What’s Six Times Seven?

Has it occurred to anybody other than me that The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is an absolute must-read for marketers and researchers?  Those of you who’ve read it – and if you haven’t, you REALLY should – probably remember the point in the story in which the massive supercomputer, Deep Thought, after 7.5 million years of intense mentation, finally reveals the answer to The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.  That answer?  Let’s all say it together:  “Forty-two.”

This is one of the great jokes of the book.  And, not to belabor the point, it’s funny because, after seven and a half million years of nonstop computation, Deep Thought comes up with an answer that’s thoroughly useless.  Even Deep Thought knows this.  Before giving The Answer, he warns his audience, “I don’t think that you’re going to like it.”  The two poor guys who are tasked with communicating The Answer to the masses, Phouchg and Loonquawl, are horrified.  “We’re going to get lynched, aren’t we?” whispers one to the other.  And then, Deep Thought provides a crucial insight, observing: “I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you’ve never actually known what the question is.”  After fumbling briefly trying to articulate the question, Phouchg and Loonquawl realize that Deep Thought is correct.  They have no idea what they’re actually trying to ask.

And so, what does Deep Thought do next?  Well, like any consultant worth his salt, he proposes a follow-up study.  He’ll design a new computer.  One comprised of living beings.  It will be called – The Earth.  Over ten million years, this human computer will work to formulate The Question.  And, Deep Thought promises, “once you do know what the question actually is, you’ll know what the answer means.”

In other words, Deep Thought proposes a follow-up qualitative phase that will explain the results of the just completed quant study.  Because, as we all know, without a human element, most research is of limited value.  Let’s ignore the fact that this whole project comes to nothing when the Vogons destroy the Earth to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.  There’s just no standing in the way of progress.

Why do I bring this up?  Because it’s important to remind ourselves that, while quantitative research is essential for delivering answers, it’s rarely helpful when it comes to providing precisely defined questions.

Let’s say you’re trying to understand the applicability of a new technology to a category, and whether it could lead to new product opportunities.  Typically we ask these questions in the form of written concepts.  However, before you put a concept into a quantitative test, it’s crucial to make sure the concept is clear—that it’s actually communicating what you want it to—that it uses the consumer’s own vocabulary to communicate key ideas, and that it’s sufficiently specific that it will provide measurable responses.  The only way I know to do this sort of thing is through qualitative exposure: showing the concept to some potential consumers and talking it through.

Here’s another example: perhaps you’re planning to field a segmentation study.  Segmentation questionnaires often contain lists of attributes for respondents to evaluate for their association with a brand, as well as attitudinal statements to see if the participants identify with them.  How can you be sure your attribute lists are correctly worded, complete, and don’t contain unnecessary elements?  And how can you be sure you’re describing the correct consumer attitudes?  Again, there’s only one answer – qualitative.

And here’s the thing.  If you go into your quantitative research without conducting a qualitative phase, you risk getting results that are, at best, useless and at worst, misleading.  So, not only is the cost of your research at risk, but the potential cost of an unsuccessful product launch might loom in your future.

One last point – and get ready for some shameless promotion of professional qualitative researchers. This sort of research is very difficult.  It requires an experienced marketing and research professional who not only gets your category, but who also understands the quantitative research being planned, and who knows how to do things like test vocabulary and conduct appropriate creative and projective exercises that will help participants describe key attributes and attitudes.  There are certain types of qualitative research non-professionals might be able to conduct themselves, but this isn’t one of them.

So, next time you’re considering doing some research, think about whether you’re looking for answers or questions.  That will tell you a lot about how to proceed.