Ethnography gets companies closer to customers

Yesterday, a Business Intelligence Study from Pearlfinders (LINK), highlighted the differences between what marketing agencies say and what marketing decision makers actually want.

 

One of the major findings of the Pearlfinders research was the need for “better customer insights.” Marketing decision makers believe that “proximity to the mind of the customer is critical.” They don’t think we (marketing agencies) are doing as good a job in this arena as we should.

 

Most of us have been involved in different types of customer-centric research. Traditional focus groups, questionnaires, on-floor polling at trade shows, phone call interviews, online focus groups, etc. All of these research techniques have their place and can provide helpful quantitative and/or qualitative data.

 

One “emerging” type of research very few B2B and technology companies have adopted is ethnography. Conceived in the 1920s by sociologists and cultural anthropologists, ethnography is an observational technique that studies people where they live and work, in their natural environment.

 

Traditional research approaches can sometimes deliver artificial, skewed or false feedback that doesn’t reflect what people really think. Ethnography seeks out – and finds – true thinking, motivations, reactions and yields a deeper understanding.

 

Ethnographical research requires a different mindset and methodology. But it can yield deeper customer-centered insight that can profoundly shape communications strategy, messaging and tactical efforts with all stakeholders.