Qualitative Research Session with Piyul Mukherjee & Pia Mollback Verbic

Quipper Research Pvt Ltd • 176 Udyog Bhavan • Sonawala Rd • Goregaon E • Mumbai 400063 • India • www.quipperresearch.com
Making Sense of the Hearts & Minds of
our Consumers
NORTHPOINT 2015, Aug 2-3
Piyul Mukherjee & Pia Mollback Verbic
Into The Trenches

Into the Trenches
2
Quipper Research Pvt Ltd

Objectives
 To make students aware of qualitative
market research principles and
methodologies.
 Provide a general understanding of
when/why/how qualitative
research is conducted.
 The process for execution
 Professional do's and don'ts
 Ethics and International best practices
 Make students acquainted with key
interviewing techniques such as projective
exercises, and modes of research such as
ethnography
 Develop knowledge of domains such as
semiotics & new online methodologies
 …and provide an understanding of how to
analyze qualitative data.
3Quipper Research Pvt Ltd

Day 1: Schedule
”… designed to combine contemporary theory with rigorous practice…”
August 2nd 2015
9:30-10:15 1. Intro; Teams; What is Qualitative Research?
10:15-11:00 2. How to choose Quali Methodology
Tea Break
11:15-12:00 3. The Social Sciences – Intro to Semiotics
12.00- 1.00 4. Ethnography and Online Methodologies
Lunch
2:00-3.00 5. Discussion Guide & Moderating Fundamentals
3.00-3.45 6. Projective Tools & Analysis Tips
Tea Break
4:00-4:45 7. Prepping fieldwork
5:00 Bus leaves for fieldwork
8.30 Return

Day 2: Schedule
”… designed to combine contemporary theory with rigorous practice…”
August 3rd 2015
Till 11:00 Student edit fieldwork findings
11:00-1:00 4 Student Presentations
Lunch
1.45-2.45 2 Student Presentations
2.45-3.15 General Discussion/ review of concepts
Tea Break
3.30-4.00 (Announcement of Results); Q&A

So what is
Qualitative
Market Research?

Limbic Management
Our Brains
Reptilian : Survival, fight or
flight, rage, ‘protection’ of
nextgen, ‘aulad’ - religion
Limbic : ID… Emotional,
Instinctual – shared with
mammals
Cortical –
EGO… Rational
SUPEREGO….Morality and
Ideals
Cultures, Learning Ability,
Language

Behavior
What determines behavior:
Norms
Values
Perceptions
Beliefs
Attitudes
Culture
Background
Upbringing
9/10
Quali gets Under the Surface

Qual Research – seeks meanings &
motivations behind behavior, implications of
people’s actions, words, ideas
Quipper Research Pvt Ltd 10

TAME PROBLEM
May be complicated, but
resolvable
Those where there is always an
answer
IIT-JEE questions, engineering
problems, building a nuclear
plant, weapons
Mechanical, digital,
technological, scientific
Tame Problem – Wicked Problem

TAME PROBLEM WICKED PROBLEM
May be complicated, but resolvable Complex, rather than complicated;
each problem is essentially
novel/unique
Those where there is always an answer Have no single right answer; every
solution is a one-stop (no trial & error)
IIT-JEE questions, engineering problems,
building a nuclear plant, building the Sea-
link bridge
Violence against Women, social
injustice, dowry, war,
Human interaction
Mechanical, digital, technological, scientific Likely to be a symptom of other
related problems – social, cultural,
psychological
Tame Problem – Wicked Problem

The Problems that Qualitative Research tries to
solve are often all wicked problems
• Hard to separate cause & effect
• Cannot be solved by application of standard or
known methods – demand interdisciplinary
understanding and creative solutions
Physical
Political
Social
Cultural
Economic
Wicked Problem

The Need for QUAL:
• Because we deal
with the
subconscious – to
keep selling our
BRANDS…
• The conversation
should never be
about the brand...
But about the
consumer; just
WHO is the
consumer!?

