Why mobile ethnography belongs in B2B research

By Caroline Stovold | February 6, 2017

Reading time: 6 minutes

Abstract

This article covers how to make use of mobile ethnography in B2B studies.

Research Topics:: Bus.-To-Bus. Research | Ethnographic Research | Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research
Industry/Market Focus:: Business-To-Business | Construction Industry
Content Type: Research Methodology | E-Newsletter Article

Share Print

Editor’s note: Caroline Stovold is research manager at marketing research firm B2B International, London.

Marketing researchers are increasingly using smartphone technology to capture insights. This is more than just clicking through a short survey – the development of mobile applications to capture qualitative insight is providing richer data than ever before. Mobile ethnography asks respondents to capture photos, videos and comments about what is going on around them. The researcher does not need to be there, and the onus is on the respondent to share their experience on the research topic. B2C industries were quick to begin using mobile ethnography and now B2B companies are seeing the benefits. This article covers the insights that can be gathered and how to make use of mobile ethnography in B2B studies.

Why mobile ethnography?

I believe there are five key reasons why mobile ethnography can be advantageous in B2B marketing research:

Flexibility through multifaceted data collection. Mobile ethnography offers a lot of flexibility for the researcher. As well as collecting videos or photos, respondents can be asked questions in many ways. The range of techniques available allows researchers to gather a holistic view of the B2B respondent. It lets one visualize their work environment and understand their thought processes and emotions in a single work day. Participants can be asked to take a video diary or they can be probed for extra details via messaging and push notifications. Researchers can start a group conversation between participants or send a short opinion poll. This flexibility makes data collection versatile and engaging.
The capture of in-the-moment insights. One challenge that researchers often face is getting respondents to remember exactly what they did or how they felt after an event. Often days or weeks have passed, which can lead to doubts about how accurate the data is and questions about what has been omitted through lack of recall. As an example, one could ask a tradesperson to record installing a specific piece of equipment, such as a boiler. If asked after the event, the tradesperson might recall having no issues; however, a recording of the installation may show a different version of events. And if a respondent documents something and the researcher wants to know more, they can ask right away.
Ability to capture context surrounding the data. In addition to gathering in-the-moment data, mobile ethnography will also gather a lot of contextual data, i.e., events or circumstances that may not seem significant to the respondent but are meaningful to the researcher. This contextual data is again often something a respondent will not mention in a focus group, perhaps it just seems too obvious or unimportant but can be the extra nugget that the researcher is looking for. In the tradesperson example, the ethnography may reveal that the installation was done in a different sequence of events than the manufacturer originally intended. Often, contextual data can lead to innovation.
Real-life stories are more likely to drive actions. It is important to effectively communicate the insights of any research project. One of the best ways to do this is to present research findings through storytelling. The outputs of mobile ethnography provide plenty of case studies to use to exemplify the research findings and bring the data to life. This is particularly important in B2B research as the audience may have little experience of a respondent’s job or workplace. Threading together videos, photos and sound bites can produce a more engaging report, making it easier for the audience to empathize, resulting in more memorable results. This ultimately leads to research findings that drive action.
Method efficiencies. One of the reasons that traditional ethnography is so infrequently used is because it is difficult, particularly in B2B markets. It requires a lot of time planning and preparing for the day and the researcher needs to spend several hours with each participant. This limits ethnography studies to only being carried out with a handful of respondents. In addition, carrying out ethnography in the workplace has the added complication of needing to gain employer permission. Issues such as those surrounding legality, health and safety (e.g., visiting construction sites or factories) and security (particularly when asking for permission to take video) can hamper access. Mobile ethnography, on the other hand, requires less time from the researcher and puts a business in control of data collection. It is an effective way to reach a range of audiences without breaking the bank.

Potential pitfalls

As with any technique, there can be pitfalls and one should be aware of them when designing a study. The impact of pitfalls will depend on the project’s research objectives and scope but the following are situations to be mindful of.

The success of a mobile ethnography project relies on respondent engagement. Particularly in B2B, respondents are likely to be less engaged in the research topic, so an incentive will be required.
There are likely to be inconsistencies in the amount someone will contribute. Younger respondents may be used to sharing and uploading media, while others will be less comfortable with the method.
B2B has the added complication of data privacy. Some organizations will not allow filming in the work place. This will depend on the sector you are researching.

Despite some of these hindrances, mobile ethnography can be a great tool for the right B2B project.

When to use mobile ethnography

Mobile ethnography can be a stand-alone research tool or one tool used as part of a larger study. It’s a great way to collect data before conducting a focus group and build a rapport with your attendees. It can also be helpful as an initial exploratory phase for research before a larger quantitative study that supplies robust figures.

The following are three typical applications of mobile ethnography in B2B research:

Product research. Mobile ethnography lets you test a new product for the first time and use respondent feedback to refine and inform the product design before the official launch. Alternatively, businesses can witness customers using products and equipment to understand the actions taken and what habits they have fallen into. This can uncover exactly how something is used, rather than relying on a post-usage account.
Decision-making and needs. Decision-making is often something that is difficult for B2B researchers to study after the event. Mobile ethnography lets you witness decision-making as it happens by living through the real-time experience of a decision maker. This works best for decisions that are made on a regular basis, for example SME businesses placing orders for office equipment. Mobile ethnography can also follow up on the next steps such as delivery and installation.
Customer research. Mobile ethnography is very useful as a tool to get under the skin of customers. For example, if you have developed a customer segmentation, asking participants to keep a digital diary will show you the different office environments and behaviors pertinent to each segment to get a deeper perspective of what drives their needs. Alternatively, a B2B organization may want to gather deep-dive information for critical points in its customer journey. For example, a logistics firm delivering food and drink could conduct mobile ethnography with restaurants and shops. The research could investigate how the delivery is communicated with the customer, whether it is on time and if care and attention were taken when goods are delivered. These firsthand insights can lead to improvements in customer retention and loyalty.

Using new techniques

As technology evolves, there are many new techniques available to marketing researchers. Mobile ethnography is one with an edge that could prove invaluable in studies involving B2B markets. Mobile ethnography provides rich in-the-moment data collection with plenty of visual information that can lead to insightful recommendations. As with all qualitative B2B research, careful selection of the application and the participants will be required to ensure its success.

As an approach, mobile ethnography can be coupled with more traditional methods or stand alone as a tool for the B2B marketing researcher seeking to better understand, in real time, the experiences of customers, stakeholders and players in their business environment.