B2C Case Study: Virtual Qualitative

Laddering for Emotional Benefit Insights

Business Issue

A client was reintroducing a recreational vehicle.  Qualitative research with category users was conducted to evaluate alternative positioning platforms.

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Solutions

Virtual focus groups were conducted with current owners, with active shoppers and with open-minded prospects.

Respondents were exposed to different pictures and asked to select the scenario most associated with the experience, and then were shown possible positionings.

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    Results

    Based on the research the client was provided with potential emotional benefits to be incorporated in product communications.  The research and laddering output also allowed to separate the emotional areas by user segments (e.g., social vs. health  vs. lower physical stress vs. new exploration) for matching emotional appeals to each target.

    online focus group

    In addition to probing reactions (motivation, uniqueness, believability of positioning platforms), the participants were probed using laddering questions to identify the linkage between functional attributes, psycho-social consequences, more emotional benefits. 

    The laddering (hierarchical) map that emerged follows.

    layering chart