Qualitative Research

While quantitative research is the ideal tool for understanding what a group thinks or how they are behaving, qualitative research is often the best method for understanding why they feel the way they do. Qualitative research allows for deeper exploration of attitudes, values, and perceptions whereas quantitative research provides broader, more representative insights. We encourage you to contact our team of methodologists to help decide which approach is best for you.

Wakefield has a wide range of tools in its qualitative research "toolbox" from leading executive ideation sessions to conducting product usability tests. Below are a few of our most requested methodologies.

Focus Groups

When you truly need to understand interaction and explore opinions through group discussion, focus groups become an invaluable tool. Whether you're interested in examining attitudes among teens or seniors, gamers or business travelers, Wakefield focus groups offer a valuable way to explore attitudes among your brand or organization's key audiences. We can conduct focus groups almost anywhere in the country and amongst almost any audience.

Ultimately, a focus group is only as insightful as its participants, and as useful as the quality of the recruiting. Unlike most firms, Wakefield's staff carefully recruits, reviews, and screens potential respondents to ensure that all participants are representative of your target audience – and that they are truly able to provide the insights you need.

At Wakefield, we also make sure to match our moderators with our audience and the industry being discussed. Wakefield has a team of experienced qualitative researchers, each with their own set of specialties. Teens, tweens, senior citizens, gamers, moms – all have different needs and it's important to select discussion moderators according to these needs.

Instant-Response Dial-Polling

Wakefield uses Instant-Response Dial-Polling for qualitative as well as for quantitative insights.

In qualitative settings, dial-polling is ideal for instant reactions to advertising concepts – such as story-boards or rough-cut ads.

Dial testing is also an integral tool for our hybrid methodologies. It allows us to ask closed-ended metrics in a qualitative environment and capture data in a manner that is anonymous, private, and that avoids group-think.

In-Person Interviews

Wakefield conducts in-person interviews (IDIs) in one-on-one settings as well as in groups of two or three respondents – depending on the research objective. IDIs are an effective way to conduct deep interviews that explore what drives consumers or constituents to prefer one option over another. Wakefield often uses IDIs to understand the underlying emotional drivers that drive consumer decision-making.