Within Market Research, there are two main methodologies for gaining a deeper understanding of people and brands: quantitative and qualitative methods. Within each segment, there are a number of techniques that are useful to know in order to choose the most appropriate one when needed. This week, we want to focus on one of these techniques, given its potential for gaining insight into a topic in its early stages: in-depth interviews.
This technique is sometimes underutilized because it requires a larger investment than other techniques in the same category and demands a series of conditions that we will list below in our blog. This list will help you consider the relevance of this tool during the design phase of your research and be aware of the resources you will need to secure to implement it. However, since this list is not exhaustive, be sure to consult with market analysts for more information on the topic.
Strategic Recruitment. As you may have realized by now, in-depth interviews are typically used when there isn’t much background information on a particular topic. In this scenario, contacting people who are knowledgeable about a subject in its early stages can be a headache if you don’t know where to start. A team of recruitment experts can be one of your main allies in this endeavor. For example, snowball sampling techniques are invaluable at this stage.
Topic Guide. Even before you have a list of contacts who have confirmed their participation in your interviews, it’s essential to design a list of topics and questions you want to ask the interviewees. This document is a series of instructions and basic questions to help you obtain the findings that will become actionable insights for your business plan. As such, it’s not a set of fixed questions and can be phrased in multiple ways based on the interviewees’ experience and availability.
Specialized Moderation. This technique assumes the active participation of two people: an interviewee and an interviewer or moderator. Perhaps we’re not conducting a journalistic exercise in the strictest sense, but it’s essential to maintain a foundation of best practices in carrying out this activity. To ensure this, having someone experienced in interpersonal relations and knowledgeable about the project’s subject matter is a resource we recommend you don’t skimp on.
Interview Location. The meeting place is as important, if not more so, than the specialized discussion itself. As you may recall, since these studies aim to establish a precedent in your topic, the people involved may be very busy and have limited opportunities to collaborate with our teams. For this reason, we suggest considering options such as conducting the discussions online or proposing that the moderator come to the location requested by the interviewee.
In-depth interviews are a means of uncovering insights into a problem that would otherwise be impossible to understand. However, due to time constraints and tight budgets, they are often overlooked. We suggest you give them a try and be surprised to learn that they can also serve as a starting point for applying other qualitative techniques, such as focus groups. Consult with market research agencies about this and take your industry to the next level.
At Acertiva, we have experience in this and other qualitative techniques. Thanks to our more than two decades of experience, we can offer you a team of analysts and strategic partners to meet your consumer understanding needs in LATAM. We also offer a free fifteen-minute consultation to help you take the first step toward your next project. Let’s write your next success story together.
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