Quantitative and qualitative market research are the yin and yang of research techniques Quantitative research provides the hard data, the measurement and qualitative research adds the human motivational element to explain that data; the why.

As one of the leading qualitative research companies, at Spark our unique blend of qualitative market research services has won awards and accolades right across the UK, as well as attracting many major brands like Tesco, Amazon and Unilever.

What is Qualitative Market Research?

Qualitative market research helps you understand why your statistics tell you what they do.

As a marketing concept, understanding why people don’t do something is equally as important as understanding why they do. If you think of numbers and statistics in terms of a painting, the numbers represent the outline and then qualitative market research begins to add rich colour to the picture.

It is an immersive technique used by qualitative market research companies that involves observing, documenting, and questioning people and attempting to find out why they do what they do.

The Benefits of Qualitative Market Research

Qualitative market research is a very fluid and adaptable form that provides many benefits:

In-depth exploration of attitudes and behaviour.
Encourages a more open discussion and exchange of ideas.
Offers the flexibility to change course.
Springboards innovation, new ideas, and new approaches.
Provides opportunities to think laterally and blur the lines between quantitative and qualitative research to produce a hybrid market research strategy.

Spark Market Research Products

Our methodologies are perfect for gaining a deeper understanding of your brand positioning, help create new products or understand the psyche of your customer base. Qualitative research features in the following Spark products:

Spark Clan

Being hyper-focused in audience comprehension leads to a better understanding of their needs and better communication. Once you fully understand your audience, you can even begin to direct your audience’s behaviour through market leadership in quality and anticipating the next trends. This is the goal for any business, whereby your audience responds to your products and sees you as the first choice.

Learn about customer segmentation

Spark Flexi-Track

Our brand equity tracking product is called Spark Flexi-Track ©. No straight-jackets here. It’s a flexible tracker built for the 21st century. Let’s face too many of the other trackers are built to accommodate rational, perfect consumers. If you can find these people let us know – we’ve spent 15 years looking for them with no success.

Find out more about brand tracking

Qualitative Market Research Techniques

The field of qualitative market research is filled with endless possibilities. It fits in well with our philosophy that research doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be boring. At Spark we believe that engaging techniques breed creativity, which in turn deliver fantastic results for our clients.

If there is a better or more cost-effective way of doing things that doesn’t compromise on results, you can rely on us to find it.

Focus Groups

Bring our researchers into direct contact with consumers. Being part of a group often gives people the confidence to speak out with more honesty than they might in a one-to-one situation. A productive focus group provides an opportunity to represent the potential target market and how they may react to new stimulus such as a product launch.

Researchers can begin to understand how to design a much more far-reaching and encompassing marketing campaigns that taps a rich vein of new business opportunities.

In-depth Interviews

Depth interviews allow us to capture more detailed data for how people behave and think. We want the conversation to flow and allow for change of directions. This is a fluid process where shifts in direction are encouraged, rather than a formal interview.

The interviewer uses open-ended questions to listen rather than be a questioner. Questions are desigion to promote lateral discussion and expand horizons, this is useful for sensitive topics.

Ethnography

This is an observational technique, where we understand how people are using products and services in their normal routines. This can be in their home environment or their interactions with other people and the wider world around them.

We love ethnographic projects, it has allowed us to speak with a variety of people from Gen Zs in Jamaica to Graffiti artists in LA. Think of Ethnography as the Fly on the wall research.

Work That Works

Research shouldn’t be boring. We believe that fun breeds creativity, which in turn, delivers better results. And that’s why collaboration is core to Spark projects. We work in partnership with our clients, creating the insight which turns customer understanding into strategy.

EirGrid

EirGrid Group Spark were extremely agile – we had very little time to test the proposed creative and multi-layered messaging that was developed as a two-year campaign. Not only did …

GIY

Growing It Yourself – a Spotlight on the Food Growing Interests of the Irish Public GIY doesn’t have to be limited to the public space – it can also help …

Hilton Foods Ireland

Hilton Foods Ireland wanted to understand the Irish meat buyer’s journey and experiences to re-invigorate the consumer experience. Spark put together a meaty plan that included mealtime diaries to understand …

Qualitative Market Research Services from Spark