Blog

In-Person to Online: Reimagining Qualitative Research During the Pandemic

December 22, 2020 Author: Mario X. Carrasco

Across industries, the pandemic has radically altered the way we conduct business and communicate. Market research is no exception, with social distancing requirements prompting innovation in online survey instruments, panel selection, focus groups, and other data collection methods to mitigate the risk of coronavirus spread. 

Despite this year’s challenges, 2020 has also presented new opportunities for market researchers to pivot and connect with one another, clients, and respondents in more authentic ways. Digital tools like webinars, online chats and surveys, and a resurgence of traditional practices like conference calling and phone intercepts facilitate new networking and collaboration prospects and provide greater access to panelists. These digital interactions have humanized communication when in-person experiences are canceled, but the need for human connection is not.

This week on The New Mainstream podcast, Shelley Forrester, Founder and CEO of Forrester Network, joins ThinkNow to discuss how market researchers can pivot their communications strategies during the pandemic to engage colleagues, clients, and consumers.