Qualitative research often gets the spotlight. It’s accessible, collaborative, and often fun. It can be immersive, revealing deeper motivations, consumer language, and lived experiences that put the consumer’s world into context. At Southpaw, we love qual work and do it with great care and expertise. 

But as important as qualitative insights can be, they’re not always enough. In a world of rapid shifts and market pressure, brands and organizations often need more. They need evidence. 

That’s where quantitative research comes in. It isn’t always as “sexy” or exciting as qualitative work, but it provides the proof points that guide leadership with rigorous insights. 

The Case for Quant (Why It Matters More Than Ever) 

Quant has always been about scale and reliability. In today’s volatile market, it delivers even more: 

• Confident decision making. The ability to anchor decisions in robust data is invaluable, separating clear signals from noise and guiding smart moves. 

• Proof for stakeholders. ROI scrutiny is real. Data backs up investment and secures alignment at every level. 

• Agility with substance. Modern platforms quickly deliver thousands of data points without sacrificing depth, matching the pace of agile brand and innovation cycles. 

• Future readiness. Advanced quantitative models don’t just describe behavior—they provide a future view, mapping and validating potential outcomes. 

The result: quant transforms uncertainty into clarity and hypotheses into action. 

Our Favorite Quantitative Methods (and What They Do Best) 

The most valuable techniques today go beyond basic surveys. They reveal priorities, sharpen strategy, and map paths for growth. 

Segmentation with Behavioral Data 

• What it does: Merges survey-based attitudes with real behaviors like purchase history or digital engagement. 

• Why it matters: Segments grounded in both what people say and what they do are more predictive. This helps brands target with precision and invest where growth is real. 

Assessing Brand Health with Stated vs. Derived Importance 

• What it does: Compares attributes on stated importance (what people say) and derived importance (which attributes actually correlate with their overall rating of the brand). 

• Why it matters: Highlights which attributes a brand currently owns vs. its competitors, and which attributes truly move the market. 

MaxDiff for Sharp Prioritization

• What it does: Forces respondents to pick the most and least important options, creating a clear ranking of benefits, features, or claims. 

• Why it matters: Cuts through the “everything is important” trap. Helps teams focus on the top differentiators that will actually win attention and spend. 

Discrete Choice Modeling (DCM) 

• What it does: Puts consumers in simulated buying situations, analyzing the tradeoffs they make across price, features, and brands. Results feed into an interactive simulator. 

• Why it matters: Predicts real-world outcomes before launch. Brands can model pricing, line extensions, or portfolio shifts with confidence instead of guesswork. 

The Complete Picture (Research Best Practices) 

Quantitative research isn’t just about counting opinions ― it’s about building the evidence leaders need to make better calls. But relying on only one method is like navigating with half a map. 

The smartest strategies emerge when you take a multi-modal approach that integrates empathy and rigor: 

• Qualitative sparks ideas, brings lived experiences to life, and uncovers the why 

• Quantitative shows what matters at scale and how markets will respond 

Together, they create strategies that are both human-centered and evidence-backed, identifying the highest-potential paths for growth. 

About Southpaw Insights: We believe the best decisions happen when deep understanding meets unshakeable confidence. With proven expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research, our strength lies in weaving the best of both together to help clients make their smartest moves.