Common Applications
of Quali Research
 Product Development
 Package Design
 Copy Testing
 Advertising Strategy
 Brochure Design
 Communication check
 Consumer Satisfaction
 Product Attribute Testing
 Concept Testing
 Employee Research
 Mock Juries
 Behavior Research (Ethno)

Two sides of same coin…
 Quali and Quanti compliment and supplement
each other
– used in tandem stages
– Rarely a question of one vs. the other
– Objectives are fundamentally different
• Quanti = investigates extent of behavior
• Quali = explores reasons for behavior

Quali vs Quanti
QUALI QUANTI
Purpose To describe To predict
Sample Small sample Large sample
Form No predetermined categories for
analysis
Standardized measure
Approach (Supposedly) subjective (Supposedly) objective
Analysis Interpretive – how and why?
Inductive
Statistical – what and how many?
Deductive
Possible
Negatives
Over-complicated thinking, making
the issues murkier than they are
Simplistic thinking, making the
issues less than they are
Optimal
results
Greater understanding of
individual differences, patterns and
the reasons behind attitude /
behavior
Greater understanding of
group similarities, patterns and
the extent of certain attitudes /
behavior

Quali research is never:
≠ Used to measure/tally/estimate anything
≠ As “tie-breaker” in design making
≠ To determine awareness of advertising
≠ To set price point or predict sales
≠ To understand majority behavior
≠ Used to confirm one’s own ideas/agenda
≠ Used for selling or promoting new products (pharma)
Better done
with Quanti

How To Choose a Qualitative
Methodology
20

Standard Qualitative Methodologies
• Depth Interviews (1)
• Dyads (2)
• Triads (3)
• Quads (4)
• Mini Groups (6)
• Focus Groups (8-10)
• Ethnographies
• Online & Hybrids
These have lots in common
Except no. of resp,
Conducted at venue/facility
Different ‘animals’

Choosing Methodology
Focus Groups?
DI..? …Dyads?
Triads? Mini groups?
Arrr…I’ll just pick one

IDIs vs. Groups
The classic continuum
1 2 3 4 6 8
DI Dyads Triads Quads Mini Full Grp
Sensitive issues Non-sensitive
Specialized target grp “Common” consumer
Intense individual probing Grp dynamic essential
Note: It’s not the type of study, but the nature of the topic
which determines the quali methodology!

METHOD MATRIX
Relatively difficult to talk
about
Relatively easy to talk about
1 2 3 4 5
Need for intensive individual
probing
NO need for intensive
individual probing1 2 3 4 5
Highly charged topic
(Loaded with stigmas/taboos)
Not a charged topic
(No stigmas or taboos)1 2 3 4 5
Hard to recruit/schedule in
same geographical location
Easy to recruit in same
geographical location1 2 3 4 5
Sensitive topic NOT a sensitive topic
1 2 3 4 5
Group dynamic is a minus Group dynamic is a positive
for exercises and dialogue1 2 3 4 5
High peer pressure Low peer pressure
1 2 3 4 5
Lots of social norms
surrounding the topic
Few social norms
surrounding the topic1 2 3 4 5
Assess the nature of your research topic before choosing method…
Total score: <20 = DIs/Dyads 20-30 = Triads, Quads or Mini Grps >30 = Full Groups (8-10)

Method Matrix Exercise
1. Think of the nature of the research topic (and your
particular angle to the topic)
A. Exploring Inflation issues
B. Contraception
2. Assess the topic according to the 8 polar-ended issues
in the Method Matrix
3. Rate each on the 5-point scales…and tally the
complete score
< 20  IDIs or Dyads
20–30  Triads, Quads, Mini Grps
> 30  Full Groups (8-10)
4. (Consider timeline, budget, logistics, etc.)

