Written by Behind every data point is a person. At REAL Insight, we are committed to providing authenticity and recognize that the data we provide to our clients is only as authentic as the people that we study. Because of this, we put a lot of time and energy into the recruitment process for our clients.
REAL Recruitment is a layered process to vet and select the participants that best fit a study’s specs and target consumer. Using screeners, face-to-face interviews, and additional ai-based security filtering, we ensure each participant is authentic and true, not a professional. Taking the extra time to find the right respondents helps mitigate the risk of steering clients in the wrong direction and guarantees we provide quality insights from the minds of real consumers.
“Feedback is only as good as the people you are talking to.”
-Michelle DeVaughn, Sr. Project Director
Finding the Right Respondent
In a recent study, we studied a frozen appetizer that our client was attempting to shift into an additional category with updated brand positioning. They knew they needed to speak with the right people which included a relatively specific target audience: young, adult male category purchasers who value the convenience of frozen appetizers. We took the persona that the client provided and began the search. As the recruitment process unfolded, we uncovered a number of insights that allowed us to better tailor our recruiting specs:
- Product users were abundant, but their loyalty was not tied to single a brand
- A common hobby emerged among the ideal recruits: gaming
As our recruitment coordinator, Sheila Dingels, says, finding our best-fit participants is “an evolution throughout the project process.” We pack our own research parachute and that vertical integration heightens our intuition around the ideal respondent and incentivizes us to incorporate those learnings into an ongoing recruit.
When our first IDI-participant appeared on-screen, sitting in a gaming chair, we knew our methods were sound and the client was delighted. At the conclusion of the study, the Consumer Insights Manager we worked with shared that, “I was very pleased with the recruits. In past projects, I wasn’t sure we were talking to our target consumer. With this project I was confident we found them.”
Finding the right people requires more than following a list of qualities. Without intuition, experience, and dedication the participant that looks good on paper may be little more than a blank page. In a world where more and more people value authenticity from the companies they choose to spend their money with, we know the importance of gleaning insights from the correct consumers.
We urge you to join us in the quest for authenticity in everything we do! Our method for finding respondents, REAL Recruitment, is remarkably challenging and in a constant state of swimming against the current. However, like most worthwhile things in life, going the extra mile makes all the difference.
What problem are you needing to tackle, but which the solution has remained elusive? REAL recruitment plus some in-context expertise might be just the unlock you need.
Learn more about our thoughts on data quality and sample size in our blog, Data Quality Over Quantity is the REAL Way to Mitigate Risk.