Clients want to hear directly from their consumers. While traditional qualitative research can be time-consuming and expensive, other methods to get qualitative feedback have improved significantly. Online focus groups allow researchers to speak to more people in a shorter time frame while testing out messages and content all in real-time. Respondents can share video responses or record how they are interacting with a website. All this information is helpful to clients looking for more of the “color” qualitative research can provide while doing it in a budget-friendly way. We will also see a growth in online communities where people can also share open dialogue. Respondents can submit video diaries for studies over a certain time frame and it gives researchers more flexibility to adjust or ask to follow up questions during a project. These methodologies offer researchers different ways to collect information and to interact with consumers.

Quantitative research will remain valuable as companies will continue to measure and benchmark awareness, satisfaction, and perceptions. Quantitative research can also help measure brand attributes and associations. None of these measures are going away, especially as the costs of conducting research continue to decrease and the ability to reach people grows through the use of technology.