Briefs are anchored in Only 2 Qualitative
Objectives
• Always either:
EXPLORATORY or EXPLANATORY
• Explore unknown consumer behavior/attitudes/beliefs
• Explain known aspects/facets/facts of these
behaviors/attitudes and beliefs
• Note: not mutually exclusive – many quali
projects include both objectives

Exploratory Projects
Examples
• Brand image & Positioning Studies
• Idea generation – new products, line extensions, ad copy, etc.
• Consumer familiarization studies – background info or details
about behavior, satisfaction, decision making, language
• Plain Discovery – when little is known about
X or when more knowledge is needed (Pikachu)
• Hypothesis generation
• Preliminary input – learn right Qs to ask in most meaningful way in
larger survey
• Process description – steps of behavior

Explanatory Projects
Examples
• Motivational analysis – understand the grounds, meanings,
reasons and conditions associations with attitude or behavior
• Cultural analysis – differences based on the impact of culture
• Consumer differentiation and segmentation
– patterns of variation
• Post quanti interpretation – giving meaning to numbers
• Comprehension analysis – communication on directions,
instructions, product claims, promotional copy, etc.
• ‘Disaster checks’
– last check before market placement

Facts & Myths about Focus Groups
 Quali offers contextual insights
which quanti can’t
 Sheds light to norms, values,
attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions,
which motivate consumer
behavior
 Small sample can provide
valuable insights even though the
data is not statistically projectable
 Group size has an impact on
amount and type of data collected
 Trained moderators learn to use a
variety of skills to collect data
(projectives)
≠ FGDs are easy. Watching a few
groups qualifies anyone to be a
moderator
≠ Moderating is an ad hoc,
completely improvised form of
interaction with respondents
≠ Enjoying talking to people is the
only qualifier for a good moderator
≠ More respondents in a group is
better than fewer because it is
more representative
≠ Every minute of a every group is
important
≠ You can statistically project the
answers of a few people to the
universe of the target market

Qualitative Research
- Locates maximum strands of meanings
-Makes Sense of multiple threads of meaning
-- At ease with flood of soft data
-The Qualitative Researcher is the
curator
- who decides which ‘bits’ of info to display

TEA BREAK

Semiotics

Are We Colored By Our Own Lens?
Do Not Underestimate the Power of a Social
Group

Semiotics
• The Production of Meaning… a tool to analyze
the giant paradigm shifts in the global
marketplace.
• Helps to decode the Cultural Landscape…
• The codes and rules the world around us is
playing by..

Which comes first?
The consumer chicken or the cultural egg???
Consumers-
Cultural effects, not Prime causes

We all decode signs and symbols to create
meaning from our cultural ‘default’ mode …
• Which product do you immediately assume this is an ad for?

 Critical Studies / Cultural Studies
 Semiotics
 Linguistics
 Social sciences
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Discourse analysis
• Anthropology
• Politics
• History
37
How do you encompass all this?

Ethnography

Ethnography & In situ interviews-
Watching & speaking with real people in their own surroundings
(in-situ) & direct experience of consumers’ everyday reality

Ethnography
• Observational Research
• In Pure terms (anthropology) – over weeks and months…
• In MR, a more ‘bastardized’ version!
• Direct observation in a natural context
• Actual as versus Recalled behavior
• Spontaneity; Overcomes problems of memory and social pressure
to conform
• Besides, many actions are not consciously thought about
…is habitual, part of ritual / routine
• Everything is potential data! Notes / Diary / Video / Audio

Look for symbols in her home to signal:
• Modernity
• Tradition (how different
from earlier times)
• An easier life
• An unchanged life
• Her own position
… how ‘spaced’ in conversation

Doing Ethnography
• Improvisation and Spontaneity
• Never perfect or complete
• A Road Map
• Make the respondent an ally
• Keeping things natural
• No opinions / initiative / assistance
• Seeking patterns of behavior; ‘performance’??
• Symbols – what it stands for…

Ethnography = Context Inclusion
On-site Field Research
• The original qualitative research approach
• Good for ritualistic/routine behavior and
high intensity interactions
– Sales encounters
– Meal preparation
– Personal hygiene routines
– Communication b/w persons w. diff authority
Pros:
• Eliminates intimidating environment
• Introduces the cultural dimension
– Physical environment
– Context pre & post
– Physical actions / behavior
Cons:
• Intensely time consuming
• Voluminous data
• Costly
ETHNO
Context:
Pre/post/
during
Behavior/
Actions
Attitudes
& beliefs
Physical
Environment

