Elevated Insights inspires action from honest, authentic connections with consumers.
We connect companies with consumers.
Qualitative Research Techniques
When research requires an in-depth qualitative understanding, EI crafts the right combination of methods to uncover the insights behind the findings, often incorporating:
Focus Groups
Elevated Insights has decades of experience moderating focus groups, mini-groups, friendship pairs, and one-on-one interviews. Our moderators are comfortable in traditional research facilities, online and/or in alternative venues depending on where we can mine the richest insights for a given project. We incorporate pre-work, creative exercises, and high energy to keep consumers engaged, thinking and communicative throughout the group. Our highly visual reports are delivered quickly with clear, strategic, and actionable insights.
Usability Testing
Elevated Insights’ U(X) methods help improve an end-user’s experience of an application or website. Usability testing is a strong and growing part of Elevated Insights’ qualitative offerings, enabling clients to gain clear feedback to their websites, apps and/or tools.
Through behavioral ethnography, we can go beyond navigation to evaluate an app or website’s ability to shift behaviors and improve lives.
Usability tests can be conducted in-person, or online using video conferencing, screen sharing, and passing mouse controls. Prior to the research, a test plan is created to ensure we answer all the questions our clients have about their site, app, or screen – whether it be understanding of effectiveness, communication, error tolerance, functionality, learnability … the list goes on!
Hybrid Qual/Quant (eChats®)
Elevated Insights’ proprietary eCHATs® method provides instant insights from nationally dispersed respondents to qualitative questions or stimulus via a hybrid quant/qual approach. An excellent methodology when cost and speed are essential, eCHATs® combine the rich feedback of qual with a slightly more robust sample size. These chat-based sessions typically consist of about 25 target consumers and last either 60 or 90 minutes. Elevated Insights carefully recruits target respondents and directs them to sign in to the secure chat session site at a prescheduled time. Like traditional focus groups, a discussion guide is developed ahead of time, stimulus is pulled together, and the groups are planned, with specific amounts of time allocated to each topic. Clients can view the online sessions live, interacting with the moderator and team via the online backroom.
Ethnographic Interviews
Whether in-home or elsewhere, ethnographies take consumer understanding to a higher level. We typically spend two to four hours with each participant and include a combination of observation, in-depth interviewing, and intuitive questioning to uncover subtle nuances and behaviors. Depending on the study, we can include: shop-a-longs, drive-a-longs, dine-a-longs, outdoor activities, cooking meals, visiting workplaces, hosting social gatherings, attending doctors’ appointments… Whatever the project calls for, Elevated Insights designs the ethnography to maximize the time we and our clients have with the participant.
Online and Mobile Insights (Netnography)
Online and mobile ethnographic studies (a.k.a. netnography) are quickly changing the research industry. Using a secure, non-searchable online platform as a ‘home base’ for participant responses, these studies can span the course of a few hours, days, weeks, or even months. Together with the research/client team, Elevated Insights creates engaging online activities to fully answer the research questions. Participant responses can include typed answers, photo – and/or video uploads, daily diary entries as well as comments and questions directed at other participants, allowing for respondent interaction if desired.
Clients can view participant feedback throughout the study and send questions to participants via EI’s moderators. Our highly skilled online moderators ensure that all participants are active throughout the project, stay engaged, and provide depth and perspective on each topic.
As a hybrid solution, we frequently use online activities as an “extended screener.” By observing each person’s level of engagement and articulation, we to determine which participants to invite to the next research phase.
Client-Centric Approaches
Elevated Insights works not only with our clients’ target customers/consumers, but we also help to mine insights within their organizations. We lead brainstorming and ideation sessions to draw out innovative ideas from team members with deep knowledge of their brands, in combination with those newer to the category who can bring a fresh perspective. Co-creation sessions are also in our wheelhouse – our inspiring moderators apply creative techniques to encourage clients and consumers to work and play together, exploring and crafting new concepts on-the-spot.
We team up with top facilities in desired markets and manage the entire process for a turn-key, seamless effort.
Our qualitative research team brings more than 40 years of research experience to every project.
EI prides itself on delivering strategic perspective with personal attention to each client partner. Qualitative, hybrid, ethnography, online, mobile, in-person, and moderating – we’re committed to crafting a custom approach to get you the insights you need.