In Praise of 'Slow Qual'

IN PRAISE OF 'SLOW QUAL'
Let me put this out here first, so you all don’t get the wrong idea … I am not some anti-technology luddite. I have used a bunch of different tech solutions in my time as a researcher, some of them at the earliest stages of adoption (online Focus Groups on 2002, for example). But as we see attitudes and lifestyles changing in all areas of life, and people embracing slow food, slow fashion and generally reconnecting with the things that matter, I thought I’d also sing the praises of slow qual.
 
Over the past decade, the introduction of tech and the changing business landscape has led to a need for speed, and this has permeated the world of qual in the same way that it has other areas of advertising, marketing and insights. Clients need faster, cheaper answers. They need convenience. They need ‘snackable insight’.
 
But I wonder whether they always do.
 
When we think about our diet, there are often times when ‘fast food’ is a viable alternative. There are always occasions when we don’t have time to cook, when we need to grab something quickly, when we just need fuel to get through the task in hand. So it is with insights – there is often a place for a quick and dirty piece of research, to answer a very specific question or hypothesis.
 
But in the big picture, a diet based entirely on fast food cannot nourish us. It’s often lacking in nutrients. It’s padded out with sugar and fats and things that give us an instant hit but leave us strangely empty down the line. One of the reasons it’s fast is because it is mass produced, following the same recipe and the same process, to give us the same taste over and over again.
 
Fast fashion operates in a similar vein – that instant dopamine hit when you buy the new item, which you then wear (on average) just 7 times before discarding it. It looks good for a short time, and you might get some compliments from your friends and family, but then you realise the limitations. It is poorly put together, perhaps, or it’s only suitable for specific occasions. Maybe the colours start to fade, or fashion moves on. Perhaps you didn’t need it so much after all.
 
So it is for research, and especially for qual. In the need for speed, we are veering towards output that gives us a quick fix but will not nourish our needs in the long run. And while we may all feel the urge to indulge in a burger and fries or a quick sandwich, there are times when we need a meal which feeds us sustainably, which is about more than just grab and go.
 
Both slow food and slow fashion encourage us to see the bigger picture. A meal is not just about the food on the table. It is about how the ingredients are sourced, how they are cooked, about taking time to savour the dishes with those around us. Slow fashion helps us understand the wider context of our choices – the supply chain, the makers, the impact on the planet. In essence, they put humanity and empathy at the centre of the experience.
 
Slow qual, as we champion it here at Firestar, should do the same thing. Yes, we can conduct some quick vox pops, or a few groups or in-home visits which last an hour and a half, and they will address the objectives that the client has expressed. This may provide a much-needed answer to an explicit set of questions. But we also need to understand the context, the people behind these answers, the ‘supply chain’ if you like. What got them to this point? In which part of their world are our questions situated? How does the client's brand fit with the rest of their lives?
 
We need to look at the cultural context of people and the brands they are interacting with, understand the wider category and the societal shifts which are driving behavior. Nothing exists in a vacuum; brands, categories, behavior and choices are all influenced by the culture around them.
 
Sometimes we need to allow for flexibility and experimentation in the research, in order to see things emerge that had not even been considered. To move away from the processed, boxed-in methodologies and questioning which lead to a rehash of the same insights. Slow qual allows us to engage with the ‘real’ side of people, and immerse ourselves in their lives, learning what is important to them.
 
Slow qual should be about savouring the whole process. About spending time to ensure authenticity at each stage. It is not about rejecting technology, but about ensuring the humanity shines forth in each conversation (although let’s be honest, mostly this can only be achieved through actual face-to-face human interaction). It should give us insights that we can appreciate for more than just a brief few marketing minutes, which will nourish brands in the long term.
 
Slow qual, like slow food or slow fashion, is not practical for everyone, nor is it the answer to every brief, however desirable it may be. But as we all take tiny steps towards sustainability in other areas of our lives, perhaps we should consider whether more slow qual should be included in our insights plan.

​Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash