I recently came across an article on Quirks.com called “Researchers offer strategies for keeping MR function relevant in a big data world”. The more I read the more I was struck that editor Joseph Rydholm should come work at KL Communications. His belief of the importance of the human researcher is exactly what we at KLC believe, and this belief has become the heartbeat of our own CrowdWeaving®™ and Online Community platforms.
To us “researchy people” the idea that there is still room for a human researcher seems like an indisputable fact – but, as Rydholm says, the difficulty comes in persuading others that this is true. While it’s often hard to articulate what seems so easily apparent, I have come up with a few ways to do so throughout my time as a curator and moderator at KLC.
– Numbers don’t tell the whole story. Yes, consumers can offer you lots of numerical data about what they do. But anyone who has been a consumer (that’s all of us) knows there’s a lot happening when we consume. What about an emotional connection to a product or brand, what about the subtle drivers behind switching brands or trying a new product? You need to know what’s truly causing these actions, and it can’t be seen by just looking at the numbers. You need to work with a trained qualitative person who knows how to recognize and analyze these behaviors and emotions. Our new CrowdWeaving® platform, where consumers create unique solutions to problems and then collaborate together, even let’s them rate how PASSIONATE they are about an idea. An idea might have less votes than others, but if it’s something consumers are truly passionate about, that’s something clients need to hear.
– There’s a story within the story. I like to call this “storyception”. At KLC, we use CrowdWeaving® in conjunction with our Online Community platform, inviting our members to participate in a special project over the course of a few weeks. This means that, beyond just providing sample, we’ve gotten to really KNOW these people; we understand the big picture of their lives and who they are. It’s easy for us to decipher what they are saying because we’ve worked with them over time, and we know what they do for work, where they live, what they like, etc. In addition, they know us and they know each other, so not only are they comfortable collaborating together, they know it can be an enjoyable experience (gasp!).
– There’s simply too much data. Clients are often struck by the sheer AMOUNT of information we get with one of our CrowdWeaving® projects (big data, anyone?). Their intentions are good, and they always ask for their own account so they can visit the platform and watch the ideas come in. Then, we’ll have a meeting and the first thing they say is, “There was just a lot going on…so many comments and votes! And I didn’t have time to look through all of transcripts you sent over. Have you looked through all of it yet?” and I’ll smile and say, “That’s what I’m here for.”
At KL Communications, we often call ourselves the bridge between consumers and clients. And while a human bridge may be intimidating to some, we think it sounds perfect.
