Ethnographic Research

Working with a global client several years ago, I was amazed to find our European partners had a very different approach to product development. Their starting point was the consumer, not the product. Their initial focus was on qualitative research (what consumers thought and felt). Our primary focus was on quantitative research (the numbers—what products and/or flavors consumers liked best).

In recent years, marketers everywhere have faced increasing challenges as the effectiveness of print and television advertising has decreased, and Internet and personal communications like MySpace, blogs and PDAs have increased. Consumer interest has also shifted toward foods and beverages that are experiential: exciting, fun, soothing, memorable and designed “just for me.”

Martin Lindstrom, in his book “Brand Sense,” writes: “More communication in an already overcrowded world simply won’t do it. A new vision with an emotional basis is required.” Ethnographic research has emerged as a way for companies to observe consumer behavior, tapping into underlying emotions, expectations and experiences that are the basis of insight and a new vision. Lindstrom believes that the five senses—which go beyond words—are links to understanding consumer behavior and creating an emotional bond between the consumer and the brand. Sensory scientists are uniquely qualified to participate in these efforts.

What is ethnographic research?

Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that observes human behavior in context—where people live, work, shop, eat and play. “Compared to other research methods, ethnography is most likely to result in completely new and unexpected learnings by being open to what is really there, rather than being constrained by what is already known, or presumed to be relevant,” says Barbara Perry, Ph.D., Barbara Perry Associates, Truth or Consequences, NM.

The research design of the William Wrigley Jr. Company, Chicago, for its new “5” gum, demonstrates how ethnography can be the GPS of new-product exploration. The company sent 10 scientists, engineers and marketers to spend time with teens and young adults who represent their primary target demographic. The observers discovered, among other findings, that the image-conscious gum-chewers wanted a resealable package with style that would look good on the table next to their iPods (Fast Company, Oct. 2007; 71-72).

Classic ethnography must take place in the subject’s natural environment, and should be distinguished from other forms of observational research such as focus groups, labs and video. These “secondary” situations are akin to watching a movie of an archeological dig, compared to getting down on our knees and sifting through the dirt looking for shards. It’s in the natural environment that product developers uncover the nuances that point to differentiation and innovation.

Ethnographers on the job

Connie Jones, food insight strategist, McCormick & Company, Inc., Hunt Valley, MD, is passionate about the treasures that can be uncovered in consumer territories. She is open and curious about what she may discover on fuzzy front-end explorations: “We go to places where people are using or doing what we’re considering. We do this even before we have an idea. We want to understand what it is we have to resolve ... what we have to create against.