Qualitative Research
What is Qualitative Research?
When we need to establish the true meanings attached to products, brands, and trends, we use qualitative research to identify underlying needs and motivations. It allows us to ask "why," put issues on the table, and understand customers, buyers, and markets in general.
We consider three core principles of B2B qualitative research:
Quality & Depth Over Quantity
Flexible & Exploratory
Researcher Skill is Critical
Trusted Research Partner for Top B2B Brands
Why Partner with B2B International for Qualitative Research?
At B2B International, we cover the full range of B2B qualitative research methods. Our researchers are skilled at collecting data from senior individuals, extracting insights, and driving action for our clients.
We select qualitative research methods based on research objectives and target audience. While small sample sizes are typical in qualitative research, there are various methods we can utilize which are detailed below.
Custom-Built Projects
Access to Senior Decision Makers
Action-Oriented Data Analysis
Speak to One of Our Qualitative Research Experts
Want to discuss how B2B qualitative research could benefit your business? Get in touch to schedule an introductory call with one of our team.
Contact UsIn-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
In-depth discussions with individuals, conducted via video or phone. Suitable for a range of topics.
In-Person Focus Groups
Group discussions moderated by a researcher, relying on interaction between group members. Useful for product development, concept/advertising testing, identifying needs and challenges, and unraveling complex processes.
Online Qualitative Research
Includes asynchronous groups where individuals respond to questions and activities. Flexible and can be designed to suit research objectives. Online focus groups with 3-5 participants are also an effective alternative to in-person groups.
Ethnography
Studying people or products in their natural environment. Useful for assessing how products are used and the challenges faced. Can be conducted in-person or digitally.
Projective Techniques
To extract true meanings behind answers, we use projective techniques to uncover hidden thoughts, opinions, and concerns:
Laddering: Uncovers motivations and thoughts behind initial responses.
Sentence Completion: Respondents complete a sentence stem, revealing true opinions.
Personification: Respondents describe a brand or service as a person to uncover hidden perceptions.
B2B Qualitative Research Applications
B2B qualitative research can address various business questions requiring deeper understanding. It can be a stand-alone project or form the foundation for a quantitative stage. Key applications include:
Informing Visa’s go-to-market strategy and communication of new solutions.
Business Challenge
Visa is at the forefront of driving a myriad of new payment solutions including Visa Direct and Visa B2B Connect. Visa Direct helps enable money movement to eligible debit cards domestically, and to eligible debit cards and accounts cross border. Visa B2B Connect enables b2b, cross-border, higher value payments to accounts on the same or next day through a single connection.
Visa required research to understand how to connect to and engage with new audiences within commercial banks and how to position Visa Direct and Visa B2B Connect to help commercial banks adopt the solutions successfully.
Given inertia – arguably the biggest barrier holding many organizations back from embracing change – as well as other challenges facing banks like increasing pressure to differentiate and to maintain regulatory compliance, a key goal of the research study was to understand not just the decision-making unit and process, but also the key benefits banks were seeking from Visa’s new payment solutions and how its offerings solved their challenges.
What We Did
A qualitative market research program was designed to expand on Visa’s existing knowledge of the commercial bank audience by identifying personas and mapping the buyer journey for Visa Direct and Visa B2B Connect. We conducted depth telephone interviews with commercial bank decision makers in the US spanning relevant roles in Strategy, Product, IT / Technology, and Sales.
Detailed objectives of the research study included:
- The decision-making unit
- Key steps in the buyer journey and touchpoints / information sources used
- Desired outcomes (e.g., value drivers) at both the organizational and individual level
- Pain points faced across the organization and by each individual persona
- Perceptions of the Visa payment solutions tested
- Communication preferences
The qualitative research program helped Visa understand key motivators for each persona, identify potential barriers to adopting new payment solutions, and inform a customer-centric value proposition. The insights also enabled Visa to align its sales and marketing efforts for Visa Direct and Visa B2B Connect by understanding the similarities and differences between the two offerings when it comes to how commercial bank decision makers learn about, evaluate, adopt, and implement new payment platforms and solutions.
Featured Content on B2B Qualitative Research
To learn more about qualitative research, check out the following resources:
Further Insights on B2B Research Methods
The Value Equivalence Framework: A Simple but Powerful Questioning Technique
PESTLE Analysis: Understanding Market Influences for Better Decision-Making
Navigating B2B Market Research in a G-Zero World: Challenges and Solutions
A Mixed Methods Approach to Market Research: Benefits and Considerations
Navigating Market Research Interviews in the APAC Region
