Does It Make Sense To Return To In-Person Format In Market Research?

Last week we covered four advantages of the virtual format. The world learned to adopt internet-based solutions thanks to the pandemic. This turned out to be a catalyst that led many people to take a step forward to learn its use even at an elementary level. However, in recent weeks there has been an abrupt return to the in-person format despite the fact that in the northern hemisphere we are in the middle of the winter season.

As long as air health measures are followed, it is possible to carry out many of the in-person activities that we had to replace with their online versions whenever it was compatible. It is for the latter that there is a commitment to return to closed and crowded spaces. For this reason, today we list four reasons why it is worth giving space to tasks where contact is personal.

Direct and spontaneous treatment. Humans are social beings. Thanks to computers and smartphones with Internet access we can communicate with people who are on the other side of the world in real time. However, there are limitations to interaction between peers through screens due to the barrier they represent for many. When talking in the same physical place, the interaction tends to be more fluid and frank.

Better reading of non-verbal languages. In other posts on our blog we have talked about qualitative methodology. With these you can know a lot through the codes and messages that people do not express with speech. Much of this content is lost in the online format. For this reason, several qualitative analysts have highly valued the return to face-to-face mode to remedy the lack produced by the scope of digital communications.

Save connection problems. If before we suffered network disconnections at home and in the office with the health crisis, this situation had repercussions rarely imagined. In LATAM it is still common for the connection to be unstable or interrupted in several regions. Before, you could resume activities with your mates or you could choose to move on to another task that did not require access to the network when the internet went down. For this reason, many people sometimes prefer personal mode.

Impossibility of substitution with online alternatives. Although remote work has several virtues, it is also true that not all tasks have found their digital equivalent. To cite an example, the shopping experience in a physical store has many differences from its online version. The layout of the shelves, the critical decision paths and the environmental conditions of tangible establishments have no comparison with online storefronts.

Both formats have their pros and cons. In the case of the in-person format, a more robust and lasting development of interpersonal relationships is achieved than its remote counterpart. This becomes more relevant in Latin America where coexistence between people is a fundamental part of the lifestyle and values of our part of the world. However, it is good to combine both alternatives in the best possible way to benefit from both.

At Acertiva we understand this situation. For this reason we offer solutions based on both options. In this way it is possible to adapt in the best possible way the techniques and tools applied to Market Research for our clients. If you have a project coming up, contact us. We will respond to you with how together we will write your next success story.



Fotografías de dos personas usando cubrebocas y trabajando en oficina. Imagen de MaximeUtopix en Pixabay. (Español) / Fotografias de duas pessoas usando máscaras e trabalhando no escritório. Imagem de MaximeUtopix no Pixabay. (Português) / Photographs of two people wearing face masks and working in the office. Image by MaximeUtopix on Pixabay. (English)