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In a world as diverse in culture and experience as ours, it makes sense that people also have diverse ways of interacting with brands. Companies can better understand their consumers by using ethnographic research, which finds consumers in their natural environments to understand how a person’s background and context impacts the way they use and relate to products.
The following companies employ a wide range of methodologies in order to help clients understand their consumers in their natural setting. From online ethnography methods such as video responses and web interviewing to in-person methods such as in-home use tests and shop-alongs, these companies utilize experience-tested techniques to meet your research needs.
20 | 20 Research
Founded 1986 | 167 employees
Ross McClean, Vice President, Mobile Qualitative
20|20’s mobile ethnography solution, Over the Shoulder, gives you an authentic look directly into the experiences of your consumer, without interrupting their natural environment. It’s a flexible and convenient way to gather the in-the-moment insights and stories you need, allowing you to ride in the pockets and purses of your audience for days, weeks or even months. Designed specifically for the smartphone, our platform delivers an unmatched participant experience as well as tailored designs and intuitive analysis tools to ensure you get the right insights from the right respondents. And it’s all backed by one of the industry’s most experienced teams.
Phone 1-800-737-2020
www.2020research.com
Beall Research Inc.
Founded 2003 | 12 employees
Anne E. Beall, Ph.D
Beall Research is a full-service strategic market research firm in Chicago that services major consulting firms and Fortune 500 companies. Research on research demonstrates that emotions are often the key to understanding purchase behavior. Beall Research offers a proprietary approach to online ethnography designed specifically to explore and understand the emotions that drive purchasing and brand affinity. Our approach leverages video responses and involves the coding of non-verbal expressions, as well as the stated responses, in the analysis. Our work is based on psychological frameworks that explain the underlying drivers of behavior. The results of this work have been successfully used to create communications campaigns that have yielded revenue and market share.
Phone 1-312-384-1214
Beallrt.com
Creative Consumer Research
Founded 1976 | 83 employees; 13 full-time;
70 part-time
Patricia Pratt, CEO
Creative Consumer Research (CCR) is the most respected public opinion source, providing accurate and actionable information to develop strategic solutions. Using proven techniques, we collect high-quality data for a variety of industries including B2B, health care, consumer goods and more. If your business requires bilingual research, we proudly staff a team of experienced market researchers fluent in spoken and written English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Farsi and more. Whether your focus is on the United States or abroad, CCR can program and host your surveys online, whether you need pre-screeners or even a combination of telephone and web interviewing. Our resources allow us to thoroughly conduct studies quickly and inexpensively – no matter what the size. Maximize your business with the CCR market research and consumer insights team.
Phone 1-281-240-9646
www.ccrsurveys.com
Decision Analyst Inc.
Founded 1978 | 150 employees
Jerry W. Thomas, CEO
At Decision Analyst we believe ethnography and qualitative research are two of the most powerful tools in a researcher’s toolbox. Decision Analyst offers a variety of online and traditional ethnographic services including: traditional in-person ethnographies, virtual ethnographies, ride-alongs, shop-alongs, usability, video diaries and in-vehicle video. Decision Analyst’s additional qualitative techniques include: traditional focus groups and depth interviews, large-scale qualitative and online pseudo-depth interviews. Our moderators can recommend the qualitative technique best suited to your research needs. Decision Analyst has over four decades of experience in ethnography and qualitative research and delivers highly analytical and decision-oriented insights.
Phone 1-817-640-6166
https://www.decisionanalyst.com/qualitative/ethnography/
End to End User Research
Founded 2017 | 12 employees
Christy Harper, Managing Partner and
Monica Snideman, Managing Partner
Uncover deep insights that lead to innovation with ethnographic methods from the experienced researchers at End to End User Research. We specialize in observational research in the field, home or office. We can conduct full field visits with direct observation, lead your customers through expert contextual interviews or use a mixed-methods approach incorporating remote interviews, self-recorded video entries, day-in-the-life homework assignments, surveys or diaries. Once insights are uncovered, we can continue the qualitative research in our contextual labs and conduct iterative usability testing on all design refinements throughout the development process. With case studies to share and a proven track record with major Fortune 500 companies, let us help with your ethnographic research and get you started on our end-to-end research solution.
Phone 1-281-741-9496
www.endtoenduserresearch.com
National Field & Focus Inc.
