Is In-Person Research Dead? Or Just Hibernating?

Faster Horses

One of my favorite quotes on innovation is from Henry Ford. When asked about consumer opinions on improving transportation, he replied:

The automobile was a revolutionary idea that changed the face of transportation for 100 years. Indeed, as we now look forward to the next 20 years, we aren’t seeing flying cars be the future of transportation, but newer, better versions (electric, hybrid).

 

Digital Video Saturation

As we evaluate the advancements in qualitative research and online tools become more prolific, are we finally seeing the qualitative research revolution? In-person research has often been knocked, despite all its positives, for being expensive and slow. When evaluating the merits of in-person research, and then comparing it to online qualitative and its variants, I believe determining if online is revolutionary or “game-changing” to be at a critical juncture.

Online research tools—using the computer to post thoughts and ideas (asynchronous) or the usage of webcams (synchronous)—have been around for over two decades. As Internet speeds have improved, as well as video compression technologies, synchronous solutions have become more prolific (both in insights and business tools). As more households own computers and have broadband internet, or have a “smartphone” device able to connect to the aforementioned platforms (combined estimated over 80%, according to various online sources), (this subject and others were covered in our powerful webinar we conducted with industry leaders this fall).

Given the immense amount of firsthand knowledge I have in my job in qualitative research, I could spend time addressing the issue of user knowledge and one’s ability to truly understand all of what can be done on a computer or smartphone, resulting in errors and general inability to use the technology properly. But for the sake of brevity, let’s just concede that we are quickly reaching saturation of digital video penetration in the US and that competent usage of it will be sooner rather than later.

1. Video still hasn’t solved how to taste, touch, or smell something. The only way to do these sensory experiences is at a facility-based, in-person research location (you can do in-home research for some projects without the facility, but that brings us to the next issue).
2. If it’s proprietary, you can’t protect it online (or at home). This is a very real issue with corporate and pharma clients: the risk is too high to put it out online, or in-home. We had this issue recently with a client and a smartphone that magically appeared on the screen. Fortunately, the experience wasn’t nefarious and security measures had been taken via NDAs to protect the content. But in the end, you can’t stop intellectual property (IP) theft if what is on the screen is IP and someone really wants to violate those agreements.
3. There isn’t the same richness online as in-person. Sure, you can drill a mile wide, but getting a mile deep into human behavior—just like in real life—is only achievable in-person. Similar to your meetings, your outings with friends, and any other experience that needs more than one person, the depth of observing and understanding human behavior cannot be matched any other way than face-to-face. 

 

We Are Still Social Creatures

Body language can’t be read online. But evolution still places a lot of stock in our senses to evaluate threats (i.e., fight or flight), and we are still very much slaves to our larger lizard brains over our rational monkey brains, having had several thousand fewer years of practice using that newer, smaller portion of our intellectual selves.

And as the vast majority of society doesn’t operate in a vacuum (read at home alone), decisions are made socially, influenced by others. Group dynamics, in person, are relevant as to how we operate as a species. (Is that a different argument now in our COVID world? Absolutely not. I for one don’t believe we’re going to be house pets forever, nor have I heard any psychiatrists suggest we will be fine without human interaction.)

So, if webcams and smartphones can’t replicate or replace in-person experiences, which are crucial to understanding human behavior to make accurate predictions of future human behavior, we definitely are not seeing a revolutionary solution, and in many cases, evolutionary is debatable. And while speed and cost are real issues, isn’t it penny wise and pound foolish to conduct faulty research, saving a few dollars while launching a bad product, or not addressing the core problems of a service solution? Saving tens of thousands of dollars pales in comparison to the tens, even hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially lost in market share.

 

In-Person Research Solutions Are (Still) Best

Which leads me to my conclusion: how best to use these tools, and when? In a pandemic, it totally makes sense to see more online research initiated: when corporate travel restrictions and fear of liability are being passed down by corporate leadership, one plays the cards that are dealt. But clients are starting to relax as they see in-person research can be done safely and effectively, and participants are comfortable coming to facilities.

I believe the pandemic’s impact on qualitative research will be a broader understanding of all the tools available to researchers, and when to use them. Specifically, that in-person and online tools are tremendous compliments to each other. That cutting corners on quality isn’t the way when you can improve speed by choosing the right recruiting solutions. That these online tools can lead to wonderful insights that should be validated in-person, and ensuring the absolute best, most qualified participants are who you are listening to in that focus group viewing room when making that final decision.

I have no doubts that one day the automobile of market research will be created, and it will shift the way we do business and wonder how we ever did it the “old ways.” But we are not there yet, and it’s time to begin planning to engage consumers in person again, so we have the best market data available. The “death” of in-person research is something marketers have been predicting for over 20 years now: I think the rumors of its demise are still premature. It’s just hibernating a little, with the spring already soon upon us.