Observational Approach
Pure Observation (covert)
• No interaction with
respondent
• Questions are posed after
the act
• Uninterrupted action - but
less explanation.
• Must remember relevant Qs
to end
Participant Observation (overt)
• Questions and probes are posed
simultaneous with act
• Continuous interaction with
respondent
• Risk of altering/disturbing behavior
vs. opportunity for deeper probes

An Ethno Recap
- The consumer universe
1. Write down preconceived notions (What do you expect to hear/see)
2. Decide on observational approach (pure vs. participant)
3. Think minimalist – less is better (fewer people, less equipment, etc)
4. Document environment - Take video/pictures/audio
– Assess intrusiveness (pros and cons)
– Consider time lapse photography vs. continued video taping
5. Decide on roles – one moderator, one note taker, one recorder
6. Decide on same note taking technique if more than one moderator
– Prepare Observation Guide
7. Write mind dump immediately after session with thoughts/insights
8. Record/observe beyond words and actions: mood, pre & post
activities
9. Back home  record debriefing with team - use DG as outline

Purpose Statement
• Purpose Statement = The client brief in a nut
shell – summed up in one line.
Example:
The research objective is to explore how gender equations
affect the daily lives of middle class and lower socio-economic
segments of India.

DG Mindmap - Team Exercise
• With the research objective in mind – start
ideating on relevant DG topic areas to explore
• Make mindmap on white board:
– What comes to mind when thinking about:
SMARTPHONES (Research Assignment)
5 min

Research Objective - 2015
A device manufacturer is looking at how to create
the right value proposition for their next budget
(Rs <5k) smartphone:
• Who are the next wave of smartphone buyers and what
are they looking for in a smartphone?
• How do they rank different benefits and features and
why?
Understand
unmet/undermet needs
in relation to
smartphone
Understand
relationship with
current phone

Research Assignment – 2015
Objectives: Who are the next wave of smartphone buyers
and what are they looking for in a smartphone?
Diagnostic: Their current lifestyles, how is the phone used; evolution of usage
– last 5 years / last one year
Specifics: How do they rank different benefits and features and why?
How much of it is peer group influenced; difference by gender
Inductive From ‘nuggets’ to a larger paradigm; What is the
Conclusion: hierarchy of priorities

Mindmap - Example
(Source: Bystedt, Lynn, Potts, 2003)
•A chain reaction of
associations
•A visual brainstorm
session
•Broad landscape
view of issue
•Write down anything
that comes to mind!
•Thoughts, feelings &
associations
•Use: signs, symbols,
text, drawings, diff.
colors

Online Methodologies
- The new generation research

Live WebCam IDI
52
TVCs
Text
Chat
Web Cam
& Audio
Projective
Exercise
Marker
Tool

Live Webcam Dyad (Cont)
53
Competitive
Products
Comparison
Labels
Web Cam
& Audio

Instant Transcripts with Time Stamps
| 54
Time
Stamps

5 min debate
Online vs F2F
• Split class in 2 teams
• Argue pros and cons of two methodologies
• One for online – one for F2F

Issues to Consider
1. Can online interviews be compared to F2F interviews?
2. Does behavior change online?
3. Will online resps feel more compelled to lie?

Hail us!
Lunch

A Recap…
Qual versus Quant;
Qual – A Method in the Madness… IDI versus
FGD vs Home Ethnographies
Qual – Secondary / Desk Research; Semiotics
Qual – A ‘wicked’ problem, multistranded,
multidimensional
Anchored in the real world and in real-life
experiences
NEVER monotonous… yet, never ‘kuchh bhi’
58

Fieldwork - Research Objective
Objectives: Who are the next wave of smartphone buyers and what
are they looking for in a smartphone?
59
Ethnography: Recruit respondents form Khandala surroundings
Team of 8 students splits into sub-groups of 4
Each sub-group to conduct one or two in-home interviews
Each interview must last approx. 30 min
Decide on roles; Moderator, note taker, cameraman
Record parts of each interview with your cell phone
Add e.g. mobile picture or audio clips
Bring incentive (goodie bag of 150 Rs)

