Empathy in Practice: Combining Global Heath and Marketing Research Perspectives
By Dorothy Nam
Gathering human experiences with Qualitative research is best paired with empathy and human-centric problem solving.
‘Qualitative research jobs Durham NC’ was my initial search when seeking post-graduate jobs. The first populated result was a posting from W5 for ‘Qualitative Research Consultant.’
I applied, and seven months later, I’m writing my first blog post for W5.
From my studies in Global Health and Anthropology, to my Peace Corps service and research in Senegal and Uganda, my career’s natural progression leaned toward the health sector rather than marketing. Still, I considered myself a researcher first and the methods listed could be used in practice to address topics I’m interested in, so I followed the link.
As I read the job description, I was surprised at the skill overlap between marketing research and global health. In fact, I had spent the past decade conducting in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographies, and my confidence in my qualitative skills quelled potential concerns with imposter syndrome in a new field.
Now, this isn’t to say my background in qualitative methods prepared me for a career in market research with no learning curves. I didn’t know what “bids” meant in this context, acronyms became a new language altogether, and it turns out, ‘creative’ is actually a noun in marketing. During calls with clients, I continue to write down unfamiliar words and ask supportive colleagues about their meaning.
Leveraging Empathetic Thinking
One meeting, while discussing shopping trends, a client mentioned: ‘Yes, but it’s really hard to change people’s behaviors.’
My ears perked (and if my boss is reading this—my ears perked more). Human behavior change is the thing discussed in Global Health. While an intervention may appear to improve health outcomes, if it does not speak directly to the cultural and social norms that influence human behavior the success of the intervention is directly impacted. If the intervention is not appropriate, it may cause more harm than good. Sound familiar?
Like Global Health and Anthropology, marketing is interdisciplinary. Broadly, it references disciplines from the behavioral sciences and can require an understanding of management, finances, and economics. Like most research processes, market research targets a product or service and necessitates a combination of resources (vendors, funds, participants, etc.) and data for analysis. However, like most research processes, the key unspoken and implied component throughout is empathy.
And if you ask some people (me), they may say empathy is at the forefront of all successful research. Whether a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods project, incorporating an empathetic lens leads to more authentic recognition of trends and assessments of consumer needs and attitudes.
The nature of market research is fast paced with various points of consideration, including expectations from both the consumer and client. Though a ‘one-size fits all’ approach seemingly expedites the process in theory, it can create disconnects between the brand and the consumer in practice, reducing the ‘human touch’ which can transform datasets into storylines, inform insights comprehensively, and produce meaningful relationships.
Though artificial intelligence may one day relay and mimic the complexities of human emotion, emotional intelligence (EQ) is a critical strategy that makes research more customer-centric and increases trust with the target audience. In turn, this presence of the ‘human touch’ can lead to effective and relevant messaging and cultivate positive emotions around the brand.
Providing a Human Touch
So, how can marketers ensure a more personalized experience in such dynamic settings with limited opportunities to interact directly with every individual? Louis Grenier, founder of Everyone Hates Marketers, provides a comprehensive guide of marketing methods that considers the customer at the center of research design. These include:
Creating personas
A persona is a detailed and ‘semi-fictional’ representation of ideal customers based on a variety of attributes, such as demographics, shopping habits, and their observed interests and needs.Utilizing customer journey maps
Journey mapping visually outlines the customer’s interactions and engagement with the product at various stages, such as their initial needs, concerns, and overall experience.Asking the right questions
Sometimes the right questions aren’t about the product itself, but ones that can strategically reveal relevant information about the customer. Understanding what customers want can require knowing them on a deeper level, such as asking more about their day-to-day life in relation to the product.
These steps allow researchers to identify specific needs among customers and informs businesses about their target audience. Inherently, they place empathy at the forefront of the research.
Thus far, the best part of my job is the opportunity to learn more about people, which ultimately helps me…learn more about people. While my experience in market research is fresh, continually developing this sort of meta-knowledge diminishes doubts of ‘feeling behind’—after all, it’s quite difficult to be behind at something that is constantly evolving, and thankfully, empathy is a skill that will never get old.