Editor’s note: Roben Allong is CEO of Lightbeam Communications, New York. Allong can be reached at robena@lightbeamnyc.com.
In the current social and economic climate many companies and brands are rushing to invest in diversity, equity and inclusion training for their staff. And that's a good thing. We live in a diverse world, in an increasingly multi-ethnic America. It's been well-documented that diverse voices at the table not only leads to deeper understanding of non-white colleagues but also increase innovation and productivity.
But what about research? How can market research studies be more inclusive to better represent our society and the rapidly evolving demographics? And what does that look and sound like? Within the next decade or two, the United States is projected to have no racial or ethnic group as a majority. So smart marketers know it makes good marketing and business sense to take a proactive and realistic look at how we conduct research studies rather than wait for this eventuality and play catch-up.
Thanks to the virality of Twitter, Black Twitter (a subculture in the Twitterverse focused exclusively on issues pertaining to Black culture), Facebook and Instagram, the Black Lives Matter movement has been turned into a global social anti-discrimination and equality movement across racial, ethnic and income divides. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, social media usage is close to 70% among Blacks and Latinos. In addition, we have all seen, heard and read about the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on BIPOC people that has decimated communities and families. And while these events have increased awareness of racism and inequality, don’t be fooled into assuming that every non-white study participant is keen to share their experiences openly and easily with any researcher that asks, especially in this polarized political and economic climate. So what should you, smart researchers and marketers, do? Here are a four essential principles that can be game-changers.
Know up to glow up: The first principle when conducting research studies, especially among BIPOC study participants, is the responsibility of both the client and researcher to do their due diligence prior to even starting the study. Both must better understand the context of the BIPOC experience and obtain at the very least a cursory understanding of history, traditions and culture. The old adage “you don’t know what you don’t know” is especially true in this case. Find out what you don’t know. To start any study you need to make baseline assumptions, but if you are starting in the wrong place, all your findings can be off. Google should be your new best friend when it comes to accessing information, not your BIPOC neighbor, colleague or Afro-Latino friend from college. They have enough stress and anxiety associated with being BIPOC on their plate right now, and it is not their job to be your teacher. “Know up to glow up” means take time to know more to better inform study design, recruiting and objectives in order to get higher quality results, especially when using online studies where body language that tells silent stories is missed or goes unnoticed.
Say no to negativity: Next, just say no to negativity bias. We all have prejudices that masquerade as “hypothesis” ... leave them at the side of your desk – don't bring them to the research. A lot has occurred since COVID-19 struck at the beginning of 2020. Don’t stereotype or assume that your experiences with discrimination are of the same context of a Black and brown person’s fight against systemic racism, especially if you are not of the same race or ethnicity. There are new stories being told and it is imperative when conducting research to fully understand emerging and changing contexts. When a researcher is well-versed in the culture, code and references of what is being said, safer open spaces are created for more relevant stories to emerge. Understanding the reference without having to pause for “code clarification” allows for deeper trust and credibility that facilitates going even deeper and a no holding back mentality because the respondent believes that they share a common code. If you don’t know, hiring someone with ethnic as well as cultural understanding could help you sharpen insights and business outcome.
Don’t look for the obvious: The third principle is avoiding the obvious. Sometimes it's not about connecting the dots ... it's seeing the empty spaces between the dots that tell the most compelling story. The dots are obvious. Did you know that most Black and brown people are mistrustful of authority figures, government and police? Sometimes it's not what a BIPOC says, but what’s not being said that generates a better understanding of the most significant insights. Knowing where to mine, combined with intimate familiarity of both culture and context, are keystones to deeper understanding of blank spaces that yield richer insights. Often clients demand that their research partner be proficient in the category, why not ask if they are well-versed in the culture, too?
Withhold judgement: Finally, engage in skilled listening. As an example, various dialects and accents from the South or out West can incite bias. Not everyone speaks the “queen’s English,” nor should they be expected to. The United States is a melting pot. I’ve heard and seen with my own eyes when clients in the back room complain about a respondent’s appearance or how they speak. They struggle to understand what a Black, Latino, Asian, disabled or even a low-income white respondent is saying and automatically dismiss what’s being said, simply because they aren’t skilled at close listening. When judgement is withheld, you actually enhance the chances for game-changing insight discovery. Being more open to new stories, and not overlaying them with the lens of the old ones, raises awareness and empathy. Besides, between the pandemic and the social unrest, past research is most definitely out of touch.
Increase and elevate dialogue
Even though technology has afforded us new ways to connect, we – researchers and clients – must do a better job of reacquainting ourselves with BIPOC consumers in order to increase and elevate dialogue with them. Educating ourselves and employing unbiased, cultural and contextual listening to move business forward is imperative. Researchers and marketers alike must work to better understand the impact and post-COVID-19 dynamic that is emerging.