A few weeks ago, I posted an entry about the need for really sound marketing research and the importance of one-on-one quantitative solutions.
I received an interesting comment about neglecting any mention of quantitative data, “Ms Chatterly, good post. I understand the need for qualitative research, but don’t real numbers from surveys and statistics tell an important story too?”
My response to the question is “absolutely.” I think the above question raises a fantastic point about the need for both more personalized one-on-one qualitative interviews and thorough quantitative research. Rather than having one vein of research come at the expense of the other, I prefer to think of them as a happy marriage.
Gathering and understanding the quantitative data (number crunching) is a crucial part of any sound decision. I am referring to hard facts, numbers and figures that can be objectively analyzed. For example, studying website traffic might be the quantitative data you’d review before launching an online marketing campaign to drive conversions on your website. Once you have made a few hypotheses based on the actual data, it is time to add in the online qualitative research (touchy-feely) and see how the all-important human element drives decisions. Maybe the reason that visitors keep leaving your website is due to the fact that it has counter-intuitive page navigation or too many words and not enough images.
As you can imagine, getting this qualitative data really sheds light on the quantitative research you have already performed. Much like a bunch of thoughts and ideas don’t feel grounded without empirical data, the reverse can also be true—too much quantitative data without any human insights (qualitative) feels impersonal and devoid of the “people-factor.”
Does all of this chatter feel a little dry? Wet your whistle with this fun example from the wine industry that shows the human factor is alive and well in day-to-day decisions. While most people would agree that taste should be the key driver in making a wine purchase, 2007 ACNielsen research shows otherwise. Nearly 18% of the ~500 wine brands introduced in the last three years showcased an animal on their labels because wine labels with animals outsold the non-critter competition two fold.
An in-depth survey, questionnaire and/or a one-on-one qualitative session are all great ways to collect this type of data. And as I mentioned in the previous post, don’t automatically assume collecting qualitative research is a luxury for only the big companies. Specialty products and businesses are appearing on the marketplace to help even the smallest business benefit from such one-on-one-qualitative research.
In the meantime, all of this writing has made me thirsty so I am going to relax and enjoy a glass of Three Pandas, Two Kittens & One Fuzzy Bunny Zinfandel.
