IDEAS & TOOLS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FALL 2005 VOLUME 4 • NUMBER 1 -OVINGCAMERAS BROADCASTQUALITYEQUIPMENT ANDUNMATCHEDEXPERIENCEx 7ITH &OCUS6ISION THEDIFFERENCEISPERFECTLYCLEAR /NLY&OCUS6ISIONHAS LIVECAMERAOPERATORS DEDICATEDEQUIPMENT A HOURTECHNICALSUPPORT &OCUS6ISION ISTHEWORLDLEADERINTHELIVE CENTERANDOVER YEARS EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER TRANSMISSIONOFQUALITATIVERESEARCHFROMAGLOBAL THEHIGHESTQUALITY MOSTRELIABLEVIEWING NETWORKOFOVERTOP RATED INDEPENDENTFOCUS EXPERIENCEYOUCANGET FACILITIES4HESAMEFACILITIESYOUPROBABLYUSENOW %ACHFACILITYISEQUIPPEDWITHOURSTATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGYANDBROADCASTQUALITYMOVINGCAMERASTO &OCUS6ISIONVIDEOTRANSMITS PROVIDETRANSMISSIONSSOCLEARANDRELIABLEYOUD SWEARYOUWERETHERE THELIVEFOCUSGROUPEXPERIENCE RIGHTTOYOUROFFICEORHOMEx 7HETHERITIS&OCUS6ISION6IDEO#ONFERENCINGOR WITHOUTTRAVELING 6IDEO3TREAMINGORBOTH YOURPROJECTSWILLBENEFIT FROMTHEINCREASEDPARTICIPATIONTHATREAL TIME #ALL OPT REMOTEVIEWINGMAKESPOSSIBLEWHILESAVINGTIMEAND %MAILINFO FOCUSVISIONCOM REDUCINGTHECOSTSANDHASSLESASSOCIATEDWITHTRAVEL ,EARNMOREWWWFOCUSVISIONCOM 7ORLDWIDE(EADQUARTERS34!-&/2$ #4 2EGIONAL/FFICES#()#!'/ s ,/.$/. s ,/3 !.'%,%3 Top Rated Minneapolis THANK YOU QRCA Top Rated Phoenix Focus Market Research is the #1 Star for Qualitative Research Conscientious Staff Consistent Quality Courteous Service Commitment Let Focus make YOU the Star on your next project! MINNEAPOLIS Market p: 612.869.8181 f: 612.869.8109 FOCUS Research [email protected] FOCUS Research INC. INC. PHOENIX MINNEAPOLISMINNEAPOLIS •• PHOENIXPHOENIX p: 480.874.2714 f: 480.874.1714 [email protected] www.focusmarketresearch.com • TABLE OF CONTENTS • FALL 2005 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANTS ASSOCIATION 16 16 FEATURE STORY Taking the Longitudinal Way: A Look at Qualitative Panels • Belkist E. Padilla, Gloria Canteñs-Purchon, and John Holcombe outline the benefits of using longitudinal qualitative panels and offer some tips for how to set one up. 20 QUALITATIVE TOOLBOX Understanding Genderlects for More Accurate Assessments • Tracy Weigel explains how gender 8 LETTER TO THE EDITOR identity impacts focus-group interactions and how to Dr. Elizabeth Grigoriu comments on why qualitative use this knowledge to manage groups better. research consultants should value understanding theory in practice. 24 QUALITATIVE TOOLBOX 10 FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Recruiting Child Participants: A Fun Challenge Your Chance to Be a Qualitative Star • or Screaming Nightmare? • Dorrie Paynter offers Sharon Wolf outlines the many reasons you won’t tips and suggestions for successfully recruiting want to miss QRCA’s 2005 Conference in Beverly Hills. children for marketing research studies. 12 FROM THE PRESIDENT 30 INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH A Look Back at the Past Year • Outgoing Package Design in India: The Role of Culture • QRCA president Diane Harris recaps QRCA’s many Piyul Mukherjee describes a model for packaging- achievements over the past 15 months and describes design evaluation and development that can be the association’s future goals. used globally. Editor-in-Chief: Sharon Wolf, [email protected] • Managing Editor: Timm Sweeney, [email protected] • Design/Art Direction & Publishing: Leading Edge Communications, LLC (615) 790.3718 [email protected] FEATURE EDITORS Book Reviews: Gregory Spaulding, [email protected] • Business Matters: Gail Fudemberg, [email protected] • International Research: Susan Fader, [email protected] • Industry Calendar: Agata Panczak, [email protected] • Letters to the Editor: Lana Limpert, [email protected] • Qualitative Tool Box: Kimberly Daniels, [email protected] • Targeted Marketing: Judy Langer, [email protected] • Tech Talk: David Van Nuys, [email protected] • Travel & Leisure: Susan Sweet, [email protected] 4 QRCA VIEWS FALL 2005 www.qrca.org • TABLE OF CONTENTS • CONTINUED FALL 2005 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANTS ASSOCIATION 56 BUSINESS MATTERS 84 Projecting Cash Flow and Operating Capital Needs–Keys to Small-Business Success • Sid Landman explains the crucial need for adequate capitalization for ensuring the survival—and long-term success—of your business. 