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Ethnographies have become one of the most powerful tools a researcher can employ for authentic consumer research. Traditional focus groups bring consumers into an artificial environment. On the other hand, ethnographic studies go into the consumer’s environment. The artificial environment of the traditional focus group can skew the feedback from consumers and leave brands with misleading data. Ethnographies are able to uncover deeper truth’s by being the natural environment of consumers. However, it is not sustainable on a large scale. It is costly and logistically challenging to visit a large sample of consumers’ homes.
The digital web has become a ‘second-home’ environment for consumers. It is a natural space where consumers are already comfortable shopping, researching and interacting. In fact, interacting on the digital web has become a large part of consumers’ regular daily lives. Nearly 70% of consumers research online before making a purchase (Market-truth.com). That number jumps up to an outstanding 97% when referring to local products and services (BiaKesley.com). Furthermore, consumers are now actually beginning to prefer online over in-store. A recent study from the UPS showed 62% of consumers would rather shop at their favorite retailer online than in-store (online.wsj.com). Why? Convenience. They can shop whenever they want, from wherever they want and on their own time.
If consumers are going online for most of their consumptive needs, why aren’t brands meeting them there to gain a better understanding of those needs?
Consumers are reluctant to let brands into their home. However, in the ‘online environment’ consumers welcome interactions with brands and even take the first steps to connecting. 79 percent of consumers said they Like or follow brands on social networks to get more information about the company and its products and services. Brands are missing a huge opportunity if they’re not developing these initial acts of interest into more developed, insight-driven conversations.
Meeting consumers online enables brands to, as Communispace put it in a recent video, ‘not just collect data on consumers, but start collaborating with consumers as a better way of doing business.’ Meeting consumers in their own environment is meeting them at a point of inspiration. They’re in their element and going about their daily lives – perhaps even using your product at that moment. At the point of inspiration is where the best learnings can be uncovered. They’re real, authentic insights, not derived insights developed in an artificial environment.
However, using the online environment to connect with and learn about consumers is a double-edged sword. It takes time and commitment from both the brand side and the consumer side. If the consumer is investing their time and thoughts they will demand more from the brand. It’s how any relationship works, the more you invest the more you look to get out. The online environment is always-on and consumers will expect brands to be as well. This does not necessarily mean having a person to talk to at all times of the day, but timely responses.
Learning about and from consumers is essential to the development of any brand. With today’s modern technologies, brands no longer need to be an interruption to daily life. The learning process can be a part of daily life and the consumer’s natural environments. This includes ways in which consumers feel most comfortable communicating. Online communication goes beyond text and voice feedback to photos, videos, ideas and suggestions from the consumer. It just takes opening up that line of communication and commitment.
Top image from Imgembed.
Ethnographies have become one of the most powerful tools a researcher can employ for authentic consumer research. Traditional focus groups bring consumers into an artificial environment. On the other hand, ethnographic studies go into the consumer’s environment. The artificial environment of the traditional focus group can skew the feedback from consumers and leave brands with misleading data. Ethnographies are able to uncover deeper truth’s by being the natural environment of consumers. However, it is not sustainable on a large scale. It is costly and logistically challenging to visit a large sample of consumers’ homes.
The digital web has become a ‘second-home’ environment for consumers. It is a natural space where consumers are already comfortable shopping, researching and interacting. In fact, interacting on the digital web has become a large part of consumers’ regular daily lives. Nearly 70% of consumers research online before making a purchase (Market-truth.com). That number jumps up to an outstanding 97% when referring to local products and services (BiaKesley.com). Furthermore, consumers are now actually beginning to prefer online over in-store. A recent study from the UPS showed 62% of consumers would rather shop at their favorite retailer online than in-store (online.wsj.com). Why? Convenience. They can shop whenever they want, from wherever they want and on their own time.
If consumers are going online for most of their consumptive needs, why aren’t brands meeting them there to gain a better understanding of those needs?
Consumers are reluctant to let brands into their home. However, in the ‘online environment’ consumers welcome interactions with brands and even take the first steps to connecting. 79 percent of consumers said they Like or follow brands on social networks to get more information about the company and its products and services. Brands are missing a huge opportunity if they’re not developing these initial acts of interest into more developed, insight-driven conversations.
Meeting consumers online enables brands to, as Communispace put it in a recent video, ‘not just collect data on consumers, but start collaborating with consumers as a better way of doing business.’ Meeting consumers in their own environment is meeting them at a point of inspiration. They’re in their element and going about their daily lives – perhaps even using your product at that moment. At the point of inspiration is where the best learnings can be uncovered. They’re real, authentic insights, not derived insights developed in an artificial environment.
However, using the online environment to connect with and learn about consumers is a double-edged sword. It takes time and commitment from both the brand side and the consumer side. If the consumer is investing their time and thoughts they will demand more from the brand. It’s how any relationship works, the more you invest the more you look to get out. The online environment is always-on and consumers will expect brands to be as well. This does not necessarily mean having a person to talk to at all times of the day, but timely responses.
Learning about and from consumers is essential to the development of any brand. With today’s modern technologies, brands no longer need to be an interruption to daily life. The learning process can be a part of daily life and the consumer’s natural environments. This includes ways in which consumers feel most comfortable communicating. Online communication goes beyond text and voice feedback to photos, videos, ideas and suggestions from the consumer. It just takes opening up that line of communication and commitment.
Top image from Imgembed.
This is a cross-post from Napkin Labs blog.