Final Video Presentation
1. Each team-group (8 students) must present overall research findings with a 5-
7 minute video edit followed by 10 min verbal reflection on the experience
(the process, what went well/not so well, surprises, things one would do
differently in future, etc).
2. The edit must show how and where a smartphone is likely to fit into their
lives, and how it could affect the daily lives of the middle class & lower SEC by
clipping together snippet of fieldwork flip-cam-recordings.
3. Be as creative as you wish: use video clips from the 4 recorded interview and
add e.g. subtitles, voice over, a narrator explaining the conclusions, graphics
and music
4. The video must follow the flow of key focus areas: 1) Diagnostics, 2) specifics,
3) priorities 4) Inductive conclusion of the hierarchy of priorities

DISCUSSION GUIDE &
MODERATION

Execution
1. Identify research objectives (purpose statement)
2. Determine methodology
3. Identify demographics of respondents
4. Make screener and recruit respondents
5. Identify key issue areas
6. Compose discussion guide
7. Prepare resp homework, projective exercises, etc.
8. Conduct the research
9. Make mind dumps after interviews
10. Debrief and discuss data with team
11. Review, interpret and analyze all data
12. Write report of findings
13. Present to client

Execution of Quali
#1-7 more influential on output than #9-13 … NOT vice versa
1. Identify research objectives (Client Brief)
7. Prepare resp homework, projective, etc.
63
60-70%
Of overall
efforts
30-40%
Of overall
efforts

Execution of Quali
1. Identify research objectives (Client Brief)
7. Prepare resp homework, projectives, etc.

The DG!
Why write a Discussion Guide?
- Can’t the moderator just wing it?

DG = Road Map
• Road map for the entire project
• Agreement between clients and QRC
• Overview for observers
• Note taking tool (write in margin)
• Outline for the analysis and report
• Gets team on the same page
Not a crutch … Moderator should learn it by
heart and be able to juggle and improvise

Common Steps
1. Define purpose statement
2. Make mindmap of “topic universe”
3. Define key issue areas
4. Craft questions and probes for each issue
5. Plan projective exercises
6. Revise/tweak content base on feedback from team

…Form pairs & moderate
• Interview each other about the topic of Gender
– using the unstructured mindmap alone
• Improvise questions and probes
• Each person try moderating for 5 min
10 min

…Merge & Refine Map
• Merge the 2 sub-grp maps to one team map
• Add ideas/areas form the interview
• Refine the final map to clusters of topic areas
• Present to group
69

Composing Quali Qs
7 Basic rules:
1. Attempt to minimize the use of “why?”
• The easy way out
• Put respondent on the spot
• Establishes parent/child relationship
• Tends NOT to yield very rich answers
 Practice altering question stems and use probes

Composing Quali Qs
…. Examples of altered stems/probes – avoiding ‘why’:
– Can you give me an example
– Give me a picture/description of how that works …
– So the message you want me to get from that story is (let resp
complete)
– Explain to me …your thoughts, reasons for this reaction
– Tell me more about this … (be quiet – let resp pick up)
– Take me though your thought process around this
– Tell me what goes on, when you…
– What are you reacting to…
– What is bothering you?
– I hear you are agreeing – but not with much enthusiasm – how
come?
– What does that mean/suggest about X
– Tell me how you decide on this order/priority/hierarchy

Composing Quali Qs
2. Ask short questions
– Remember:
– Short questions give long answers!
– and vice versa

Composing Quali Qs (cont…)
3. Use open-ended Qs (only few closed-ended)
• Upside:
– Allow for a wide range of answers
– Can open doors to new and unexpected information
– Provide the most opportunity for new discoveries
• Downside:
– Risk of wandering off topic
“Is water important in the Indian culture?”
vs.
“What can you tell me about water and its role in the Indian culture?”

4. Avoid double-barreled Qs
• These are really two questions in one
• Respondent don’t know which to answer
• End up answering only one
“What are your thoughts and concerns about this product?”

