Qualitative Research

Plenty of brands think they understand their audience, and in a sense they do - but only in a very general, formal sense. Quantitative research is essential and undoubtedly can yield some valuable insight, but it misses the intangibles of qualitative research. Those nuanced opinions that cannot be quantified and can only be expressed conversationally. This is what the SELFHOOD insight platform offers. Whether it’s a fitness brand who are suffering from being tarred with misconceptions of their industry, or a clothing brand who have just for some reason stopped being ‘cool’, or a food brand who are not reaching their target consumer, our qualitative research taps into the core, fundamental qualities of the youth brain and human psyche to create an insight platform like no other that is currently available.

As the world becomes ever more connected, we paradoxically feel more alone than ever. This is a phenomenon particularly affecting the Next Gen. That’s because, as we swiftly realised, having a load of Facebook friends and Instagram follows does not equate to genuine human interaction. The art of conversation can often seem like a dying art. Why bother giving someone a phone call when you can just communicate in memes and GIFs? That’s why we place such a heavy emphasis on qualitative research. Our platform gives the Next Gen the rare opportunity to have real conversations about the issues that they care most about. This is the root of our qualitative research method to allow our brand partners learn how their Next Gen audience really feel.

Naturally, since our mission statement is to get the voices of the Next Gen heard by sharing their opinions and ideas and speaking their truth, the very core of SELFHOOD is based upon qualitative research. Take our Instagram channel, for example, in just the first few months since its launch, we have spoken to dozens of young people from all over the globe on the topics that really matters to them - from politics, to drag, to football, to music, to immigration, to LGBTQ+ rights, to queer expression, and the list goes on (and on, and on). We put the voices first. Without them, SELFHOOD doesn’t exist. Or at least it would not be able to offer the unique qualitative research that we do.

Our qualitative research model is based around the assertion that everyone has a story to tell, and that these stories should be important to brands. Now more than ever, a relationship with a brand can be an incredibly personal experience. We are giving the Next Gen a platform to allow the brand a glimpse into that experience. And this can include hearing stuff they do not want to hear. In quant research, even bad numbers can sometimes struggle to leave an impression. But with qualitative research, seeing a real person give their reasons for why they feel your brand is no longer speaking to them is an incredibly valuable experience for a brand manager. Of course, this one person’s opinion isn’t always entirely generalisable, but that’s when we expand our qualitative research onto the SELFHOOD insight platform to create the more holistic insight that that brand needs. But make no mistake, those early conversations provide the foundations of everything that follows.