Unlocking Shopper Insights: The Synergy of Qualitative & Quantitative Research in Behavioral Science

In the current retail climate, behavioral science is the key to better understanding shopper habits and guiding marketing decisions. Behavioral science helps to better understand a brand’s audience and the voice of the consumer, which then translates into adjusting marketing budgets to ensure they reflect the consumer's voice.

That said, to achieve a better understanding, brands and consumer insights departments engage in research studies but more specifically apply two primary research methodologies: qualitative and quantitative research.

Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research

While these methods may appear siloed, they are far from being mutually exclusive. The combination of qualitative and quantitative research in behavioral science can bring forth colorful insights and provide understanding of the complexities found within human behaviors.

Specifically, the essence of qualitative research allows for a deeper understanding of behavior (both verbal and nonverbal) and in many instances, helps to provide context and deeper insight into the why’s behind quantitative data. Thus, it’s important to dissect and understand the benefits that qualitative methodologies can provide in conjunction with quantitative data to support a holistic story.

The Rich Narrative of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research provides the context necessary for understanding human behavior. It explores the why and how behind behavioral patterns, offering a rich narrative that quantitative data alone cannot provide.

For example, in the event of a downturn in sales, a brand team may employ suggestions to address the issue at hand, for example, an update to and references the brand story in the form of packaging. The opportunity for qualitative interviews can reveal the motivations and emotions that drive consumer behaviors beyond a five-point scale. Supplementing quantitative research with qualitative learning enhances the research by helping researchers develop more relevant considerations.

Overcoming Barriers with Qualitative Understanding

Qualitative research can serve as a foundation for brainstorming potential considerations moving forward. Referencing the previous example, if product packaging creates a barrier for consideration at shelf due to recessive language, unmotivating pack colors or unappealing visual elements one may consider further understanding to help overcome such barriers.

By instilling themselves in the nuances of human behavior through qualitative methods such as rapid interviews, interviews (in-person or online), focus groups or online digital diaries researchers can identify variables that may have otherwise been overlooked. These emerging themes can then be tested quantitatively for validation.

More importantly, the flexibility of qualitative research supports an agile practice that can help accommodate learnings in real time. The introduction of “online interviews” in conjunction with quantitative surveys allows for taking the analysis of quantitative data to deeper levels. For example, sub samples from quantitative data sets can be evaluated in the form of follow-up interviews to delve deeper into the emotions behind shopper behavior.

Synergizing Research for Confident Business Decisions

The complexity of human behavior often requires studying and involves intricate dissection. However, the synergy between both qualitative and quantitative methodologies can help mitigate uncertainty and reinforce confidence in future business developments.