QualBlog
Up Brands in a Down Economy
Amongst all the bad earnings reports and economic news that leaves us quaking is a truism that is being played out by General Mills: supporting strong brands pays off, even in weak econonomies. For the entire article click on http://adage.com/article?article_id=134670. General Mills Thrives on Increased Marketing Spending Boosting TV Ads Hiked Cereal Sales, But Digital
Read moreSweet 16: Do's and Don'ts when dealing with facilities
Even us “old dogs” can use a reminder sometimes. Apparently our good friend Judy Langer is doing a lot of writing these days. A few days ago we posted her Quirks article on ethnography. Now she has teamed up with our friend Manny Schrager (owner of Consumer Centers of NY and NJ) to write an
Read moreQual: A tool for peace in Mindanao
Sometimes qualitative research can be inspiring. For me, it has usually been in the midst of a focus group when a participant makes a comment and the light bulb goes off. At those moments I nearly gasp with delight and wonder at the insight gained. This is inspiring but in a totally different way. This
Read morePrimer for Qual End Users
The QRCA Professionalism Committe headed by one of my favorite people, Bob (J.R.) Harris, has developed a white paper for qualitative viewers. The stated purpose of this paper is to: Enhance the learning of backroom viewers, thereby maximizing the value of the research Preempt the risk of making potentially costly viewing and/or listening errors Provide
Read moreEnd Users' take on Ethnography
Ethnographic Research: Trendy Method or Essential Tool? Judy Langer and Jon Last wrote an interesting article in the February issue of Quirks. They interviewed 26 end users to get their perspecitives on the use of ethnography. Some of the my highlights are included here. Generally end users were very positive about the use of ethnography
Read moreDating the Brand for Valentines Day
KW Brand Blog (http://blog.kwbrand.com/WordPress/) gives us some brand advice appropriate for Valentine’s Day. According to KW, brand strategy is more complicated than dating. No wonder I can’t get it right. For a timely perspective, keep reading. And Happy Valentine’s Day.
Read moreCynefin Sense-Making Framework...a model for decision-making
In research and in management, we are solving problems. As we know, not all problems are created equal. There are many different approaches to many different problems. A fascinating method for thinking about problem-solving is the Cynefin Sense-Making Framework developed by Professor David Snowden. This framework divides problems into two broad categories: ordered and unordered.
Read moreGrandma's getting online
Seismic Shift in Internet Age Mass by Jack Loechner, Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 8:15 AM According to surveys through 2008 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past, and they are doing more activities online. Generation X (not Y) is the most likely group to bank,
Read moreZeldis Research makes the case for BBFG
This article appeared in the February edition of the MRA’s e-News. No, we did not write the article. However, we did find it very interesting and agree wholeheartedly with their conclusion, “Is a BBFG for every client and every project? Of course not. But it’s an increasingly important tool in our qualitative toolbox, and we
Read moreWinning Clients: An End User Perspective
Regina Lewis, PhD and VP of Global Insights for InterContinental Hotels Group gave an “End User’s Perspective” at the MRA’s CEO Summit. Here are some notes from her presentation that you might find helpful the next time you try to land that big account. During a recession, end users are often understaffed but still have
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