Here’s a fundamental principle of market research: the less your participants know about the true purpose of your research, the better the quality of the data you’re going to collect.
Why? When participants think they understand the business issues and information objectives underlying your research, they’re likely to take that as a license to think like marketers, copywriters or managers – instead of just being themselves. What’s more, sometimes knowing what the study is about will lead them to try to tell you what they think you want to hear. They might also try to ‘game’ the research in order to achieve some purpose of their own (such as lower prices), or engage in ‘virtue signaling,’ such as waxing rhapsodic about their vegan lifestyle because they think that’s what they’re supposed to say. In additions, if research participants don’t know the topic of the research, it allows that topic to come up on its own—or not. If, when, and how key discussion areas enter the conversation organically can be a key source of insight.
This is not to say that I’m opposed to transparency. On the contrary, I believe that researchers and marketers have an obligation to be fully transparent with research participants, users and consumers. It’s a question of timing. While it’s important that participants eventually understand a research study’s purpose and who’s behind it, they don’t need to have that information from the very beginning. That being the case, while it’s necessary to begin with your purpose obscured, it’s also important to end in a place of transparency.
So, at least at the beginning of your research, treat your participants like mushrooms; keep them in the dark. With that in mind, here are some thoughts and best practices on how to do that.
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It all starts with recruiting. When you’re screening for research – whether qualitative or quantitative – make sure that your questions won’t tip off the participants. This will almost certainly make your screening questionnaire longer, but it’s worth it. If you’re going to screen out respondents on the basis of attitudes towards the client’s brand, bury that brand in a list of brands. If you’re screening on the basis of category usage, include the client category in a list of categories. I will often have someone who is not familiar with the research review the screener to see if she can correctly identify the category, client or topic. Another step to consider – if possible, tell the recruiter as little as possible about who the client is and the topic of the research. What they don’t know they can’t spill.
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Brief the facility or platform provider. It’s very easy for somebody at the focus group facility or online research platform you’re using to let the cat out of the bag unintentionally. If they understand how imperative it is to keep the client and topic confidential, they’ll be less likely to do this. And – as with recruiters – if you can avoid sharing this information, that might be a good idea.
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When conducting qualitative, how you phrase questions is crucial. One of my favorite questioning techniques is what I call the ‘Bankshot Question.’ I use it all the time for a variety of reasons. The idea is that sometimes the direct approach isn’t the best; depending on the situation, a direct question can feel rather confrontational. An oblique style is helpful when dealing with sensitive topics, or for situations where people might not want to share their honest opinions. And it’s also a great way to avoid revealing the true purpose of the research. So, rather than asking the actual question you have in mind, ask a closely related question and see if you get the answer to what you really wanted to ask. For example, instead of asking moms what they currently feed their kids, ask what they – themselves – are eating these days. Or instead of asking what participants think about the Affordable Care Act, ask them what they like and dislike about their current health insurance situations. One bankshot technique I find to be particularly effective is asking for stories. So, instead of having a participant explain how he purchases power tools, I’ll ask him if he has a favorite story about a home improvement project. If you’re going to try this approach, be aware that it’s an iterative one that takes some patience. You might need to attempt more than one bankshot before you put the ball in the pocket. You might also need to let respondents ramble a bit so that they have the time to get to what you really want to hear about. This is where silence is your friend. Just sit quietly, smiling and nodding. Your participants will feel the need to fill the silence, and might give you the information you seek.
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Be prepared to deflect questions. There has been a general societal trend toward greater expectations of transparency on the part of governments, companies and other institutions. As such, I find that participants are more willing than they used to be to ask me directly who my client is, and about the specific purpose of the research. While it may have once been acceptable to ignore these sorts of questions or provide a vague response, that’s no longer OK. Now, when I get questions like this, I reply that I’m happy to answer them – but not just yet. However, I always to make sure that I provide those answers before the group or interview is over.