We\u2019re all having to get used to new ways of working during the lockdown. Even so, I wasn\u2019t expecting the virtual advertising groups I ran with respondents in Manchester a short while ago to work as well as they did. I\u2019d worried we\u2019d be unable to show the ideas clearly enough from a distance, and that it would be difficult to judge people\u2019s responses properly when not in the same room. The reality, though, was encouraging. I don\u2019t think virtual groups will ever match face-to-face ones, but they\u2019re an excellent needs-must approach for the time being. Perhaps they\u2019re particularly suited to projects where there\u2019s something for respondents to look at, consider and judge \u2013 like concepts, propositions or advertising \u2013 because they make the sessions more of a focused task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What particularly struck me is how engaged respondents are \u2013 people stuck at home are clearly hungry for contact from the outside world and will throw themselves into the process with real enthusiasm. I even had emails from a couple of my respondents afterwards saying how much they\u2019d enjoyed taking part!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think it helped running the groups via a conference call while showing the materials using a screen-sharing platform \u2013 an improvised combination of technologies which respondents could deal with easily enough and which fitted the spirit of make-do we\u2019re having to live with. Probably, a week into the quarantine, everyone\u2019s an old hand with Zoom, but at the time we were conscious that many people may not be used to video-conferencing, particularly with a bunch of a strangers. We didn\u2019t want the technology to add to the weirdness of the situation and make them self-conscious and inhibited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The screen-sharing element was effective at giving respondents a clear sense of the advertising ideas, including complex issues like tone of voice which are challenging even in the context of standard groups. The depth and quality of the responses were very good too. No, I couldn\u2019t pick up on respondents\u2019 body language in the normal way, but it\u2019s amazing how revealing people\u2019s intonation can be when that\u2019s the only thing you can go on. We\u2019ve since debriefed the research to our client and their agency and they felt entirely confident in the responses and our recommendations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, despite the overall restrictions in our lives, we at Jigsaw are able to continue with an important part of our regular work, sort of as normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n