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GETTING INTIMATE
Topics
We encourage case studies as well as innovative thinking on the following topics:
1. Getting intimate with consumers
A) New Communities
The traditional definition of a community is that of a geographically circumscribed entity, but nowadays we talk just as readily about virtual communities. If virtual communities take a life of their own and connect individuals across time, geographical and organizational boundaries – where does this leave the ‘individual’ as the subject of research?
We would like to receive your thinking on:
- How the qualitative discipline can benefit from new online communities (e.g. Linkedln, Facebook)?
- How strategic information on the individual level can be adequately extracted from the collective data (e.g. online forums)?
- The challenges research professionals will have to cope with when researching online communities (e.g. are community members aware that they are being monitored by a researcher and would they provide false data)?
B) New Dialogues
Web 2.0 (or even Web 3.0), as well as a variety of mobile devices, spread and generate a whole new generation of tools to facilitate creativity, collaboration and sharing amongst its users. In a virtual world where no physical or time barrier exists, people can actively participate and get involved in every step of the research and development process (co-creation, open source, etc). In this context the qualitative industry has a world of opportunities to get even closer to the customer.
Please send us your experiences on new applications to form a fruitful intimate dialogue with consumers.
2. Client – Agency partnerships
The research industry is at the edge of a new era where clients and providers are looking for partnerships to invest in the future of business. With individual companies or individuals venturing in the territory of new partnerships, a battery of questions presents itself:
- Are both sides (providers and clients) doing enough to drive the establishment of effective partnerships?
- What criteria should be used to evaluate the mutual interaction between research agencies and clients?
- Does the qualitative discipline need to speak another language to create engagement and involvement with its partners?
- What is the long term plan to acquire new (consultancy) skills to facilitate effective partnerships?
- Is the future really about three way interaction between client -researcher-consumer? And if so, how can this be done more effectively?
With this topic we want to establish what it takes to reach effective partnerships. Please send us your thoughts and experiences on this.
3. Getting intimate with other disciplines
In the ESOMAR Qualitative 2007 Conference, we talked about hybrid methods and the implications for the so-called qualitative territory. In this context, references were made to research approaches (or combinations of methods) that are not one or the other but an exciting fresh combination of both.
For this section we are looking to receive your input on the newest breeds of hybrid methods which align the corporate business strategy and enable better decision making. We would also like to explore how effective these methods are when doing research in virtual communities.
To make the sessions as lively as possible, we’re also encouraging any ideas for interactive presentation formats, discussion sessions and debates.
We look forward to receiving your ideas and input. Please send outlines of papers to conference@esomar.org.
Download PDF guideline for submitting your outline
KEEP ME INFORMED |