Qualitative research is a way for researchers to define or deal with problems. The specific purpose is to deeply study the specific characteristics or behaviors of the object and further explore the causes of its occurrence. if quantitative study To solve the problem of "what", qualitative research is to solve the problem of "why". Qualitative research explores the "why" rather than "how" of a topic by analyzing unordered information, which includes various types of information, such as History , script and recording of meeting records, notes, feedback forms, photos, videos, etc. Unlike quantitative research, it does not rely solely on statistical data Or figures. It's like“ Grounded theory ”、“ ethnology ”And other formal research methods. It is a definite thing Essential attribute Of scientific research , one of the basic steps and methods of scientific research. It is through observation, experiment and analysis to examine whether the research object has this or that attribute or characteristic, and whether there is relationship between them. Because it only requires an answer to the nature of the research object, it is called qualitative research. Researchers used historical review document analysis , interview, observation, participation experience and other methods to obtain data in natural situations, and analyze and obtain them by non quantitative means research conclusion Method. Qualitative research emphasizes meaning, experience (usually oral description), description, etc. Qualitative research is a research on a group of small, carefully selected sample individuals. This research is not required to be statistically significant, but it can effectively gain insight into the behavior and motivation of research objects, as well as their possible impact, by virtue of the experience, sensitivity and relevant technologies of researchers.
market research There are two main methods of qualitative research and quantitative research. It is not difficult to see from the text that the so-called qualitative research refers to a method of research from the nature; Quantitative research is a quantitative research method. Qualitative research is a way for researchers to define or deal with problems. It is a market that reveals the nature of things research method 。 Generally speaking, it is to deeply study consumers' views and further explore the reasons why consumers are like this or that. If quantitative research solves the problem of "what", qualitative research solves the problem of "why". Usually, as a new product, the planner will face a lot of confusion before going to market. For example, who should it be sold to, what are the benefits of its products, whether consumers need these benefits, how much they are willing to spend to buy these benefits, what are consumers' views on this new product, and whether they will like this packaging and style... Why? There are so many problems that planners cannot solve by holding a meeting, surfing the Internet or patting their heads in the office. Only through properly controlled qualitative research can we get the correct answers to these problems.
The main forms of qualitative research include group discussion, one-on-one depth interview Etc. Because the research process is relatively short and easy to control, qualitative research has attracted more and more attention from enterprises and marketing planners in recent years. According to data, the cost of domestic qualitative research in American enterprises increased from 350 million dollars in 1989 to 1 billion dollars in 1999, Growth rate 280%. No matter what form is used, in the process of qualitative research, three main steps must be mastered: planning, implementation, analysis and application. Once these three key points are mastered, the whole qualitative research will have a successful foundation.
Let's take the panel discussion as an example.
Step 1: Planning: Skills are the most important
A successful qualitative study also needs careful planning, which is mainly reflected in the following two aspects:
Reasonable grouping How many symposiums need to be held? How to determine the interviewees invited each time? These two seemingly simple questions actually reflect the qualitative research Purposiveness And scientific. At the same time, reasonable grouping not only directly affects the research results, but also greatly saves research costs. Design Access Outline Usually, before the group discussion, the researcher will design an outline including the main process and specific content in advance. This seemingly simple outline is very particular. A symposium should generally have 6 to 10 interviewees. It requires high skill to let these unknown interviewees speak their minds without interference from other factors and ensure that they provide the most authentic information. For example, in the previous symposium on qualitative research of health care rice, we did not directly mention the issues related to health care rice in the entire visit outline, but all the issues revolved around what we need to know.
Step 2: Execution: Details are the key
The key to execution is the control of details. During the discussion, the following links are the key to implementation:
Personnel selection and invitation Since the number of qualitative research respondents is small, each respondent's answer will have a greater impact on the whole research results. Therefore, the work of personnel selection and invitation is crucial. For example, the company where the author works has a large number of full-time and part-time employees Visitor They constantly collect information about various personnel at ordinary times. Once the conditions of the interviewees are determined, they can find suitable personnel in the shortest time. At the same time, we will design a test questionnaire to further evaluate these personnel and select the most appropriate respondents. On site environment of the symposium The on-site environment and atmosphere of the symposium will affect the mood of the interviewees, thus affecting the research results. A good site environment should be closed, quiet, casual and comfortable. In addition to the moderator and recorder, the access of other irrelevant personnel shall be controlled. The number of interviewees should be controlled between 6 and 10. Too few interviewees are not conducive to the collection of answers, and too many interviewees are not conducive to the control of the scene, and no more in-depth research can be carried out. The researcher can place some snacks, fruits, drinks, etc. for the interviewees to use, so that the interviewees can enter a relaxed and happy situation as soon as possible. It is most appropriate to arrange the seats in a round table to avoid intentional arrangement of the interviewees the seating order The feeling of. Moderator's attitude and adaptability The host is the core of the whole symposium. An excellent host should have the following basic quality ： 1、 Very friendly. The duration of a symposium should not exceed 2 hours, which requires the host to establish a good trust in the interviewee in the shortest time.
2、 No Tendentiousness 。 The words of the host must be absolutely neutral, without any personal opinions and tendencies, so as to gain the identity of the interviewees and get feedback on the real situation. 3、 Excellent control and adaptability. In almost every forum, there will always be some interviewees who do not cooperate with you. The author has met a man who is over 40 years old, has a successful career and has Higher Education Of the male respondents, he ignored all the questions and kept dialing his mobile phone. Seeing this scene, I first "complimented" him severely, saying that he had rich experience, temperament, and education, and asked him very modestly, suggesting that we particularly care about his opinions. Ten minutes later, he took the initiative to turn off his mobile phone and actively participated in the discussion. 4、 Have professional marketing ability. Every symposium Possible "Unexpected" beyond the access outline. For example, in many cases, the respondents' answers or creativity will be completely beyond the imagination of the host, which may be a very good highlight, but it requires the host to have a high degree of susceptibility , have sufficient professional awareness in marketing planning, timely ask questions, or temporarily change the process, or adjust the questions of the forum. This professional quality should not only meet the professional requirements of qualitative research, but also be professional Planning ability 。 If the host does not understand marketing planning and industry characteristics, it is difficult to capture these important details. Step 3, Analysis and Application: Profession is effective
The above work is all for analysis and application.
One just entered from other industries Health products industry % of the enterprises presented the author with a qualitative research report on the marketing planning of new products, and said that this was the best one they had specifically found Market research company , which cost more than 100000 yuan. After reading the report, the author could only tell him that the report was well done, but it was useless. The report draws many conclusions. For example, 70% of Shanghai people buy health care products in stores, more than 60% of health care products are used for gifts, and 80% of consumers think that the price of no more than 3 yuan/day is the most appropriate. These conclusions are in line with the reality of the market, but this is the basic knowledge that everyone in the industry should know. These conclusions are far from enough for the marketing of a specific product. In fact, the person in charge of a qualitative research project should know not only the professional knowledge of research, but also the professional knowledge of industry and planning. Imagine: you don't know what is going on in the health care product industry, and what information may be needed in the planning process. How can you do a good job in this qualitative research project? Therefore, when doing analysis and application, researchers must have the ability to master the "degree": which conclusions are valuable, which conclusions need to be explored, and which conclusions must be abandoned. These may be the important aspects to measure the professional level of a marketing planner.
