The case for being in-person with consumers

What people say is not always the whole story. Seven reasons we might consider in-person over virtual in-depth interviews, focus groups, shop alongs, or co-creation:

1. It allows us to hear from AND see consumers.

In-person, you’re able to see around the limited field of view with online platforms. You can read body language, and observe side conversations, group dynamics, and pointing or referring to items, capturing what’s often subconscious for respondents.

• Shop alongs for a grocery client revealed how much and what specifically about packaging, shelf placement, and in-store marketing impacts frozen purchase decisions.

2. Respondents feel more comfortable, and we can connect more easily.

Having 2-4 people in the room with you who you’ve met and introduced to your kids or pets is reassuring whereas seeing silent, black squares is intimidating. Especially when dealing with a sensitive subject matter or population.

• In an interview for a fintech project, one of our respondents shared that she nearly committed suicide over the state of her finances. Had we not been in-person, had we not created a space where she felt comfortable, we wouldn’t have been privileged with that story.

3. Activities can be adapted more quickly and easily.

Quallies are nothing if not flexible but when you’re in-person any shifts can be instantaneous instead of taking an interview/group or two to work out.

• While in-field for a beauty client, with a couple of blank flash cards and a marker, we pivoted from a keep or toss exercise to a plotting exercise, so respondents weren’t considering multiple dimensions at once.

4. We can capture insights from all five senses.

Insight from all five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch – is key to developing a new or optimizing an existing product, innovating on packaging design, or understanding purchase decisions.

• Recent fieldwork for a retail client had us talking to and filming consumers while they felt various brands’ jeans, allowing us to better understand how feel contributes to consumers’ jean try on and purchase decisions.

5. Unless you need a traditional facility, there’s minimal cost difference with in-person.

You’re essentially swapping platform costs for travel costs, and traditional facilities are dreary anyway. The only exception is when the project calls for being in-person in a significant number of or international markets.

• We were able to keep travel costs for a moderator and videographer to two American markets under the cost of those same 18 interviews via a platform like discuss.io.

6. It builds lasting empathy, passalong value.

The deliverables we’re able to create after being in-person are even more powerful – videos, one-pagers, even reports are more immersive and create positive ripples across our clients’ teams.

• Recently, we put together a video illustrating black hypertension patients’ tumultuous journeys, and our clients were so moved watching for the first time, they teared up.

7. It’s much more difficult to get creative with focus group participants if we’re all online.

We often use digital whiteboards for activities in online focus groups but because it’s challenging to support multiple participants simultaneously from a screen, it often cuts into our time and focus.

• Our recent online focus groups for a financial client had to be paused a few times to help our respondents navigate Miro.

All this to say, let’s talk about whether in-person or online is best for your needs.

Alix Greenman, May 25

About the Author:

Alix has an extensive background in original research, particularly qualitative / ethnographic research. She has helped clients in a variety of industries and geographies get to know and observe their customers, understand where their industry is headed, identify whitespace, launch products, evolve their packaging, and rebrand. All the while developing deep expertise in virtual and in-person moderation, narrative development, including for videos, and hybrid and in-person workshop facilitation.

Alix loves being in-person with consumers and has led in-person fieldwork for e.l.f. Beauty, Bath & Body Works, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Endeavor Health, Hilton, Levi’s, Lovesac, McCormick, Medecins Sans Frontières, Sephora, and the Los Angeles Clippers.