Founded 1990
Vinny Stolo, Director of Operations
Ethnographic recruiting is a particular specialty of National Field & Focus. Now in our 30th year of serving the data collection and focus group facility needs of the Greater Boston area, we have recruited thousands of panelists for in-home and in-office ethnographies as well as shop-alongs from a broad spectrum of consumers, businesses and medical professionals. Certified as a woman-owned business, National Field & Focus also offers the ability to conduct in-facility ethnos using our specialized sink and mirror rooms, allowing client observation of activities typically performed at a bathroom vanity such as grooming, makeup routines, fragrance tests, face washes and hair care. For Boston ethnographic recruiting, make NFF your first choice!
Phone 1-508-370-7788
www.nff-inc.com
Schlesinger Ethnographic Solutions
Founded 1966 | 1,000 employees
Chawntae Applegate, SVP, Client Solutions
Get up close and personal to listen, observe and probe research participants as they go about their routines. We recruit and support in-home, in-office or on-site immersions as a stand-alone solution or as a mixed method. We ensure participants are on-spec, cooperative and comfortable with the method and any technology. Our comprehensive project management support includes recruitment of main and peripheral participants pertinent to the study, shipping of test products and instructions, homework assignments, client packs (car service, food, maps, etc.), professional videography and highlight reels, and even mobile streaming of filming. Our consultative approach and uncompromising commitment to your success set us apart. Contact Chawntae at Chawntae.Applegate@SchlesingerGroup.com.
Phone 1-513-284-3265
SchlesingerGroup.com
Shapiro+Raj
Founded 1955 | 80 employees
Zain Raj, CEO
Shapiro+Raj’s rich history with ethnographic research started over sixty 60 years ago when we invented methodologies that replaced poll-oriented research based on social and behavioral sciences. We have done over 500 ethnographic projects in the past five years for clients in a diverse set of industries including pharma and health care, retail/grocery, home improvement, CPG and services. As the sixth-largest independent insights and inspiration company in the U.S., our next-gen methods dig deep to unlock market-ready insights, which our brand planners turn into strategic marketplace actions. Empowered by a world-class tech stack, we’ve helped clients reinvent the rules of their categories. All with one imperative – impact behavior to drive sales.
Phone 1-312-965-2319
www.shapiroraj.com
Smarty Pants
Founded 2005 | 30 employees
Stephanie Retblatt, EVP | Alisha Snow, EVP
Smarty Pants is a full-service research consultancy that delivers transformational insights and solutions to the world’s best marketers. The award-winning team of moderators, ethnographers and quant savants excels at primary research, consumer journeys, co-creation, evaluation and tracking, brand positioning and trend research. The firm is known for its life-stage expertise and youth and family savvy. Global leaders in tech, CPG, auto, toy/game, apparel, retail, health care, food/beverage and entertainment rely on the firm for impeccable fieldwork, best-in-class thinking and stellar deliverables. The woman-owned business conducts research in 60 countries and has U.S. offices in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Tampa, Fla., and Johnson City, Tenn
Phone 1-203-847-5766
www.AskSmartyPants.com
SunResearch
Founded 1995
Ava Lindberg, PhD, President
SunResearch specializes in deep dives through mixed methods, blending cultural ethnography, digital and Jungian-centered qualitative to illuminate the complexity of consumer needs. Reveal – Authentic ethnography starts with live observation conducted by the cultural anthropologist and trained team, observing participants’ natural behavior in authentic real-life universes on cultural, behavioral and emotional levels. Magnify – A second phase identifies daily life portrayed in online platforms with selected consumers for two to three weeks. Crystallize – The third stage is psychological IDIs exploring Jungian archetypes using a mythic approach to unearth the DNA of segments and brands. Interpretation and presentations highlight findings and implications.
Phone 1-203-454-9939
http://www.suninsights.com
TecEd Inc.
Founded 1967 | 6+ employees
Stephanie Rosenbaum, CEO
TecEd performs field research for B2B and B2C clients in industries including health care, IT services/computer security, automotive, consumer electronics, K-12 and networking/telecommunications. Only senior researchers support our clients! Deploying ethnographic interviewing and contextual inquiry methods from psychology, anthropology and sociology, our researchers learn how diverse users’ contexts influence their needs and preferences for applications and products. Observing people in their own environments also provides key insights to define new product initiatives. Ethnographic field research – including recruiting the right target users – can be part of a multi-phase user research strategy that TecEd designs to help our clients create successful user experiences.
Phone 1-734-995-1010, x704
www.teced.com