumers before setting up the right research objectives and thoughtful newly residing in Los Angeles, CA.
40 MRA’s Alert! Magazine – May 2012