In most forms of market research, we take the participant's word as all we need to know for our data. Who knows their opinions and beliefs better than themselves, right? However, there are cases in which a market research participant has more to offer than what they simply say.
This is the main idea behind ethnographic market research.
Ethnography in research is looking at the world from the subject's point of view. Frequently, this means observing a participant to see how they subconsciously interact with products and their environment.
Through an ethnographic study, you may learn something about your customers they would never think to tell you themselves.
What Is Ethnography?
Ethnographic research is defined as a qualitative method where researchers interact with participants in their real-life environment. It isn't associated with any one specific methodology, rather more of an overall approach to understand participants and their cultures.
One of the most common ways you might see ethnography is through participant observation such as:
- No interaction with the observer
- Letting the participant go about their day
- Visit at a particular place as they normally would
In its simplest terms, ethnography is plain old observational research: watching and learning. It is very popular in the B2C realm, specifically in retail.
Recommended Reading: 4 Key Points About Retail Ethnography
Example of Ethnography in Research
Let’s say a snack company wants to create healthy options for busy working professionals. They hire an ethnography research company such as Drive Research to observe potential consumers in offices, co-working spaces, and during commutes.
The researchers find many professionals skip meals or choose unhealthy snacks mainly due to the lack of time. More specifically, this occurs during mid-morning and late-afternoon energy slumps.
Based on these insights, the snack company creates a line of on-the-go, high-energy snacks. Their product includes easy-to-open packaging, specifically designed to provide sustained energy without a sugar crash.
From this example, you can see how ethnographic research provides deep insights into the actual needs and behaviors of their target market – leading to a product that more effectively meets consumer demands.
Benefits of Ethnography Market Research
1. Less bias
In our experience, ethnographic research incurs less bias than traditional market research methodologies such as online surveys and focus groups.
That’s because observational research is more pure and can be conducted using:
- Eye-tracking data
- Observational check-points in stores
- Simple techniques such as license plate counts in parking lots
It involves observing participants in their natural environment, leading to more authentic and unbiased behaviors and responses.
2. More accurate insights
Often, consumer purchases are made on a subconscious level. This means consumers are not always consciously aware of where, when, or why they purchased a product.
So when market researchers explore decisions through follow-up surveys, results can be less accurate because respondents may not be able to accurately reflect his or her decision-making factors.
Whereas, ethnographic research allows for real-time insights that can capture why a decision was made the second it happens. This leads to more reliable data than a respondent replaying an experience after it happens.
3. Gathering more contextual information
Ethnographic research offers a greater understanding of consumer behavior, outside of what is often measured in an online survey.
That’s because observational research involves researchers immersing themselves in the participants' everyday lives.
This approach helps uncover the broader context of how and why people make decisions by considering all the influences around them – including their culture, social interactions, and surroundings. As a result of this 360-degree perspective, observational research companies see the full picture and gain insights that might be missed with other methods.
Drawbacks to Ethnography
1. Expect higher costs
A significant barrier to conducting ethnographic research is cost. It can be downright expensive to capture the individual experience of a participant.
Factors that can increase your budget include:
- Travel to the participant's location
- High incentives for several hours of the participant's time
- The professional time necessary for the observation and analysis
If you are looking for more cost-effective market research methodology, online geofencing surveys might be your best choice.
2. More resource-intensive
Ethnographic research requires significant time and effort, as researchers need to spend extended periods in the field observing participants. This can make the process slow and resource-intensive compared to other research methods.
3. Beware of the Hawthorne effect
Another reality of ethnography is that there is a risk of influencing behavior by observing the participants. Also known as the Hawthorne effect, participants may feel pressured to act a certain way that isn't a true reflection of their normal self.
A thorough research plan can help mitigate this anomaly, but the impact should be considered.
Contact Our Ethnographic Market Research Company
An ethnographic study goes beyond the question-and-answer format found in your typical market research approach. It leverages observation to paint a broader picture of participants and their lives.
Drive Research is a full-service market research company specializing in ethnography market research. Our team utilizes both mobile ethnography and geofencing techniques to gather consumer data in real-time. We help B2B and B2C companies make confident, smart decisions that lead to real business growth and ROI.
To learn more about our services, contact Drive Research today.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Tim Gell
As a Senior Research Analyst, Tim is involved in every stage of a market research project for our clients. He first developed an interest in market research while studying at Binghamton University based on its marriage of business, statistics, and psychology.
Learn more about Tim, here.
