Almost everyone in the research and insights industry loves a good spreadsheet; it pays the bills. But let’s face it, no one has ever sobbed over a bar chart. Somewhere between the heatmaps and the regression models, we lost sight of the fact that behind every data point is a human. A human with messy, irrational, surprising behavior. (And probably a half-eaten snack.)
If your idea of research still involves asking 1,000 people how likely they are to recommend toothpaste on a scale of 1 to 10, it’s time for a refresh.
Here’s what the cool researchers are up to:
- Going full detective: Ethnographic research isn’t just for anthropologists or people who own a lot of beige clothing. Observing behavior in context reveals what people do, not just what they say—and that difference is where the gold is.
- Asking ‘why’ five times: Not because we’re annoying (well, maybe), but because surface-level answers rarely tell the full story. Qualitative research helps us explore real motivations, like why Greg buys organic yogurt but also eats gas station nachos.
- Listening, not leading: Open-ended storytelling (also known as letting people talk without steering them like a cruise director) is becoming the secret sauce in smart research. People remember stories. Not pie charts. At QuestionPro Communities, we have the tools to help you do exactly that.
- Mixing methods like a good cocktail: Today’s research isn’t either/or. It’s surveys and interviews. Quant and qual; quali-quant. Structured dashboards and off-the-cuff video responses.
- Getting personal, respectfully: One-size-fits-all research fits… no one. Personalized insights matter more than ever, and that means tuning into diverse voices and selecting the most effective methods for each audience. Even if that means talking to humans instead of just analyzing them.
Where consumer behavior actually lives
At the end of the day, consumer behavior doesn’t live in a spreadsheet. It lives in people. Their kitchens, their inboxes, their unfiltered opinions about snack brands at 2 AM.
And if you’re looking for ways to bring that human side back into your research? Let’s just say some of us spend our days building tools that do exactly that.
In fact, we at QuestionPro are helping cure cancer, one survey at a time. That’s my story. But if you want to know more about how, let’s talk.
Let’s discuss human-centered research on the Happy Market Research podcast
If you agree or disagree with me, why not join me as my guest on the Happy Market Research podcast and let’s discuss the human element of research? Or anything else you would “Likert” to talk about.
