In the Room or on the Zoom?
I read recently that ⅔ of qualitative research is now online, and that feels about right from my experience. Pre-COVID, Zoom groups were not unheard of, but they certainly weren’t the norm; we spent A LOT of time in focus group facilities (and languishing in airports). Now, it’s pretty much the opposite. I wouldn’t say […]
Bringing Research to Life with Video
“The video component reminds clients that we’re talking to real people, who are the heart of it all.” –Anya Zadrozny As the founder of AnyaZMedia, Anya is one of Southpaw Insights’ most exuberant and creative collaborators. Anya is a “triple threat” as a videographer, a producer who specializes in video market research and social media, and […]
Picture This: How We Visualize Data to Tell Stronger Stories
This is the second in a series of profiles about inspiring folks we love to collaborate with. The multi-talented Sidney Jansons is a market researcher with a background in design. She enhances her research work with design skills to effectively communicate insights. Sidney has been instrumental in taking Southpaw’s reporting from “blah” to “boom!”, and her own […]
The Company We Keep: Bringing Together Big Data and Thick Data
Here at Southpaw, we are lucky to work with all kinds of talented people and fascinating organizations. So, we thought it would be fun to share the love with our readers by occasionally featuring a few of our favorite collaborators. First up is our good friend and fellow Titanium Worldwide member, David Ricciardi. David is the founder and […]
Using a “Whole Person” Approach for Better Data and Happier Respondents
Here at Southpaw, our mission is to help our clients understand what people think, feel, and do. In all the work we do, we apply a holistic “whole person” approach, by recognizing that everyone we talk to, whether they are department store shoppers, homeless youth, or elite professional audiences, are people first, with thoughts, feelings, expectations, hopes, […]
Superpowers of the Generalist
I got my PhD in a super-specific line of study, but now I actually prefer being a super-generalist. Don’t get me wrong; going deep academically is a beautiful thing, but it can be limiting. Matt Might, a professor of Internal Medicine and Computer Science at the University of Alabama described the specialist’s dilemma beautifully in “The […]
Moderating Tips Learned at the Bar
I’m always looking for parallels between my research life and my non-research life. Just as playing the ukulele made me a better report writer and ordering decaf coffee influenced my questionnaire writing, I’ve gotten some valuable lessons on focus group moderating just from hanging out at my local bar. Don’t start with the hard stuff. Most people don’t do well […]
5 Simple Ways to Write Better Surveys
Tomorrow is my birthday!! Instead of asking for presents, I’m going to give you all one: 5 ways to make your surveys better. 5. Keep the big picture in mind. Why are you doing this survey? Too often, people include a lot of “nice to knows” in their questionnaires. If you want to know what people […]
How to be a better client: Q&A with my favorite interviewers
This is Connie and Joe. They are amazing in-person interviewers who can get anyone to talk to them, whether it’s someone coming out of a store or a doctor attending a conference. I brought them in to help a retail client understand their shoppers’ behavior, and together we’ve been in half a dozen malls in as […]
Does Your Research Use All Five Senses?
One of my favorite clients is a large retailer that hires me for “shop-along” research: walking through the store with customers and asking about their observations and experience. Basically I get paid to shop vicariously. A few weeks ago, I was designing my screener for a shopping expedition; I wanted to make sure I had people […]