Quipper Research launches digital platform for qualitative research In India

The qualitative market research firm Quipper Research has pioneered the first digital platform in India for conducting Online Qualitative Market Research. Contact with consumers takes place in a secure online environment where participants (moderator, respondents & clients) interact via webcam and text chat. Instead of meeting consumers in focus group facilities, Quipper now also meet the diaspora of consumers online. This innovative approach expands reach, offers faster project turn-around, eliminates travel and reduces cost of conducting tailored qualitative research.

 

While marketers and qualitative researchers globally are moving to digital research and hybrid research designs (i.e. a mix of traditional face-to-face research combined with online components), it is often assumed that the mainstream Indian market cannot be reach online due to low internet penetration and tech literacy.

 

Not true, claims Quipper! The online platform can be accessed anywhere there is internet connectivity through mobile phones, tablets and computers. Instead of traveling an entire team (moderator, translator, recruiter, cameraman and client) to the respondents home – Quipper can now send one person to the respondents home with a laptop and broadband connectivity and everyone interact live online.

 

Foreign clients find it hugely enriching to tap into respondents lives and seeming live transmissions directly from their homes during research. The approach offers a heightened degree of context inclusion, when budgets don’t allow for traveling or time constraints dictate a fast turnaround of findings.  

 

Ouippers online platform is developed by experienced qualitative researchers – the founders Pia Mollback-Verbic and Piyul Mukherjee – and has incorporated tools and features usually used in the Qualitative interviewing process (e.g. projective tools and exercise tools).

 

Damodar Mall, Group Customer Director, Future Group is impressed with the platform’s  interface that demands  negligible  consumer  tech-literacy: “the platform is very well designed for customer sensibilities of India”, he says.

 

“Exciting new things are happening in qualitative research and leading professionals who seek innovative ways to reach their audiences, are embracing this approach. Online methodologies are now mainstream internationally – and the fast growing methodology is a ‘must’ of the future!”, says Pia Mollback-Verbic of Quipper.

 

“As the marketplace gets more complex, adding online as a tool enhances the richness and depth of data. When used alongside the usual face to face qualitative studies, it provides a 360 degrees view of our consumers’ homes and lives.”, adds Piyul Mukherjee.  

 

The main advantages are  reduced travel and time costs, and an expanded reach independent of location, not just  the usual 10 km from facility as is the case in most studies, and moves beyond the ken of professional respondents, an issue in over-researched cities such as Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

 

Saurabh Mukherjea, head of equities, Ambit Capital feels that as corporates and investors' interest in smaller Indian cities and towns grows, Quipper's online platform gives them the ability to get insights into consumer behaviour in these less accessible parts of the country. “Such insights from Quipper's platform can help drive more informed business and investment decisions," he feels.

 

“It is equally appropriate for hard to reach / low incidence TGs such as High Net Worth Individuals, or low-incidence target groups such as Doctors, experts or specialists.” says Monika Divekar,Vice President,India

 

Quipper Research is a young and cutting edge market research agency , based out of Mumbai, India.