Example of Qualitative Studies and Methods

Qualitative analyzes are based on the registration and diagnosis of testimonies and reflections within a social frame of reference that shows the influences that lead to modify individual and group behavior that allow knowing and understanding their attitudes and behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

Qualitative studies find a place in research, since they are a support to "understand" from a point of view the situations of daily life and to which we are exposed as beings humans.

Among the main characteristics of qualitative research are the following:

Generate hypotheses that can also be tested quantitatively.
Obtain useful information in structuring consumer / voter questionnaires.

Provide general basic information about a product category, candidate, campaign, etc.
Detect conceptual impressions about which there is little information. Stimulate new ideas.
Encourage ideas for new creative concepts.
Interpret previously obtained quantitative results.
Understand different emotional reactions.

Under the previous environment, a qualitative study is "complemented" with the quantitative technique and can be carried out "before", "between" and "after" it, with the purpose of enriching the information and therefore obtaining highly reliable results for our users and thus lead them to a better decision-making decisions.

Therefore, focus groups and in-depth interviews allow us to identify within a context of group and individual analysis, the different variables that are seen immersed in our daily lives and explain the impact they have by diagnosing the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of consumers, whatever the "product" used. study

TYPES OF STUDY

BUSINESS MARKETING
The main function is to be the link between the consumer and his environment, for this the qualitative technique is convenient, among others to carry them out in:
 Media: image and positioning, purchasing and consumption habits.
 Advertising: brand recall and preference, advertising evaluation, name and packaging test.
 New products: level of acceptance, tastings.
 Evaluation of products and services: determination of characteristics and attitudes of the market, analysis of the competition, level of satisfaction

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES IN QUALITATIVE STUDIES

FOCUS GROUPS
It is based on the way of thinking and the expression of opinions of the people, gathered in a "Chamber of Gesselle", being able by these means to explore the wishes, concerns and expectations of people in relation to the subject investigated.

DEPTH INTERVIEWS
A qualitative study with in-depth interviews is based on an unstructured personal interview that uses the exhaustive inquiry to get a single interlocutor to speak freely and express in detail her beliefs and feelings about a certain theme.
The purpose of this technique is to get beyond the superficial reactions of the interviewee and discover the underlying reasons implicit in her attitudes and behavior.

PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES
It understands a great variety of techniques consisting of the exhibition or presentation of an object or a activity in an ambiguous way for the interviewee to make an interpretation or express what suggests; some of these techniques are the interpretation of drawings, the association of words, the completion of sentences, expression in the third person, role playing, etc., applying both in political marketing and in business.

TECHNIQUES BASED ON OBSERVATION
They record the reactions or behavior of individuals to situations that are provoked or not; an example in political marketing is the observation of electoral events, such as meetings, round tables and rallies. In business marketing, the observer is aware of the changes observed in consumers towards "choosing" this or that product; In both situations, comments, gestures and other behaviors that they provoke are collected, resulting in acceptance and / or rejection of the topic under study.

Qualitative methods

They are those for which, through behavioral sciences, the reason for consumer behavior is obtained, there are 3 types:

Group or focus group sessions
Information is obtained from a homogeneous group (same inhibitions, concerns, feelings, thoughts, buying habits), since it is representative of the market segment to be studied.

In this homogeneous group, between 7 and 9 members have to meet, for this the optimal thing is that they do not know each other. For the study, a room is used where they are given some confidence to break the initial tension, after that they are transferred to a Geselle camera (it has a single-view mirror, which allows observing and listening to the participants, taking into account their attitudes.)

Once they are in the camera, the moderator begins to ask them in an informal environment and without prior questionnaire, obtaining as much information as possible from them.

Like the quantitative methods, the participants do not need to know the sponsor conducting the study, the moderator must sensitize the participants to be honest by giving them something thanking them for their assistance.

Observations
It is a technique that is used in this method, where the researcher without establishing any contact is dedicated to observing and it is done by people or electrical devices, some are:

In natural situations
When the observer appears to be just another buyer and observes people giving opinions without pressure.

In artificial situations
Artificial situations are created to obtain the information in the shortest possible time, here the behavior of the person can vary by feeling observed (usually by cameras)

Structured observation
The situations that are occurring are noted very carefully and the observers are in strategic places, with a prior plan.

Unstructured observation
Here the observer is placed in the place he wants and makes his observations based only on his professional opinion, it can be given that the information given is not what is desired.

In-depth interview
It consists mainly in determining the structure of the personality of the subjects to achieve their adjustment in the social environment in which they operate, their objective is to be deep and to bring out all the information.

For these methods specific measurements or techniques are used such as:

Attitudes measurement
It is when you want to know what are the attitudes that customers have regarding our products or services, what are their feelings of acceptance or rejection, likes or dislikes, their situations of behavior, etc.

Orgaleptic tests
They allow through hedonic (pleasure) scales to measure the activities towards each of the products, these are:
Monadic (one product only)
Comparisons (2 or more products)
Blind (respondents do not know the brand)
With identified brand

Mandatory maps
They allow us to quickly visualize the position of our products in relation to the competition, they also allow us know the penetration that our product has based on sales and that as a consequence gives us the guideline to the positioning of the same.

Advertising research
It is that my product is positioned in the market through advertising campaigns implemented with a good vision of people's attitudes.

Group Dynamics: Techniques and Tactics By Anameli Monroy de Velasco, Ethel Kupferman Silberstein