60 QRCA NEWS 2005 Annual Conference Program Preview • You can “Be a Qualitative Star” in Beverly Hills, California, October 19–22, 2005. 72 TRAVEL & LEISURE Off the Beaten Tourist Path in Los Angeles • Planning an out-of-the-ordinary trip to the Los Angeles area is a breeze with Liz Nutter’s suggestions. 82 BOOK REVIEW Ethnography for Marketers • Anthropologist Maryann McCabe offers a professional look at Ethnography for Marketers: A Guide to Consumer Immersion by Hy Mariampolski. 38 TARGETED MARKETING 86 BOOK REVIEW Hispanics: In-Culture Marketing to Reach the The Culting of Brands • Greg Spaulding discusses Fastest-Growing Youth Culture in the U.S. • Douglas Atkin’s belief that there is a close relationship M. Isabel Valdés explains why Hispanic children and between cults and the best cult brands on the market. teens—and their parents—present an excellent opportunity for marketers who know how to communicate with them "in-culture." 88 INDUSTRY CALENDAR 48 TECH TALK 89 EDITORIAL GUIDELINES Usability Testing • Matthew Towers and Jonathan Schneider discuss best practices for conducting 90 usability research. INDEX OF ADVERTISERS visit QRCA online at www.qrca.org 6 QRCA VIEWS FALL 2005 www.qrca.org When you’re entering the world of any demographic slice, call The Focus Network. We recruit people from the world you need, put them in a first-class room, and make sure that you’re proud to take your clients behind the glass. jewellery buyers car drivers beer drinkers peanut butter and jelly sandwich eaters wealthy investors nurse educators sports fans Atlanta Focus • Chicago Focus • Dallas Focus • London Focus Mexico City Focus • New York Focus • San Jose Focus • Toronto Focus For all locations: 1-800-394-1348 • Or visit www.thefocusnetwork.com • LETTER TO THE EDITOR • TO THE EDITOR: Re-reading Hy Mariampolski’s article in the Summer 2004 understanding of theoretical perspectives because we are issue of QRCA Views, “Research Dreams and Marketing more apt to become aware of inaccuracies in our thinking, Nightmares: New Thinking in British Market Research,” I interpretations of others’ behaviors and preferences, and immediately thought about my experience while conducting experience an “aha” of why things might not be going like a workshop at the QRCA Conference in Phoenix last fall. we “thought they should.” In his article, Mariampolski suggests that being exposed to We don’t need theory to tell us what to do, but we do breakthrough ideas may or may not lead to immediate need an understanding of theory to reflect on how we go changes in our qualitative research practices; however, these about our business. Insights of theory in practice not only alternative notions are valuable because they are likely to lend credibility to our field; they allow us to go beyond point to what we will be thinking and doing in the future. descriptive analysis to make more in-depth, accurate Why would we possibly need to think about theory in interpretations of people’s preferences, attitudes, beliefs, practice? What is the usefulness? During the last QRCA and behaviors in the context of their everyday living. conference, an attendee said to me, “I don’t need this stuff!” The “stuff” he was referring to was the knowledge and application of theory in practice. On the one hand, I — DR . ELIZABETH G RIGORIU agreed with him. We don’t need theory to do what we do as Grigoriu & Associates practitioners—we just do it. On the other hand, we can be Ithaca, NY more informed practitioners if we operate from a conceptual [email protected] Corrections A pull-out quote on page 64 in an article by Joel Reish, “Get Ready for VoIP” that appeared in the Spring 2005 includes an incorrect statistic regarding VoIP market penetration. The correct statistic refers to broadband penetration. Reish states on page 62 of his article, “…with the recent penetration of broadband—more than 40 percent of internet- connected households now use it—VoIP is set to explode at the consumer level.” The correct e-mail address for Paul Conner, author of “Emotions and Feelings: Drivers of Consumer Behavior” (Spring 2005, pages 17-22) is: [email protected] Downtown You asked for homemakers? 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