5. Neutral vs. Leading
How are you reacting? vs. You are upset by this, right?
What do you believe about …? vs. Don’t you believe that…?
How was the seminar? vs. Wasn’t the seminar great?

6. Avoid bundling
Bundled:
“Think about the last time you bought music; Tell me where you
shopped for it, what you bought and how you chose the music you
bought?”
Un-bundled:
1) Where did you last shop for music? (answer)
2) What did you buy the last time you bought music? (answer)
3) How did you choose what to buy? (answer)

7. Probe when hearing:
• “Nominalizations” – words used to describe abstract
concepts
e.g. nice, healthy, perfect, boring, unusual, attractive, different,
exciting, clean, safe etc.
• Generalizations
“Nobody use that detergent anymore”
“Everybody like that commercial”
• Contradictions
Ask for clarification in non-confrontation way
• Misinformation
Great opportunity to understand perceptions, beliefs, attitudes
and opinions – explore instead of correct

Complete your DG (20 min)
1. Gather in your team-groups (8 in each)
2. Consult your mind map
3. Internalize the research objective
4. Write min. 5 questions & 5 probes for each key
section (must be turned in)
4. Finally: Jot down what you expect to hear during
fieldwork on a separate sheet? (must be turned in)
Questions?

Moderating Tips…

Rapport building
… a high yield investment
• A moderator EARNS good rapport
Good rapport = open relaxed respondents = rich data
Bad rapport = toxic environment = poor data
Goal:
permissive, tolerant, trusting environment

Moderating Fundamentals &
Rapport Building
Setting a comfortable environment
– Pay attention to details: comfortable chairs, lighting,
refreshments, nametags
– Create an environment people like to stay in and feel safe in
(be aware of cultural differences – eg personal space)
Prepared welcome and clear Introductions
– use 5-10 min. Serves as warm-up. It sets the stage and pays
off immediately - a trusting and relaxed atmosphere
Careful question design/wording
– Minimize the use of “Why?” - alter question stem
– Avoid putting resp on the spot. Very few resp will appreciate
direct confrontation in group setting

Rapport Building
Careful question design/wording
– Minimize the use of “Why?” … alter question stem
– Avoid putting resp on the spot. Very few resp will appreciate
direct confrontation in group setting
Acknowledge contributions
• Respondents are sensitive to feedback
• Remember names and who said what

Rapport Building
Use Active listening skills
– Open physical appearance – avoid crossed arms, frowns, etc.
– Indicate that you follow statements with nonverbal gestures
Minimize note taking
– Note taking is jeopardizing - cause unease
• don’t know why/what you write
– Stay with the respondent who’s talking – don’t study guide

Rapport Building
Avoid “serial” interviewing
• A dialogue, not a test
Link and build
• Makes people feel appreciated:
– Earlier X said bla … could anyone give me more color on that?
– Y and Z mentioned something about bla bla … how does that
fit with this brand/product/service?

Read the room
• Pay attention to energy level
• Allow everyone airtime
• Humor works as a charm
Laughing with a respondent is a joy
Laughing at a resp is rude and unprofessional
Respect respondents
• Stay open-minded
• Have genuine interest in resp point of view
• Acknowledge diverting views – don’t only go with
majority opinion
Rapport Building

The life cycle of an Interview
Infancy
Childhood
and
adolescence
Young
Adulthood
Mature
Adulthood Old Age
The
introductory
stage
The role
taking and
rapport
building stage
The general
question
stage
The specific
questions and
activities
stage
Closing
86
• The natural evolution of the interview
– Design your discussion guide accordingly

Keep track of Air time
– Who Talks?
• Aim for the 20/80 golden standard:
– Moderator should talk ~20% of the time
– Respondents should talk ~80% of the time
• Different ratio may indicate
– Loss of control over discussion
– Respondents getting off on tangent
… or the opposite: moderator is
monopolizing the air time

Projective
Tools

What are Projective Techniques?
• Refers to group of exercises:
– Umbrella terms for interviewing techniques
– aimed at getting beyond top-of-mind & rational responses
• Caveat: No consistent terminology
Interventions = Alternative Techniques = Metaphorical Tools = PT

