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In-Person Market Research

Advantages of In Person Research

Conducting in-person research is your competitive advantage! In a world that increasingly relies on technology, the value of human-to-human interactions cannot be overstated, particularly when it comes to marketing research and user research.

While advancements in artificial intelligence and other digital tools can streamline research processes, they can also introduce significant issues, such as fraudulent responses and lower quality samples. Online surveys can complement in-person research, providing broader reach.

Learn More About the Advantages of In Person

1. Easier to Read Non-Verbal Cues

2. Provides a More Secure Environment

3. Group Dynamics Generate More Opinions

4. Participants React Instinctually

5. All Five Senses Are Involved

The Importance of In-Person Research

In the realm of market research, there’s a distinctive allure to in-person research that transcends screens and wires, capturing genuine human connections and unfiltered insights. Face-to-face delivers on empathy, captures nuances, and creates personal connections that can be explored further.

We have learned a lot over the years about virtual research, but at the end of the day, MR professionals are the first to admit that in-person research achieves an added layer of richness. No matter the technology used, insights gained simply from things like body language are not able to be replicated behind a screen.

Respondents are eager to be together and engage in a group conversation! We are facilitating mock trials, taste tests, usability studies, and more. Being in the same room allows for a free-flowing conversation as opposed to a call and response that is often applied to online research. Online focus groups also provide valuable feedback but lack the depth of in-person interactions.

I’m thrilled to receive positive feedback from our clients regarding successful in-person research. It is now if there was a time to explore how your audience receives your brand directly.

Sarah Kotva, Executive VP, Fieldwork

Qualitative Means Quality

In-person research is truly the best way to get the most of participants. Face-to-face interactions open a world where genuine connections foster rich, unscripted insights. It’s the subtle cues—the raised brow, the nod of agreement—that weave the narrative of genuine understanding. While tech plays its part, nothing beats the depth of personal encounters.

That’s why incorporating face-to-face interactions in research methodologies can be so valuable. By engaging with real people in-person, researchers can reveal nonverbal cues and offer a more complete picture of participants’ attitudes, behaviors, and needs. The magic of in-person research is undeniable. This is crucial for interaction design and making informed decisions based on qualitative data.

Online research methods will never replace the experience of immersing yourself in a culture or city.

The benefits of in-person research start well before any interviews begin; realized by the delivery of rich insights by humans through the nuances of language and movement that are infinitely more challenging to capture digitally. As brands continue to navigate global unknowns, in-person methods remain fundamental to our success as storytellers and data translators and will continue to deliver key insights for better business outcomes.

Kristin Luck, Founder / Managing Partner, Scalehouse
Sarah Kotva and Aryn O'Donnell posing with a #FacetoFaceMRX balloon

About #FaceToFaceMRX

In 2020, Fieldwork developed #facetofacemrx to create an industry swell and bring focus to the magic of face-to-face interviews. Join the conversation by following and using #facetofacemrx.

Please join the insights community by using and following #facetofacemrx to raise awareness about in-person research happenings.

This collaboration and purpose of this effort is not to further our individual brands but to support the foundation of our industry.

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At Fieldwork, we’re making face-to-face research happen every day.

Whether it’s hosting an in-person focus group or meeting you at your place to handle on-site logistics, our expert research team is ready to lend support. Ready to get started on your next in-person project? Whether it’s a case study, short survey, or extensive UX research project, we’re here to help.

We’d Love to Hear From You