Sue stanley

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Numbers aren’t the whole story, but neither is quali! Sue Stanley Unilever Research & Development October 2005

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Transcript of Sue stanley

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Numbers aren’t the whole story, but neither is quali!

Sue Stanley Unilever Research & Development

October 2005

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First of all, who am I?

Statistician

Consumer researcher (Qual + Quant)

Leader of consumer science group Psychology, sociology, consumer research Cognitive Neuroscience, sensory science

Applied orientation : “Is it useful?”

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Unilever context

Foods and Home & Personal Care business

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Brand innovation

New product development

Consumer insight : to guide future direction and aid decision-making

Internal research + External partners

What do we do?

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Qualitative and quantitative research each gives a partial picture : complementarity

Sometimes, one alone is sufficient as a basis for action

Often, a combination is required

Quali data (text/visual) provide very powerful means of communication

Our view on research methods

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This will not be an academic presentation There will be few references There will not be a lot of data (commercial

sensitivity)

But the aim is to ‘open a window’

Warning!

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Quali and quant each requires specific skills Researchers with both sets of skills are rare There is a mindset/perspective issue

A personal comment on mindsets/skills

It can’t be representative withsuch small numbers

…. It’s not reproducible….the analysis is

subjective

Complexities of human experience

…..importance ofmeaning……many truths

…..correlation isn’tcausation

- Is a new breed of person required?

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Some common ‘mixed methods’ approaches in Unilever

1. Open questions in a Quant study

2. Quali to generate language/hypotheses, Quant to test

3. Quant to map out the terrain, Quali to fill in

the detail and interpret

4. Simultaneous Quant + Quali

An example of each

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Evaluating a prototype product

Randomised, controlled trial vs existing product

Questionnaire Quant : Overall Liking + Purchase Intention

Open : Likes & Dislikes

Quant : Product Attributes

Analysis of open questions Post-code or electronic processing (NLP)

Counts by category

Simultaneous data collection Quant people

Quali becomes ‘quasi-quant’ like it!!

1. Open questions in a Quant study

Almosttrivial?

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2 examples of benefits of Open questions

‘Safety net’ for the unexpected Laundry tablets : in some washing machines

they ‘lodged’ in the door

Pick up subtleties not reflected in quant response New packaging for a well-loved product

‘It’s just not the same’‘It’s not what it used to be’

Is it useful?

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2. Quali to generate language/hypotheses, Quant to test

Global Consumer Values

Global products & brands give economies of scale As well as demographic segments, are there attitudinal segments with similar requirements across countries? Cultural values offer a possibility, but existing specifications may be too remote from consumer products (eg G.Hofstede, S.H.Schwartz) Are there product-relevant values, ie “You buy what you are”?

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(A) International quali study

• Quali interviews by local researchers, to common format, in each of 17 countries• Researchers brought together in global workshop• Consolidated Values list, in English + local languages• Some global values, some local values Values language generated by respondents

Thailand

UKItaly

Mexico

Argentina

Brazil

ChinaJapan

Indonesia

Germany

India

USA

Poland

South Africa

SpainTurkey

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(B) International quant study

• Levels of agreement with Values statements• Behavioural data on purchasing• Behavioural clusters identified • Linked to Values

Level of Agreement - Indices

95

100

110

106

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Ind

ex o

n T

ota

l P

an

el

A

B

Value Approval From Friends

If I have done something I am proud of, I like others to know about it.

VALUES- Group A driven mainly by the need for recognition by others

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Firm base for new product developmentEg 2 consumer segments for meal preparation

Rich background material for developing multi-country advertising

Is it useful ?

‘Love to cook, but don’thave the time…’ ‘Heat & eat’

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3. Quant to map out, quali to fill in + interpret

Afro hair products

• What are Afro-hair consumer needs from products?

• Basis to launch Sunsilk targeted at specific problems

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Quant followed by quali in South Africa

Quant • Questionnaire survey of 1200 women

• Questions on :• Attitudes• Hair style• Current product use• Hair problems & concerns• Demographics

• Consumer segments identified by cluster analysis

Quali• Longitudinal observation and open interviews at home over 5 weeks, N=18 per segment

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Quant : 6 segments identified

3-D Representation of ClusterRelationships

1

2

3

4

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1 Problem A2 Problem B3 Relatively Happy4 Problem C5 Problem D6 Problem E

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Quali : Product behaviours, issues, language

The Hair

what is it likehow is it changing

self assessmentstylist assessment

diarieshair samples

Beliefs / Attitudes

what does she think about her hair,the products & processes

3 interviews at key stagesdiary

Behaviour

what is she doing to itwhat are others doing to it

video observation of key events

diaries

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Chemical relaxing is an integral part of the hair care routine for a large proportion of black women

Once women start relaxing they become locked into the relaxing cycle and touch up the regrowth regularly -every 3-6 weeks

‘Relaxing’ treatments

From…. .…To

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Hair and scalp damage

• But relaxers are aggressive chemical treatments that can cause damage to the hair and scalp, and pain during application

• Need for less aggressive products

Hair relaxing

“My hair falls off at the forehead and at the back. So when you relax hair you feel like it is a waste of money - because in no time you will have to

cut it off”

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Gave basis for the launch of Sunsilk range of improved care products for Afro hair

Guided both product development (what the products were required to do) and advertising (speaking to the consumer audience)

Was it useful?

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4. Simultaneous Quant and Quali

Attitudes to Nanotechnology

Study commissioned by Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Nanotechnology Working GroupCarried out by BMRB market research agency in UK in 2003/4 Report available on www.nanotec.org.uk/Market%20Research.pdf

Quali : 2 x 3-hr workshops, N=50 Quant : 3 questions on Omnibus survey, N=1005

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Rationale for the approach

• Quali• Low knowledge expected, therefore presented information/concepts and explored reactions• “Expert scientists” answered respondents’ questions• In-depth exploration of issues : positives, concerns and reassurances that might be required

• Quant• To measure self-reported awareness and beliefs, including whether people thought it would be a positive/negative development

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Is it useful (1)?

• Quali• Knowledge/attitudes towards new technologies in general, and factors that appeared to influence the formation of positive/negative opinions

• Reactions to ways in which nanotechnology might be useful in the future + perceived implications : ethical, financial, social/political, environmental, health and safety

• Verbatim comments used to illustrate findings

“Are we trying to control nature, are we trying to manipulate nature?….I don’t think we should, we don’t have the right to play God…I don’t know, I can’t articulate it, I just think it makes me feel things are getting out of control, there might be a nasty end product”(Male, 55+, ABC1, London)

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Is it useful (2)?

• Quant

Unweightedbase

Heard ofnanotechnology

Able to givesome definition(accurate or not)

All 1005 % 29 19

Gender

Male 431 % 40 30

Female 574 % 19 10

• Showed low awareness, particularly amongst women

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Qualitative and quantitative research each gives a partial picture : complementarity

Sometimes, one alone is sufficient as a basis for action

Often, a combination is required

Quali data (verbal/visual) provide very powerful means of communication

Summary

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Thank you

Unilever : Jane RylandGill BeesleyStephen Donaldson