Benefits of Projectives
• Provide more emotional (vs. rational) feedback
• Maximize benefits and minimize limitations of group dynamic
• Can shift talk-time from domineering respondent
• Have great neutralizing, equalizing and unifying side effect
on the group dynamic
• Have ability of revitalizing the level of engagement
• If administered appropriately, yield excellent information in a
time efficient manner - If not: obscure data causing havoc

Projectives:
A wide range of exercises
• Can be as simple as:
– Easel work (e.g. a mindmap)
– Verbal exercises needing no props
• Common projectives:
– Emotional Grading
– Picture decks and Analogies
– Perceptual mapping
– Free associations and collages
– Word bubbles and personifications
• Creative and more time consuming:
– Sensory
– Music compositions
• Specialized projectives:
– Laddering
– Arch type explorations

Life is a Creative Happening
• Experience colors
what we remember
• What we remember
colors our
experiences
• …we all create our
own reality!
Select Snippet
logged
Experience
Select
Snippet
logged
Experience
Select
Snippet
logged
Experience

When Should Projective be Used?
• Especially appropriate when exploring:
– Cultural stigmas
– Politically correct/incorrect topics
– Topics loaded with socially desirable content
– Taboos
– Habits or ritualistic behavior
• Less useful:
– On-site research
– When other stimuli is present
• Never as entertainments or ‘fun’

How do you feel
about going and
Interviewing
people
Personally?
1
2
3
4
5
6
A B C D E

Analogies
“If X were a actor/actress whom would it be?”
Purpose:
• Use when the need is to learn about imagery related to
brand/product/issue/service
• Good for product/brand comparison
Task:
• To use metaphors from other “worlds”
• Can be unaided or aided with images
Directions:
• Ask resp to pick a comparison -> explain parallels
• Repeat exercise with different analogies
• Debrief with probe such as:
What is it about ___ that reminds you of X?
How do the qualities of ___ seem similar to X?
What are the characteristics of ___ in its
world…and how is X like that?
Tips:
• Mark each photo with letters or numbers
• Let resp sift through images on table and write down
marking (so several resp can pick same)
• Use ~25 pictures for each “world”
• Choose ‘world’ with care
Akshay Kumar
Aamir Khan
Aishwarya Rai Ranbir Kapoor
Amitabh Bachchan
Shah Rukh Khan
Katrina Kaif
John Abraham
Deepika Padukone

Homogenous Picture Decks (cont.)
Variations:
• Provide each respondent with the
same deck of pictures and ask each to
sort the images based on what “fits”
and “doesn’t fit” with how they think
and feel about X
• ….or print smaller images on one
piece of paper (contact sheet) and
have resp circle or check mark all the
fits and cross over those that doesn’t
fit
• ….or make it a group exercise if
time/budget is a concern
• Why are pictures needed?
Can’t this exercise just be
verbal?
Examples of picture decks:
– Sports team
– Animals
– Tools
– Landscapes
– Shoes
– Fruits or vegetables
– Music instruments
– Hairstyles
– Shapes
– Plants

Picture decks 101
• Must include broad range
• Opposites
– Things are not only defined by what they are …but
also by what they are not!
• Analogy requires images from different universe
(non-related to topic)
• As a rule of thumb: 20-30 pics
• Requires category-user as minimum

Personification
…If brand X was a person
Purpose:
• To better understand the characteristics and image of a brand or product
• Must be with at least category users – some brand awareness is needed
• Note: this exercise is not about who buys or uses X
Task:
• To assign human characteristics to one or two competitive brand(s) or product(s)
• Each resp write down characteristics
Directions:
• Ask resp to focus on brand or product…think about it’s qualities and
characteristics. Now imagine those traits being embodied in a person. Imagine
the product/brand turning into a person.
• Explore if group have similar/completely different traits
• Ask group to play back common themes
• Are characteristics perceived to be positive or negative
98

Personification (Cont..)
…If brand X was a person
Example of probes:
– Male or female? Age?
– Size and shape?
– Where were this person born?
– What style of clothes?
– How long has this person gone to school?
– Where does the person live?
– What does the person’s home look like?
– Whom does the person live with?
– What is his/her favorite food/beverage?
– What TV shows does this person like?
– Who does he/she admire?
– How does he/she feel about life right now?
– What is he/she proud of?
– What is this persons motto in life?
– What is his/her goal in 5 years?
– What is his/her name?

