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Demystifying Semiotics: A Primer on How to Do Semiotic Decoding

In this how-to article, SemioFest co-founder Hamsini Shivakumar demystifies semiotics. She explains: what semiotics is; how it is different from voice-of-the-customer research; and how semiotics-based insights help your customers improve their marketing. Hamsini also provides an introductory how-to on conducting semiotics analyses so that you can consider how you might incorporate semiotics into your practice or business. […]

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Conducting an Experience Investigation: A CX Approach That Adds Depth and Dimensionality to the Discovery Phase of Your Research

Show your clients a vivid picture of what it’s like to be one of their customers by delivering an Experience Investigation. Using a Customer Experience (CX) mindset, go beyond rational and conscious observations to better understand how expectations, emotions, subconscious clues, and behavioral psychology affect how customers feel toward a company. The article is a useful primer on how to pay attention to, capture, and evaluate the signals firsthand that create the emotions that can either attract or repel customers. […]

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Uncorking Their Stories: What I’ve Learned from Interviewing Authors

Moderators and authors have a lot in common, and no one knows this more than Mike Carlon. As the author of eight novels and a professional who has been involved in the qualitative marketing research business for a quarter of a century, Carlon lives these similarities firsthand. These insights were cemented after he started interviewing authors on the Uncorking a Story podcast and his researcher instincts kicked in, and he started documenting them. In this article, he shares insights into the five traits qualitative researchers and moderators share. […]

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Why is it So Hard to Rest?

This article by Dr. Isabeau Iqbal explores the benefits of rest and provides strategies for incorporating more rest into your days, even when you are rest-resistant or rest-averse, ultimately providing for better health and greater productivity. […]

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Level-Up the Conversation with Rapport-Building 201

The post-COVID world continues to evolve. Raising the comfort level, building an authentic connection, and creating a community with our participants have never been more important. Especially when working with diverse participants, we need to make sure their voices are also heard equally. […]

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Diverse Research Teams Help Maximize Your Insights

With the increased interest in engaging diverse communities from brands and organizations across all sectors, some market researchers are faced with a unique challenge in engaging these communities. Learn the importance of building a diverse research team and its impact not only on your team’s viability, but also recommendations provided for clients. […]