Tools and Methods

Suddenly faced with the challenge of understanding new behaviors, needs and attitudes, the pandemic forced researchers to evaluate what information needed to be gathered and how it could be done. Some researchers relied on traditional methods and tools, at a greater volume, some tried entirely new methods and tools, but most blended a little of both. As Rusnak explained:

"We rely heavily on online surveys for each of the companies we partner with for consumer research, but that’s not new in the pandemic. Virtual platforms for qualitative research have become more important. However, a combination of both platforms is important and needed to fulfill our jobs successfully."

Rusnak highlights on of the most notable trends coming out of the pandemic, the acceleration of research technology solutions. The number of players in the space had been expanding before Covid but suddenly, these tools offered researchers exactly what they needed: agility, speed, access and collaboration. Automation tools like quantilope or SightX allow teams to execute projects quickly, collaborate across remote teams and also execute advanced analytics projects with rapid turnaround. The agility of tools like this allowed research teams to try new methods. Rusnak’s team tried an Implicit Association Test to uncover consumers’ real feelings. Not in their methods library before, it worked so well the team is eager to use it again.

The real winner in the tools and methods area was, as Rusnak noted, tech-enabled qualitative research. With traditional qualitative solutions off the table, researchers had to find other ways to connect with customers and consumers. Coates added:

"Although these tools existed before COVID, they have been perfected as everyone has gotten familiar with Zoom, Teams, cameras, etc. We have conducted a number of digital focus groups, IDI’s, etc. since COVID and we are much more satisfied with the outcomes than in the past. Plus, they have the added benefit of being open to interested colleagues who want to hear directly from the consumer. The ability to bring your stakeholders along on your research journey is critical for buy-in and a successful partnership."

Newswanger agreed, “We saw an expanded use of virtual forms of communication and collaboration for “in person” feedback. By nature, this mostly concerns qualitative feedback and our ability to perfect text and social media analysis has become even more important.”