Quantitative (quant) and qualitative (qual) market research are two different means to the same end: customer data. At a high level, quant and qual research output are the same. However, the data gathering methods and the stories the data tells are pretty different.
Qual data is used to help identify customer needs, wants, behaviors, and motivations. It is usually conducted via smaller focus groups, in-depth interviews, observation, and user testing. For example, a researcher collects data from a group of five customers about how they can improve their product features.
Conversely, quant data is the collection of broad numerical data to identify patterns, generalizations, opinions, and predictions. Quant data is collected through customer surveys, and the sample sizes are often much larger.
For example, a researcher sent out customer satisfaction surveys to 100,000 recent shoppers. Though often viewed as opposing forms of research, quant and qual data are much more powerful when used together. Together quant and qual research answer the “why?” and “what?” of consumer behavior through data collection and, ultimately, agile insights. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of quant and qual and the businesses that successfully use both.
The Benefits Of Blending Quant & Qual Research
Together, quant and qual research provides vital ingredients that can be blended for richer insights. Here are a few reasons to try it.
Convenience
Nowadays, almost all qual research has to be conducted in person. Even quant surveys were subject to snail mail. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, surveys, and more can be done virtually, making them more appealing to participants and more streamlined for researchers. Conducting quant and qual research is easier than ever, especially for brands that utilize online communities, wherein they have an on-demand group of participants ready to take a survey.
A 360° View
Combining quant and qual research enables you to gain a holistic picture of your customers. Instead of collecting data on 100,00 customer opinions or doing a deep dive into product features with a five-person focus group, blending quant and qual gives you both a broad and granular view. For example, perhaps a company that makes vacuums wants to understand what features their customers look for in high-end products. In that case, the vacuum company could survey a large pool of consumers to gain opinions on various features like maneuverability. Additionally, the brand could conduct virtual interviews with a small selection of customers to peel back the layers even further. For example, if customers prefer vacuums that are easy to move and turn, they can further understand why giving them a holistic view of the problem.
Agile Insights
In 2022 brands will have more challenges and competition than ever before, and companies need to understand customers’ changing behaviors in real-time. Harnessing quant and qual data allow businesses to extract actionable data quickly for smart business decisions. To stay agile, you need a platform that can handle both research methods simultaneously. The Fuel Cycle Agile Insights Platform allows you to perform virtual interviews, send out surveys, and test ad performance in one place.
Blending quant and qual together is great, but how much of each do you combine? 50/50? 40/60? The answer is that it depends on the unique needs of the business. The type of decision-making, desired impact, timeframe, scope, and budget are all factors in deciding how to build out a hybrid research model.
Quant & Qual Data Case Studies
Tufts Health Plan is a perfect example of a brand that uses quant and qual research to capture agile insights. The relationship between Americans and health insurance providers can be challenging. Still, Tufts Health Plan has found a way to combat this stigma by increasing efforts to focus on the customer. A common challenge that businesses face is how to access and aggregate feedback that can be turned into real change.
Thanks to their online patient community, Tufts can mix both qualitative and quantitative research methods to get insights into everything from member knowledge of various insurance plans to what kind of designs they would like to see on content. Tuft’s online community platform maximizes its ability to engage with members continually.
Another example of a company blending quant and qual data is the UPS Store. The UPS Store wanted the ability to reach out to their audience for insightful feedback quickly. They selected Fuel Cycle’s online community platform because it allowed them to execute qualitative, quantitative, and ethnographic research in a single platform.
Today, The UPS Store conducts 3-5 research activities each month and gathers findings in days, not weeks. They directly engage with their customers in real-time to glean valuable brand insights quickly, guiding them to make smarter business decisions to serve their customers better.
According to an article published in Quirk’s Media, “A major credit card company discovered a problem with card-holder services that needed to be understood and addressed. A typical research project to address this issue would require six-to-10 weeks, including an RFP, proposal, selection, design, fielding, and analysis. Since time was of the essence, six-to-10 weeks to complete the research was simply not feasible.” Instead, the research team opted for a quant/qual approach using customer satisfaction surveys. A handful of dissatisfied customers who took the study were allowed to opt into an online bulletin board discussion to further uncover their frustrations. After discussing the problems, the groups identified potential solutions, and the credit card company could take actionable steps to improve their offerings.
Read more customer success stories here.
Wrap Up
In the past, combining quant and qual research was challenging and costly. Today, more business challenges can benefit from bringing the two methodologies together through online platforms that deliver the “what?” and the “why?” together in one place. Focus groups can be attended online or even through mobile phones.
Templated surveys can be sent to hundreds of thousands of customers in seconds. Multiple research strategies can be utilized at once, in real-time with Fuel Cycle’s Agile Insights Platform. With this cohesion, brands can uncover the whole story behind their customer’s feedback, extract deeper insights, and make better, more informed decisions.
Learn more about how the biggest changes in technology have enabled more agile qualitative research by downloading the whitepaper, The Renaissance Of Qualitative Research.
