Toolbox

How to Conduct Ethnography for Big Results and Real Impact

Ethnographic research allows us to observe behavior in natural settings, uncovering deep insights that traditional methods often miss. By blending into the environment with unobtrusive recording techniques, I can capture genuine reactions without participants feeling observed. This approach helps businesses better understand their customers’ decision-making processes, leading to practical solutions. In one project, we identified over 80 improvements for a restaurant chain—some small, others transformative—ultimately enhancing the customer experience in ways that executives often hadn’t considered […]

Schools of Thought

So Big They Are Almost Invisible: 4 Roles of Brand Rituals and What They Mean for Researchers

The profound impact of rituals makes them a rich opportunity for marketers. This article discusses the “invisible” power of ritual on people’s lives and some of the ways brands capitalize on these behaviors. Discover how brands tap into the human affinity for ritual through cookies, sports jerseys, beer, and flight attendant safety speeches. The authors close with suggestions for how qualitative researchers can adopt a ritual lens to develop a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. […]

Toolbox

The Rich and Complex World of WhatsApp in Research

This article will give all researchers insights on how to use WhatsApp in their methodology toolbox. It will also illuminate how WhatsApp can allow for capturing more natural responses and stories, an approach aligned with the research industry’s increasing recognition that research methods that cultivate real-world storytelling are vital to surfacing deep insights. […]