Collages
Group Exercise:
Collage of customer profile(s)
Hershey vs. Cadbury
Cut out pix of people who
represent H vs. C customers
See commonalities across
groups

Which to use when?
When you need to learn: Use:
All the pros and cons of an issue Debate
Imagery, feelings, perceptions about a
brand/product/service, issues or
experience
Analogy, Collage, Picture Deck
Visualization, Personification,
Important attributes Product Sort
Comparative perceptions of before and
after or reality and wish
Collage, Word Bubble
Greater/more rich details about a
behavior, situation, relationship
Mindmapping, On-site
Interviews, Visualization
Various influencers on a decision,
perception or issue
Word Bubbles

Which to use when? (cont.)
Benefits associated with a
product/brand/category
Mindmapping
How products/brands/services/prototypes
compare on a single attribute/dimension
Line-up
compare on a single goal or to the ideal
Hitting the mark
compare on two key attributes/dimensions
Four Square
Fit or disconnect of a new product in a line
or category
Personification
Sensitive, politically charged or
conflicting attitudes
Word Bubble

Which to use when? (Cont.)
Strengths/weaknesses or
similarities/differences relative to competition
Four Square, Line-up
Product Sort
Top-of-mind/incoming attitudes and
perceptions of the topic
Free association
Mindmapping
Relationship between products in line or
category, or players in a situation
Four Square, Line-up,
Personification
The frame of reference or competitive set for
a product within a category
Product Sort
Perception of users Draw the User, People
Picture Deck

Patton’s 10 Commandments
For effective use of projective techniques
1. Do set the environment – physically & emotionally
2. Give really, really, really clear instructions
3. Encourage playfulness – should be fun exercise
4. Exhibit unconditional positive regard
5. Don’t force participation
6. Don’t use interventions as entertainment
7. Be prepared to handle strong reactions
8. Do tailor techniques to exact needs
9. Do probe!
10. Remember: Projectives are only the means to the end …
the data is in the debrief/discussion following the exercise

Analysis

The Traditional Pyramid of
Understanding
Data
Information
Findings
Conclusions  Knowledge

The Value of Understanding
Data
Information
Findings
Conclusions  Knowledge

Analysis & Interpretation
Involves- making sense of the meaning of the research data
via:
Intuition Emotion Judgment

Deconstruction
Mode of reading, attentive to a text’s multiple
meanings
The textual unconscious
Its repressed contradictions and inherent
vulnerabilities
109

What NOT to do…
• Usage of numbers is wrong… Majority said this… Show of hands
makes no sense…
• (Usually) not to be used as a source of new product ideas / prediction of
future sales
• Use the Objective and Discussion Guide, but do not use it as a crutch…
A scaffold may be a better analogy
• Do not see the tip of the iceberg alone… there’s a lot down there… how
much of it have I captured… What else can I do to be sure?

Be passionate about it
- Believe in it; eat / sleep / wake up with it
- Be truly empathetic & full of warmth
- Have courage in your eclectic convictions
- Never leave sight of the wood for the trees… and
vice versa
- Do have the ability to laugh at yourself & the
world!
To be Successful at Consumer Immersion…

Fieldwork Assignment
• Everyone go for fieldwork
• Bus leaves at 4:30 (back by 8:30pm)
• When back – start planning the 10 min video edit
• Edit clipping tomorrow morning – due in class at 11am
GOOD LUCK!

Nature is full of
‘fractal geometry’ –
the science of
roughness
But repetition
generates patterns
Clouds are not circular/spherical
, mountains are not cones,
lightning is not a straight line
∆, □, ○ exist in textbooks, not in
real life
Let ALL your knowledge seep
into your analysis. Collect
Human ExperienceQuipper Research Pvt Ltd
The Ability to Accept Chaos

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