I have over 10 years of consumer research experience. From ethnographies, to online bulletin boards, to focus groups I've done it all. Research is a passion of mine. I love understanding social nuances, uncovering insights and digging deeper into the web of emotions that drive consumer behavior.
Research services I not only provide, but am passionate about.
- Focus group moderation (includes traditional, triads, IDIs, in-homes)
- Ethnographies
- Expert Interviews
- Segmentation study in-depth analysis
For each of these methodologies I can manage the entire project. From screener development to recruiting, discussion guides, homework and projective exercises, synthesizing insights, report share-out and key takeaways.
How you share research is just as important as how you conduct it.
While I was at DFCB I worked with our fearless department planning leader, Jamie Shuttleworth, to create a proprietary tool called "The Contact Zone." This was a cool and interesting way to showcase research, and it not only became a passion project of mine but it also became an agency proprietary tool. Below is a video that explained the tool... guess which hands are mine?
Bringing a segmentation study to life
Consumer segmentation studies provide a better understanding of the marketplace, however it doesn't provide the high-level lifestyle insights and consumer beliefs that are needed to dimensionalize a target. Online bulletin boards are a great way to conduct qualitative research with a large group of consumers. For a recent Zales project I brought to life a specific consumer segment identified from their segmentation study. With over 40 respondents, I was able to dig deeper into their lives. A tour of their house, understanding their social relationships, their romantic relationships, and the role jewelry plays in their lives.
Projective Exercises
Projective exercises are a great way to not only spark a discussion around a specific topic, but to dig deeper into the thought process of our consumers. The examples below are from PetSmart. As we were pitching the business, we wanted to better understand the transformation that happens when getting a pet. We identified a sense of elation and happiness that comes with owning a pet (in this case specifically, a dog). But as we dug deeper into their responses, the discussion revolved around appreciating the responsibility. How owning a pet was a lot of work, but in a good way. Some people even called their pets their furbabies. It was from this discussion, and our additional research, we were able to recognize that these consumers aren't pet owners - they're pet parents - and that's how we should communicate with them.
