Ethnographic research is part of our DNA at Hartman Group, so naturally, we have a soft spot for projects that warrant robust qualitative work. However, we also understand the reality of doing business today: often, our clients need quick-turn expertise.

While our approach is always centered on a deep understanding of consumers and their changing world, we also pride ourselves on being nimble. We balance that cultural curiosity with the practicalities of timeline, budget and personnel resources through what we like to call “quick qual.”

What is quick qual?

Understanding consumers and food culture is an ongoing pursuit at Hartman Group, from our many syndicated tracker studies to continuous trends tracking. Constantly having our ears to the ground means we can execute time- and cost-effective qualitative projects that address your specific business questions.

Quick qual projects leverage a customized three-pronged approach:

1. Conducting in-depth interviews and information gathering within our network of industry and topical experts
2. Ethnographic data mining within our existing consumer data, including interviews, artifacts, in-home and retail immersions collected during ongoing syndicated research
3. Drawing on our many proprietary models and frameworks, such as the Hartman Group World Models, Compass Eating and Drinking Occasions Database, Ideas in Food trends reports, and more

Ultimately, we can scale our custom research approaches up or down while retaining deep insights. Some projects call for extensive in-person observations, participant discussions, and dynamic exercises. But when time is short, we rely on efficient methods that still deliver reliable results. Where appropriate, we leverage technology and AI for added flexibility in fielding, consumer immersion and data aggregation and analysis — all while remaining human-centered and honoring the tenets of traditional ethnography.

How can it help you?

This quick qual approach can meet a variety of needs, but is especially valuable when you need to:

• Understand category usage and trends for marketing and product innovation
• Bring occasions to life and locate new demand drivers for consumer behavior
• Identify brand strengths, weaknesses and competitive opportunities

Let’s connect to discuss your unique qualitative needs and objectives. Reach out to Shelley Balanko for more information: shelley@hartman-group.com