When people think of Hartman Group, they think of rigor. They think of our legendary ethnographies that get to the very soul of consumers’ choices. They think of the big questions—category reinvention, disruptive innovation, multi-year growth strategies—and our equally big answers, delivered through months of immersive work, in-depth interviews, field visits and narrative-rich reporting. 

And honestly, we love that. 

We love being the partner you call when the stakes are high, the scope is sprawling and the question feels impossible to answer. 

But here’s the thing: just because something is big and complex doesn’t mean it has to take forever—and just because something is smaller or faster doesn’t mean it can’t be excellent. 

Great qualitative research doesn’t have to be slow, sprawling and expensive. 

Let’s start by busting the biggest myth in consumer insights: that deep, human-centered understanding requires months (or years) and mountains of data. 

Sure, there’s a place for large-scale, exploratory studies that dive into the unknown. We love them. But in an era when consumer tastes shift overnight and retail buyers want proof yesterday, there’s also a growing need for something faster, tighter and more targeted. 

What if you need to:

• Validate a concept before your next customer meeting? 
• Uncover quick consumer reactions to a packaging refresh? 
• Understand why your competitor’s limited-time flavor took off—and what that means for your brand? 

These are not small questions—they’re urgent ones. And they deserve answers grounded in real human truths, not just numbers or hunches. That’s where we come in. 

Qualitative excellence, expediently 

We don’t believe in “quick and dirty” approaches—instead, we prefer quick and disciplined. Over the years we’ve built flexible tools, streamlined processes and honed methodologies that balance speed with depth—so you never have to choose between clarity and agility. 

Here’s what that looks like in practice: 

1. Knowledge Discoveries: when new fieldwork isn’t the answer 

Why reinvent the wheel when you’re sitting on a goldmine of existing data? 

We help clients rapidly mine: 

• Previous focus group transcripts 
• Open-ended survey comments 
• Past ethnographic footage and internal research decks 

With smart thematic coding, AI-assisted text analytics and the interpretive expertise only human researchers can bring, Knowledge Discoveries help surface fresh insights from what you already know. We also leverage existing analytical frameworks to bootstrap new, custom perspectives for your research question. 

What you get: A clear narrative about what matters, what’s shifting and what to do next—without stepping into the field. Oh, and it’s delivered in days (not months). 

2. Quick qual: targeted, efficient, impactful 

Sometimes you do need new voices—just not 60 of them across four continents. 

For well-defined research questions in limited markets, we design “quick qual” studies: 

• 8–10 carefully recruited participants 
• Online bulletin boards or short in-home/in-store visits 
• Focused, hypothesis-driven guides 
• Deliverables built for scalability: executive summaries, crisp slides, educational posters or sprint work sessions to bring consumers to life 

What you get: authentic, directional insights that answer your question and help you move forward confidently—in weeks, not quarters. 

3. Classic depth, modern delivery 

And of course, when the challenge is big—a category reinvention, a multi-market innovation pipeline or a brand positioning pivot—we do what we’ve always done best: high-touch, high-context qualitative research, enriched by modern tools. 

We blend: 

• Traditional ethnographic immersion with mobile diaries and digital communities 
• Rich narrative reporting with video highlight reels for internal storytelling 
• Human-led synthesis supported by text analytics and visualization tools 

What you get: Timeless methods that get to the heart of human motivation with depth and rigor, plus the speed and scalability of new technologies. 

Why speed doesn’t mean shallow 

You might wonder: Can insights gathered quickly really be as rich, nuanced and strategic as those from longer projects? 

Absolutely—because the depth doesn’t come from how long we spend. It comes from: 

• The clarity of your research question 
• The craftsmanship of our discussion guides 
• The precision of our analysis frameworks 
• The skill of our moderators and synthesizers 

When these elements are right, even small, fast studies can unlock transformative understanding. 

Real stories, real speed 

Let's review a few examples of real business objectives we’ve tackled with a quick qual approach: 

• Department strategy reboot: 
  A leading grocery chain needed to understand what benefits drive shoppers’ use of the produce department and what opportunities they had to improve quality perceptions and gain a competitive advantage for that department of the store.  
• Positioning innovation: 
  An industry marketing cooperative needed foundational knowledge about category users’ perceptions of digestive health and their receptivity to several potential positioning statements for a new product coming to market.  
• Packaging refresh: 
  A global ingredient manufacturer needed feedback from its target shopper/user regarding packaging designs for its brand and how these opinions reflected premium benefits that anchor brand positioning and drive choices at-shelf within the category.  

Why clients love our agile qual 

• Confidence, not just speed: We don’t shortcut the analysis—we streamline the logistics
• Clarity for decision-making: You get insights presented in plain language, ready to share internally
• Flexibility: As a boutique consultancy, we adapt to your needs, not the other way around
• Craftsmanship meets technology: We use digital tools to enhance—never replace—human interpretation

When to call us 

Think of Hartman Group whenever you hear: 

• “We need this before the next stage gate.” 
• “We can’t wait for a six-month study.” 
• “We already have data—can we make sense of it?” 
• “We need to bring consumers to life for our internal team.” 

The bottom line 

Excellence should never be optional. Next time you need insights in a hurry—but can’t sacrifice clarity and confidence—we’re here to help. Let's connect to discuss your needs.