How Public Figures Can Use Qualitative Research To Calibrate Their Image And Campaigns
Qualitative research can help us identify and understand the views of our target audience.
In this blog, we discuss some of the ways qualitative research can be used by public figures, whose need to efficiently grasp public opinion is crucial.
Public figures need to be aware of the perspectives, experiences, emotions, and concerns of their target audiences in order to be relevant to them. But often, their view is limited to their immediate echo chamber: their professional and personal circles, the media, and their advisors. While each of these information sources is valuable and interesting in its own right, they do not necessarily connect public figures to the real world. There is a gap between the perception of the figure and the reality of those they want to influence.
Hearing about issues of public concern “from the horse’s mouth” gives public figures an opportunity to address the real world with meaningful propositions. Qualitative research helps to do just that. It provides a way to understand what really matters to a target audience - and how they want to be addressed by those they look up to. By gaining such insights, public figures can intelligently maintain their current engagement and garner new support.
Some questions that qualitative research can help answer for public figures are:
What does it take for the public to trust the public figure?
Which of their ideas/actions are admired/rejected?
What do different segments of their target audience (e.g. young, old, men, women, urban, rural dwellers, etc.) want to hear from public figures?
What is expected from these figures?
How does the public decide their positions and opinions / what are the factors that influence their decisions?
Why are some attributes appreciated or rejected in a public figure?
What are their strengths? Their weaknesses?
How near, or how far, is this figure from the "ideal"? / What would the ideal be in their case?
One may think they already know the answers to these - and many other - questions, having analyzed them in lengthy discussions with their teams. But the experienced guidance of a qualitative research moderator can help reveal unexpected nuggets of information about the public. With the use of various questioning techniques in the focus group or in-depth interview setting, we motivate a dynamic conversation among the research participants, which in turn helps them to formulate and express their ideas and their opinions honestly.
An example of such an enabling technique used in focus groups is the projective technique, when we ask the group participants an indirect question. For instance, we ask how the respondents expect someone else (e.g. their friends, their rivals) to react to a proposition. This way of questioning makes the respondent look deeply into their own mind in order to find the answer. The answer they give is of course their own, albeit projected on others!
The projective technique is just one of many that experienced qualitative researchers leverage in order to access the true opinions, feelings and desires of respondents.
With its immediate and dynamic approach, qualitative research can reach the core of public opinion. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews provide a direct connection with members of the public. This is a vital element in any campaign to develop relevant messages that can persuade and move target audiences.
Do you want to truly understand your target audience? Get in touch and we'll be happy to discuss your research options.
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