Wandering or Wondering about the Future of Qual: Forging New Paths to Deliver Value in Uncertain Times

If “the most human company wins” in our chaotic, competitive marketplace (as Mark Schaefer wrote in Marketing Rebellion), qualitative researchers are well-positioned to help. Whether or not we have a seat at our ideal client’s table, we dwell at the intersection of marketing, strategy, and humanity. Our value is rooted in the connections we form with both our clients and respondents to reveal real-world insights about the human experience. QRCs are wrestling with new realities – such as global business uncertainty, fragmentation in the “insights” space, and in-house DIY research – mostly shaped by the disruption of technology, which makes the job of humanizing business decisions very challenging. These new realities have far-reaching implications for us, demanding that we proactively adapt and create new opportunities and avenues to deliver value to businesses and organizations. To understand the challenges quallies face right now and the impact on and implications for qualitative research, we conducted IDIs with external thought-leading research stakeholders. We will present a composite, big-picture outlook on actionable trends based on the perspectives of diverse types and generations of research stakeholders, which include corporate, agency, entrepreneurial, academic, and facility and platform providers.