Online Qual Takes a Front Seat: Understanding Young Professionals for BalletMet

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Abstract Qualitative research takes a front seat in Columbus, Ohio-based BalletMet’s effort to target young professionals. Participants kept a web-based experiential diary with comments and photos, answered questions via email, and engaged in web-based dialog to help uncover beliefs, motivations and feelings about the process of selecting entertainment options. Findings included young professionals’ desire to socialize and network at events, to have a well-rounded, multi-faceted experience, and to attend interactive and experiential entertainment. Moving forward, BalletMet is engaging crowds with interactive experiences, targeting “social coordinators” in groups, and offering affordable options for young professionals.

Author Information

Author1: Steve Richardson Affiliation: Qualitative Research Consultants Association Address: 1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252 Address: St. Paul, MN 55114 USA Phone: 314-367-7359 Email: steve.richardson@qrca.org

The ability to extract quantitative research data using online tools is well-documented. Perhaps slightly less understood are the myriad of qualitative methodologies being conducted online that uncover deep-seated consumer insights and beliefs – often thought of as the “secret sauce” of a full-circle marketing research effort.

Qualitative research is designed to extract feelings, emotions and attitudes that motivate consumer behavior. Sometimes, it is the first step in the market research effort, followed by quantitative tools that seek to statistically measure those findings. Other times it is the flesh on the bones of a quantitative effort added after the basics are learned.

In the offline world, qualitative research is rich with a variety of techniques including focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnography, projective techniques, storytelling, mapping, sentence completions and imagery. Some of these techniques translate well to the online world. In fact, focus groups conducted in the virtual world Second Life (www.secondlife.com) are getting much media attention these days. But some qualitative techniques are unique to the online world and offer researchers and buyers some advantages that no other medium offers.

Sheila Hunt, Director of Marketing Communications for BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, experienced some of those advantages first-hand during an online research project designed to attract and retain young professionals to the ballet. She explains that BalletMet recognized that young professionals are the cultural art patrons of the future, as well as a large segment of the population, and BalletMet wanted to become more familiar with the interests and habits of this group. The goal was to help the organization develop programming that would appeal to young professionals ages 22-35.

“Conducting the qualitative research online was appealing, particularly with a younger demographic,” Hunt says. “We figured it would be fast, practical, and appealing to the participants, and we were right. This methodology was totally in their comfort zone.”

Trish Cadwallader, a researcher with Cincinnati-based Felton Willis and a member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (www.qrca.org), conducted an eight-day research project with young professionals this summer, all with an established interest in the cultural arts. Cadwallader used the “Revelation” web-based software to conduct the research, which was done entirely online. The software was developed and supported by Steve August, founder and CEO of Revelation, KDA Research based in Portland, Oregon, and also a member of QRCA.

During the research period, participants kept a web-based experiential diary, recording their exposure and selection of any type of entertainment. Participants discussed their entertainment choices and included photos from those events – everything from movie rentals at home to concerts, to “mojito night” with girlfriends. Participants also answered questions and engaged in a web-based dialog that helped uncover beliefs, motivations and feelings about the process of selecting entertainment options.

Cadwallader says one of the advantages of the software was her ability to “turn on” whether or not participants could view each other’s postings. Their individual diaries were shared only with the researcher, and Cadwallader could ask additional clarifying questions of participants throughout the course of the research.

In addition to individualized dialog, Cadwallader used an “open forum” where participants shared comments, answered questions, and reacted to each other’s postings. The forum was not live, so participants could go online and post whenever it was convenient.

“They were very involved on a daily basis, and I’m convinced part of the reason we got so much from them was because they could participate at their leisure,” Cadwallader says. “The dialog approach was particularly useful because that is where you start to uncover insights that you might not get from a one-time question or fill-in-the-blank type of approach.” She adds that participants were also entertained by each other’s photos and descriptions, which helped encourage participation.

The primary objectives of the research were to determine the drivers for selecting entertainment and how young professionals hear about events, understand who they attend events with and how far they plan ahead, gather feedback on their actual cultural experiences, and explore how best to connect with them in the future.

Many important insights came from the research, including what attracts young professionals to cultural events in the first place. They actively seek out events where other young professionals will be and where socializing and networking can take place. In addition to the obvious desire to experience entertainment where the subject matter is appealing, they also seek a well-rounded experience. For example, rather than just viewing an art exhibit, it is appealing to understand the artist’s life, motivations behind the art, and context in which the artist worked.

It was also clear to researchers that young professionals sought out interactive and experiential entertainment, as well as original programming or new twists on familiar programs. Several participants cited examples such as an Indian dance that took place during an intermission, and even tossing out T-shirts to the audience before performances to keep the atmosphere lively.

Also of use to BalletMet was the confirmation that getting young professionals to attend even one ballet performance typically changes the participants’ perception of what BalletMet offers. “Those who have not attended a performance since childhood think of pink tutus and The Nutcracker, but those attending as young adults are pleasantly surprised to see that we offer contemporary, edgy dance as well,” Cadwallader says. This knowledge, she says, reinforces BalletMet’s need to continue to target this group and create awareness, trial and repeat.

Other key takeaways from the research included: • Continue offering affordable options for young professionals. A program called “MetPass” lets young professionals receive up to two tickets per show at half price for a $20/year membership fee. Membership also includes discounts at restaurants and to other arts organizations. • Reach young professionals through email and where they gather and socialize. Hunt says BalletMet is evaluating the best tactics to reach them in social settings, but that email communication is up and running. • Engage the crowd with interactive experiences. Offering performances, giveaways and other activities before, during and after performances has been underway for a couple of years, but Hunt says that confirmation of attendees’ interest in these activities was one of the best takeaways of the research effort. • Target the “social coordinator” within a group of friends. In almost every group, Cadwallader says, there is a ringleader who guides entertainment decisions and purchases tickets for the group. Identifying and target those social coordinators with incentives is now being explored at BalletMet. • Make the whole experience an evening out, not just part of one. “Simple things like restaurant discounts and entertainment during intermissions provide patrons with a sense of having a full entertainment experience when they choose the ballet,” Hunt says.

Hunt adds that the online research effort achieved two important things – the confirmation that efforts already underway to target young professionals are being well-received, as well as insights that will help guide future marketing efforts toward groups like social coordinators. The research methodology, she adds, was critical to achieving these outcomes.

“This is how people as a culture are evolving,” Hunt says. “We have conducted focus groups and done hand-held surveys before – and we will continue to do so – but that research was done at our convenience. The online research efforts allowed our patrons to participate at their convenience, and I am convinced that we had better and more thorough participation for that reason.”

Steve Richardson is Director of Communications for the Qualitative Research Consultants Association. He can be reached at steve.richardson@qrca.org. For more information, visit www.qrca.org.

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