Primary Research Basics: Inforum
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+
Primary Research
Emily GremelStrategistSquare One Design
+Agenda
Research Basics
Research Planning
Conducting Research
Analyzing Results
Outcomes
+
Research Basics
+Primary vs. Secondary Research
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Research specifically designed and conducted for your project
Examples: Surveys Customer Interviews Stakeholder Interviews Observation Usability testing
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Research done by a third party, analyzed and applied to your project
Examples: Articles Competitor information Scientific research Anything from a reliable
source outside of your team that applies to your project
+Thorough Research Process
Primary Research• Focus Groups• Surveys• Interviews• Observation• Experimentation• Open Forums
Secondary Research• Journals• Industry Press• Research Reports• Competitor
Information• Other third party
data
Aggregation Combining multiple sources and findings to project realistic,
meaningful findings.
+Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
Denotes quality of responses
Number of respondents is secondary to the quality of individual responses
No set minimum for number of participants
Almost always primary research
Denotes quantity of responses
Quality of individual responses is secondary to the number of respondents
Typically not considered reliable data unless sample size is greater than 30
Could be primary or secondary research
+
Research Planning
+Preparing Objectives
Understand what you want to learn before you attempt to do research.
Prepare a list of specific items you’re trying to touch on.
Confirm that your objectives are open-ended Good objective: to determine which toothpaste brand is
preferred and why. Bad objective: to determine why people like Crest
Toothpaste best.
Keep it realistic!
+Potential Research Objectives
Validate assumption about unmet need in the marketplace
Develop or fine tune a viable product concept
Define your target audience
Create a more thorough map of the competitive landscape
Identify when to pivot away from a failed product or plan
Test existing products for potential improvements or pitfalls
+
Selecting a Format
One-on-one Interview
Focus Group
Survey (qualitative or quantitative)
Passive Observation
Experimentation
A/B Testing
Open Forums
Usability Testing
Make sure you choose the best format for achieving your objectives.
+Create an Outline
Once you have selected a format, create an outline to alleviate stress and stay organized.
Craft an introduction to get respondents comfortable.
Create topic headings.
Group related questions under the same topic heading for ease of organization, and to help the respondent track with your questions.
+Question Flow
Begin with simple questions to get your respondent comfortable.
Move through your outlined topics by starting with more general questions, and delving into specifics later in the survey.
If using scales or rating systems, stay consistent.
Demographic questions should be asked at the very beginning or very end of the survey – personal preference.
+
Types of Questions
Dichotomous questions: Yes/No Used Product/Did Not Use Product Male/Female*
Likert Scale: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral/Don’t Know Disagree Strongly Disagree
Rating Scale: Number scales: 1-5, 1-7, and 1-10 are
most commonly used. Other scales: Excellent, very good, good,
acceptable, poor.
Open-ended Word association Unstructured Can be long or short format
You may use a blend of question types depending on your format and objectives.
+Types of Questions
Start your research with this – once your existing assumptions are validated, you can gather additional information.
Validate that there is a need your product or service can solve.
Example: Questions about what you
assume the unmet need to be Demographic questions to
pinpoint the audience for that unmet need
When you have identified an unmet need in the marketplace, you can dig deeper to understand if/how your product or service is meeting that need.
You can also gather information about the sales and marketability of the product or service.
Examples: Is an unmet need now being
served? How? How much are consumers willing
to spend? Understand motivations and
behaviors
Validate Assumptions Gather Information
+Types of Questions: Concept Testing
You may present a concept or potential product in a variety of ways: Emailed or shipped ahead of time Read over the phone Shown in person Shown via computer or tablet screen
It’s suggested that you limit the number of concepts shown in an interview to 3 concepts to avoid overload.
+
Conducting Research
+Recruiting Respondents: Who?
Look for a diverse but representative demographic group
Use your research to test your own hypothesis
Start with existing customers and gather their demographic information
Start by using a few of the attributes of your target market
If you have multiple target markets, make sure to gather data in a way that keeps these separately
No target market defined Defined target market
+Recruiting Respondents: How?
Look within your own network to recruit
Obtain referrals
Speak with existing customers
You can hire a firm to recruit or help you develop a sample profile. Some firms include: Dun & Bradstreet Manta FPDS
You can offer incentives to help aid participation numbers
Small Budget Large Budget
+How Many Respondents Do I Need?
20-30 respon-dents identify 90-
95% of the at-tributes
5 respondents identify <50% of
the attributes
MIT Study, Griffin & Hauser, 1993.
+
Enticing Respondents
Use ACTiVATE®/University affiliation: Non-threatening approach Typically associated with ethical
research methods, trustworthiness
Identify a benefit to them: Latest technology from an academic
source You’ll share the findings with them
upon their request Won’t take up a lot of time (only use
this one if it’s true)
Incentivize them: If funds are low, offer each
respondent with the chance to win a prize (could be a free product, cash, gift card, or something from a partner business)
If funds are high, or your sample set is highly targeted, you may need to pay each interviewee for their time
+Effective Interviewing
Be friendly, but have no vested interest in outcome
Record after getting informed consent
Probe and clarify
Listen more than you talk
Strive for a supportive, but non-biased conversation
+Probing and Clarifying
What else?
When you said ________, what did you mean by that?
Can you elaborate on that?
(When respondents expressly state like/dislike) What do you like/dislike about that?
How could it be better?
Anything else?
When you said, ________, did you mean _________?
You sound ________ about that. Can you tell me more?
(Without expressed like/dislike) What do you like/dislike about that?
Even thought the product is great, how could it be better?
DO ASK DON’T ASK
+Expecting the Unexpected
Recruitment/sample set
Scheduling
Weather
Tech difficulties
Respondent problems: Doesn’t qualify Confused by questions Language barrier Refusal to provide
demographic information Refusal to provide other
information Quits midway through
+
Analyzing Results
+During and After the Interview
Record the interview if possible
Write notes during or within 24 hours of the interview
Organize responses in similar format to facilitate comparison
Send notes to respondent for clarification and confirmation when necessary and appropriate
Send thank you notes for one-on-one interviews
+Analyzing Your Results
With qualitative research, you should look for common themes amongst multiple participants.
In the case of a consumer profile, divergent data could mean different things: In one case, if half your consumers are college students and the
other half are parents, it indicates you likely have two target audiences.
In another case, if you find half your consumers don’t use sunscreen in the summer, it’s likely not a relevant attribute of your target market.
Be wary of picking sound bites just because they support your hypothesis – is there evidence that the opinion is shared by many?
+Analyzing Your Results
When doing quantitative research, you are going to end up with a lot of data.
Look for instances where the data is “telling a story”.
Just because something is statistically significant doesn’t mean it’s important. For example, you might find that almost 100% of people
use paper. That doesn’t mean you need a chart to show it.
+Analyzing Your Results
Understand that correlation does not always equal causation.
+Analyzing Results (Example)
+
Outcomes
+
Outcomes
All of your hypotheses were confirmed – full steam ahead!
Your respondents didn’t see a need for your product.
You may have misidentified your target market. Who does need it?
No audience? No sales. Pivot away.
Respondents favored a competitor’s product heavily.
What can you change to become more attractive than your competitor?
Everyone liked the product – but they don’t want to pay for it!
Can you add additional features or benefits to change this?
Do you need to re-examine your revenue model?
Your product was a hit – but the packaging or messaging was a miss.
Realign your brand.
You may face a variety of circumstances after your research has been conducted and analyzed.
+
QUESTIONS?