How To Choose a Qualitative Research Market

Qualitative research, whether individual interviews,you or your client suspected. This is the point. Are
in-homes, focus groups, ethnographies and the likewe in a location rut?According to the website of
are conducted all over the world, as everyonethe Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce:* More
knows. But how are the markets to be studiedthan 5,000 people move to Las Vegas each
selected in the first place?New York, London,month* 69.9% have lived there more than 6
Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco,years* 10% of the residents are over the age of
Toronto, Boston and Dallas are all great places to65* 62% of the Households have incomes in
see first rate entertainment, dine out and by theirexcess of $35,000Depending on the topic, Las
size, must be great places in which to conductVegas might just be a selection for a market in
qualitative research or so the common thinkingwhich to conduct a qualitative project involving
goes.A little research into the demographics of achildren, new homeowners, health issues, food,
market can save researchers more than a littlebeverages and more.The other argument for
money, and get better research. Take forselecting a City is the ability to get a direct
instance...The State with the most Dentists perairplane flight from the client or moderator
capita - If you said Arkansas, you would be right.residence City. If one lives in a hub city like
The City with the most new homes built in theChicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland,
last year - If you said Las Vegas you would bePittsburgh or other hub town, direct flights are a
right. The City with the highest incidence ofbreeze. Higher airfares to go anywhere direct,
coupon clippers - If you said Buffalo you would beespecially if there is no competition on the same
right. The City with the most new Volkswagensleg prevail.Many times a less populated City / area
sold per capita - If you said Minneapolis you wouldhas more diet soft drink drinkers, cancer
be right. But how do you know?Let's take Lassurvivors, remodeling contractors, hog farmers,
Vegas; bright lights and a City that truly neverchildren ages 8 to 12 per capita than a major city
sleeps. Most focus groups are conducted there inwith direct flights. What happened to the old "If it'll
concert with the world class convention center.play in Des Moines, it'll play anywhere?" That is not
It's a great idea. Go where folks from all over thean endorsement for Des Moines either.Okay, so
country or even the world converge for days ofhow does one determine where to go to conduct
meetings, walking aisles and of course dining,qualitative research? The answer can be simple in
shows and gambling. But Las Vegas is not usuallymany cases. All one needs is a search engine
considered for testing the folks that live there,connection from a computer to visit websites of
outside of occasional television show tests forChambers of Commerce, International Trade
new programming. In fact, in recent interviewsOffices, Federal, State and local Government
with several QRCA (Qualitative Researchoffices and more. There are also companies who
Consultants Association, 888 - 674 - 7722)assist researchers determining markets such as
researchers, not one had been to Las Vegasthe Qualitative Research Network -
other than to conduct research in conjunction with800-601-0834.John Cashmore, President of
a show or convention.This is not a promotion forMarket Resource Associates, Inc.and member of
Las Vegas, as the City does enough of that on itsthe Qualitative Reseach Consultants Association
own, but let's look back at those homeowners.specializes in qualitative as well as quantitative
Who are they? Retirees - Right - well some yes,market research techniques. Mr. Cashmore is
but not so fast. The greater metropolitan area isbased in Minneapolis, MN and consults with many
building schools like crazy. So it may not be asFortune 500 companies in a variety of industries.