The Benefits of Using Outside Qualitative Research Consultants

Most great consumer marketing companies never execute their own qualitative research.  These are companies who are leading edge in terms of techniques and who are savvy in the way they allocate their resources.  So why do they hire outside Qualitative Research Consultants (QRCs)?  Because they get better results.

 

The research goal:  An outside QRC will work with you to craft a research goal.  No research can be successful if team members have different views of success.  The QRC can be an outside voice summarizing the stated research goals and leading a client team to consensus about what will and will not be addressed.  An outside QRC can also give an objective point of view about that amount of material that can be covered in each stage of research and help an internal team to set realistic expectations about what will be gleaned from each phase of a project.

 

Fresh approach:  An experienced QRC can bring a wealth of qualitative research knowledge from experience in other business.  By doing research on a wide range of topics, QRCs pick up invaluable knowledge about new techniques, new approaches and more effective ways to ask certain questions.   This keeps research design and execution fresh and ever improving.  In addition, QRCs spend an enormous amount of time researching new techniques, working with technology vendors to improve their digital research platforms, and pursing education in related fields such as psychology.  The gestalt of all of this learning is continuous improvement in facilitation and project design.

 

Execution:  Qualitative research lives and breathes on flawless execution. For example, designing a discussion guide is like choreographing a play.  The pieces flow together seamlessly and add up to a bigger picture.  Another example is writing an excellent screener.  A QRC has to imagine every way that someone might interpret a question to phrase it effectively.  And flawless execution takes time! Few people in a company have the time to clear their calendar for the many hours it takes to set up a project flawlessly.

 

Objectivity:  Outside QRCs bring a fresh set of eyes to any project.  By the time a project is slated for qualitative, the project team has been immersed in it and has many hypotheses, expectations and hopes about the outcome.  An outside QRC walks in without this baggage and without any fear of their career being impacted by the findings of the research. 

 

Variety:  Many of the larger consumer marketing companies keep a stable of outside QRCs that they call on periodically.  They switch between them to gain fresh perspectives, new ideas and thoughtful project design.  They can also find a QRC with a style they like for a particular type of research and use their “favorite” depending on the project.  

 

Presentation:  When findings are controversial or unexpected, it is often helpful to have the outside QRC present the results to the extended team or to management. When the findings are very positive, the outside QRC can blend into the background supporting her client in making the pivotal presentations.

 

There is magic in the partnership between veteran marketing and market researchers on the client side, and a partner who is an outside QRC. The former group knows the subject matter cold; the latter has a broader view and a diversity of experience and deep functional expertise.  Often this partnership, throughout all the stages of research, becomes a powerful collaboration that helps the design, execution and analysis of the research.  Using an outside QRC is a necessary component to getting truly great research insights.

 

Amy Savin is a member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) and is Chief Strategic Thinker and Insight Gatherer at Wishful Thinking, where she works as an innovation strategist and qualitative research consultant. She spent two decades in marketing helping companies like Kraft, Avon and Johnson & Johnson create and re-create brands, new products and new lines of business. Amy also honed her strategy skills working in consulting at McKinsey & Co.  Amy works extensively with concept and prototype optimization and is an expert in digital research.  She is Co-Chair of the QRCA Online SIG and a former Co-Chair of the Chicago Chapter of QRCA.

 

 

This content was provided by QRCA. Visit their website at www.qrca.org.