QRCAVIEWS

Global

From Focus Groups to Roblox: The Evolution of Digital Immersive Research Methodologies

July 3, 2025 0

Immersive research is moving beyond gimmicks and into the mainstream, transforming how we engage participants and uncover deeper insights. This article explores how custom-built virtual environments—ranging from a futuristic Roblox retail world to gamified sustainability labs—create psychological safety, heighten engagement, and spark more authentic responses than traditional methods. From testing AI beauty assistants to exploring Gen Z’s vision for retail, immersive research is delivering scalable, cost-effective, and emotionally rich insights. If you’re a marketer or researcher looking to future-proof your approach, this is a must-read on where qualitative research is heading next. […]

Toolbox

Six Thinking Hats: The Power of Holistic Review

July 3, 2025 0

Tired of chaotic debriefs, endless wrap-ups, and dominant voices hijacking your research team meetings? This article introduces the Six Thinking Hats method—a simple yet powerful tool qualitative researchers and insights managers can use to run fast, focused, and inclusive discussions. You’ll learn how one insights leader used this structured approach to transform late-night, unproductive post-focus group meetings into efficient 30-minute power sessions. Whether you’re conducting in-the-field research or looking to boost collaboration and innovation across departments, the Hats offer a game-changing way to improve outcomes and decision-making. If you want to streamline your research process and make every team voice count, this is a must-read. […]

Travelwise

Using a Curious Breath to Dismantle Judgment in Any Situation

July 3, 2025 0

Ever silently judged a participant’s odd food choice or offbeat opinion during research? You’re not alone—but learning to dismantle that judgment may be the key to deeper empathy and better insights. This article is a must-read for qualitative researchers and insights managers who want to sharpen their empathy muscle and build stronger connections with participants, even when faced with unexpected or unfamiliar behaviors. Through a blend of self-awareness and practical tools like the “Curious Breath,” the author shows how curiosity—not criticism—is the secret to unlocking richer stories and more impactful research outcomes. It’s a powerful reminder that great insights start with an open mind. […]

From the Editor in Chief

From the Editor in Chief – Summer 2025

July 3, 2025 0

QRCA Views’ Editor-in-Chief introduces the latest issue, packed with thought-provoking content for market research and insights professionals – including the magazine’s Spanish language article, celebrating our global reach. […]

Business Matters

Dynamic Systems in Marketing Research: Cracking the Nut of Habitual Behavior

July 2, 2025 0

If you’ve ever struggled to understand or shift entrenched consumer or professional behaviors, this article offers a fresh and deeply insightful perspective. The author—originally a cognitive developmental psychologist—introduces dynamic systems theory to explain how habits form, stabilize, and resist change over time. Using real-world examples from healthcare and consumer behavior, the piece explores how marketers and qualitative researchers can uncover the early influences and unconscious motivators behind resistant behaviors—and how to effectively disrupt them. This isn’t just theory—it’s a call to rethink how we frame questions, design studies, and unlock behavior change. A must-read for any insight pro looking to solve sticky behavior problems with new thinking. […]

Business Matters

Why Investment in Your Firm’s Brand is an Important Part of Your Growth Strategy

April 4, 2025 0

Insight industry growth expert Paul Griffiths explores the most cost-effective and easily executed ways to grow your research partner brand. Regardless of whether you are a qualitative solopreneur, part of a small qualitative shop, or the leader in a large agency, there are ways you can build brand salience and make sales activity more impactful that don’t require big marketing budgets. […]

Schools of Thought

Life’s Hallways: The Role of Liminality in Consumer Decision-Making A new way of thinking about customer journeys

April 4, 2025 0

As consumers transition through life’s milestones—whether turning 50, becoming a parent, or retiring—they enter a liminal state, caught between who they were and who they are becoming. This fascinating article explores how these threshold experiences shape decision-making and behavior, often creating moments of uncertainty or hesitation. By understanding liminality, market researchers can uncover deeper consumer motivations, enhance customer journey mapping, and identify new opportunities to support consumers in these transitional phases. From hallways cluttered with old shoes to the design of luxury resorts, this piece reveals how physical and symbolic spaces impact identity shifts—and how brands can leverage these insights for more meaningful engagement. […]