Qualitative Research Services

Building rapport and breaking down emotional barriers

For each project, we employ custom-tailored qualitative techniques to unearth unspoken preferences and emotions that drive behavior.  Examples include storytelling, laddering, creative exercises like collages and drawing, and small group presentations. 

Identifying the best respondents is also critical.  Impactful results start with recruiting that not only screens for certain characteristics, but also for participants who are insightful and willing to share.

The final crucial step in qual is analysis – making sense of what you heard, pulling out threads that weren’t on the surface, relating findings to real world experiences, and providing surprising insights and powerful recommendations to move a concept, product, message or brand forward.

We are experts in both consumer and B2B research, including hard-to-find specialty audiences like physicians, C-suite executives and expert opinion leaders.

All work can be conducted online, by phone or in-person.

One-on-One Interviewing

One-on-one interviews offer the most direct connection to respondents of all personality types (introverts, extroverts).

Focus Group Moderation

Smaller groups of 4-6 respondents give more space for deeper discussions and individual participation.

Online Bulletin Boards

Online bulletin boards can run 2-7 days and allow respondents to participate when it’s convenient for them.

Usability Testing

Mobile app and website usability testing can be conducted at any phase in the design process.

Shopalongs

Moderated store/location visits provide powerful feedback on the shopping experience.

Ethnographies

Ethnographic research digs deep into participants’ lives, offering a “fly on the wall” POV on behavior.

Multi-modal

Multi-modal studies can involve a variety of techniques, like bulletin boards, in-person and phone interviews

Audio and video respondent montages

Audio and video clips bring the voice of the customer to life.

Case Studies

Moderated sessions with creative consumers and product development team members in order to redesign a shaving product
CPG
Customer
Longitudinal qual product testing of a new communications tool involving in-person, online, phone, and video diary; included client team members as researchers in interviews so they could hear VOC first-hand
Technology
Customer
Cross generational research with tweens, teens and parents about financial literacy – in-person focus groups with tweens (developed collage game to check financial understanding), online bulletin boards with teens and parents
Banking
Customer
Communication habits and trends were discussed in living room focus groups with teens and parents, in order to see differing POVs within families regarding communication tools and what/how people keep in touch
Telecom
Customer
Interviewing physicians and senior administrators about product consideration, path to purchase and marketing materials in development
Healthcare
Customer