36 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2 0 15 www.qrca.org
n
TOOLBOX
n
ALL TOGETHER NOW:
Tested strategies for blending in-person
and digital research for maximum impact
By Steve August
n
Focus Vision
n
Stamford, CT
n
saugust@focusvision.com
W
hen exciting new research technologies arrive on the scene, there is often a tendency to
think of them as stand-alone replacements for what has come before. Over the past two
years there has been increasing excitement about the possibilities of mobile, online, and
facial coding. Despite the hype, it's not simply a matter of choosing between digital and
traditional research options. New technologies do not automatically invalidate old ways of doing things;
they just add new tools to help researchers fulfill our mission of understanding people to answer business
questions. It's up to us to maximize the array of tools we have in developing insights. The key is to lever-
age each tool to support the other and help find the answers you are looking for. To do that, it is helpful to
step back and understand the different strengths and weaknesses of each research approach.
