OPINION20 October 2014
OPINION20 October 2014
The challenge of kids’ research is that you are continually dealing with ‘insight gob-stoppers’ – the sticky, sugar coating they wrap around their answers. Kids contradict themselves and each other, they are fickle, they change their minds, they copy each other and sometimes they just talk about something entirely unrelated. It’s the job of the researcher to work their way to the centre. There you will discover solid, powerful insights – the dynamite.
Anyone who has ever tried to get a straight answer from a child will tell you it’s a tricky business, which is why kids’ research is such a specialised discipline. It’s a case of quality not quantity. A lot of time, money and effort is going to be spent getting to the truth. But get it right, and you’ll be rewarded with research gold dust.
Here’s how you smash through those ‘insight gob-stoppers’:
So do kids lie in research? Not intentionally. But they do show off, try to please and try to say and do what they think is ‘right’. It is the researcher’s job to minimise this and to create an environment where respondents feel like they don’t have to behave in a certain way. And when you get past the ‘gob-stopper’ to the real truth that kids need brands to know, be it how they really feel about eating their greens or why they crave 18-rated games, you’ll know that it was worth the effort.
1 Comment
Laurie Tema-Lyn
5 years ago
Your guidelines are spot on! There's one I would add to the list-which will vary based on the age- get the kids involved in some creative activities in the discussion. I bring props and tools and playful items with me-colorful things- markers, paper, fiddle toys like pipe-cleaners, yoyos, nerf balls, etc. Depending upon your session topic you can get some great insights and ideas from the right activity- drawing, word play, role-play/drama, and even just tossing around a colorful nerf ball while you talk.
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