The beauty of a mixed methodology approach is that it uncovers the deep, emotional motivations of customers along with the quantitative validation of their behavior across a larger population. This approach provides a brand team with a holistic, 360-degree perspective on their customer base. But how do you ensure that insights and story stay cohesive across these multiple phases?
Here are five things to keep in mind as you manage a mixed methodology approach with your insights partner:
1. Engage stakeholders from the start.
Understand what different stakeholders expect the research to help address and their expectations for this learning. This will guide the structure of the approach and align the team around the goals of the research.
2. Ongoing work sessions.
The brand team, stakeholders, and the insights partners should hold work sessions throughout the multiple phases of the project and not wait until the final report to assemble again. For example, having a work session after the qualitative can be used as a springboard for refining and developing the quantitative survey.
3. Unpack the strategic issue.
When there are multiple phases of an insights project, it’s critical to tie together both the qualitative and quantitative learnings in a way that analyzes the key strategic issue at hand. To do so, connect critical data points (the what) with the actual comments of customers (the why). This builds a cohesive story for the teams and stakeholders, instead of just presenting an isolated statistic or a one-off quote.
4. Stay flexible.
What happens if your customers catch you off guard, and deliver a surprising insight that could dramatically alter the strategic thinking and planning? Be prepared to pivot in the middle of the project and determine what alternate technique can explore that unexpected insight in more depth.
5. Keep a consistent team.
There should be a core strategic insights team that guides the brand team throughout the multiple phases. There may be different experts brought in at certain phases, such as moderators who are skilled at a certain target market and can engage with consumers in the best possible way. Or during the quantitative phase, an advanced analytics team may be necessary. But the core insights team connect the dots and tie all the insights together
What happens if your customers catch you off guard, and deliver a surprising insight that could dramatically alter the strategic thinking and planning? Be prepared to pivot in the middle of the project and determine what alternate technique can explore that unexpected insight in more depth.”
There are so many options for brand teams in developing a mix of methodologies to identify the right strategic direction especially on high-stakes issues such as innovation, segmentation, and customer journey. The five tips above ensure that having multiple phases doesn’t become an overwhelming process and delivers the insights story to stakeholders that results in brand growth.
Want to learn more about mixed methodologies in action? View this case study or contact us.
