Ethnography for Marketers

Citation

Desai, P. (2008), "Ethnography for Marketers", Qualitative Market Research, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 443-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522750810901547

Ten years ago ethnographic and observational researches were relatively new to the commercial marketing scene. Although, these approaches have been long‐accepted in the academic toolkit, commercial marketers tended to prefer the convenience and cost effectiveness of focus groups or in‐depth interviews. Now, however, things have changed. The 2007 Directory of the Association for Qualitative Research lists around 50 commercial research agencies claiming to specialise in ethnographic research in the UK and no marketing conference is complete without shaky videos of people cooking, cleaning, partying or shopping.

It is surprising then that there is so little agreement among commercial marketers regarding what ethnography is, how it should be conducted, analysed and interpreted. In this context, Mariampolski's book Ethnography for Marketers: A Guide to Consumer Immersion is a welcome arrival. The stated aim of the book is “to serve as a training and reference resource for the benefit of students, companies, agencies and research consultants embarking on ethnographic studies”. The book is divided into four sections, starting with theory and background, moving to project management, conducting site visits, analysing and reporting the data.

Mariampolski points out that commercial ethnography differs from academic research in having much shorter timescales, usually a more specific brief from a client and a need to generate results which have real commercial value. The bulk of the text is dedicated to a detailed description of the practicalities of conducting commercial ethnographic studies. The author is generous, detailed and exhaustive in his description of the various aspects of project management, logistics, recruitment of participants and the various ways to record ethnographic data. He provides clear answers to the most common questions asked by clients or new researchers, such as how many observations you need to conduct, how long they should last, and how to avoid influencing behaviour and biasing the results.

The book also contains useful advice on how to relate to respondents in the field. Researchers ask a lot from participants in ethnographic studies and Mariampolski draws on a wealth of experience in his guidance on these matters. He starts with a valuable discussion of recruiting participants to observational studies and the importance of personal confirmations and reassurance from the researcher. When conducting observations in public places he points to the importance of using signs at the entrance to shops, so that people know they are being observed.

For in‐home observations he emphasises the importance of explaining the purpose of the study, what will happen during the visit and the fact that the respondent and not the researcher is in charge of what happens during the observation. It is also crucial to give participants enough time, to avoid rushing the process and to bear in mind the roles of other family members, friends or pets. By ensuring that the participant feels at ease and understands what is happening, the observer can ensure that that biases are minimised in the research process.

Some of the most useful advice is contained in the section on what ethnography seeks to observe. In my experience many researchers conducting ethnography for the first time are worried that they would not know what to look for or that “nothing will happen”. Mariampolski addresses these concerns by providing a structured framework which can guide any observational research process. He describes the importance of creating a good observation guide, which provides a “best guess” of how the interaction may proceed. He also outlines a framework for what to look for when on site. This includes behaviours (rituals, social roles, etc.), meanings (symbols attached to products or brands, language use) and tools (technology, uses of space, and pressures of time). By considering observational data within these categories, new researchers will have a clear framework to focus their observations and need never feel lost again.

The final chapter, on how to move from ethnographic data to marketing intelligence, is among the most valuable in the book, and could well justify the price alone. Here, Mariampolski outlines the events to look for in ethnographic data which indicate new marketing or product opportunities. These include, for example, consumers making mistakes using a product, combining two different products, shifting or changing packaging, or using home remedies to compensate for a poorly functioning product. Consumers in interviews are often poor at identifying new needs or opportunities and it is here that ethnography comes into its own.

The intensely practical focus of the book can exhaust the reader at times. There is also a lot of material which would be relevant any qualitative methods – sections on framing questions and developing rapport, for example. Nevertheless, this comprehensive approach ensures that the book can stand alone as a resource without the need for reference to other texts for more general qualitative guidance.

I would have welcomed more detail on the different varieties of ethnographic research, such as site visits, accompanied shops, day‐in‐the‐life immersion sessions, and guerrilla ethnography. It would also have been interesting to read more about the applications of ethnography, such as in product design innovation, store layout, cultures studies of social, ethnic or corporate groups. Mariampolski deals with these issues in a tantalising brief introductory section, which leaves the reader wanting more detail, examples, or case studies. The book is also weaker on the analysis and presentation of ethnographic research, with a brief final section covering these issues. There is rather too much focus on the nuts and bolts of how to label your files and organise your material, and not enough on how to make sense of the vast amount of data which ethnographic research can generate. It would have been interesting to hear more about newer, interactive presentational methods, such as DVDs, video reports, placing videos on company intranets and searchable databases of clips. Also, there is a growing trend for participants to review and comment on videos of their own behaviour providing an additional layer of interpretation, but this is not touched upon here.

Finally, I would have liked the author to dispense with his textbook style towards the end of the book and tell us where he thinks the world of commercial ethnography is going? What are the new developments, how are these changing, what impact would technologies such as YouTube and video phones have and are there risks in over‐use of this approach by unskilled practitioners? A researcher with Mariampolski's wide experience and intellectual range must have fascinating views on these issues and it is a shame that he has not included them here. Nevertheless, for any researcher wanting the definitive text on organising and conducting commercial ethnographic research, this is the book for you.

Philly Desai

Turnstone Research, London, UK

About the author

Philly Desai is the Founder of Turnstone Research and Consultancy, a qualitative research agency specialising in communications and social policy research. He has a PhD in sociology and has a particular interest in combining approaches from the academic and commercial worlds. He is the author of methods beyond interviewing in qualitative market research (Sage 2002), which focuses on innovative methods in qualitative market research. He is a fellow of the market research society, recently Co‐chaired the Worldwide Qualitative Research in Barcelona and is a well known conference speaker and presenter. Philly Desai can be contacted at: philly@turnstone‐research.co.uk, web site: www.turnstone‐research.co.uk