Valuable lessons can be learned by B2B marketers on the power of individual interviews from the Joe Smith Collection recently donated to The Library of Congress. The Smith collection includes 238 hours of poignant, revealing interviews of virtually every rock and entertainment star of the era.

B2B marketers are sometimes in a quandary about the validity of qualitative research, including, in-depth interview methodology. This post will be helpful in explaining how in-depth interviewing can produce valid results and may be a better alternative to traditional focus groups for deeper, richer insight.

This blog covers understandings and agreements, or social contract that should exist between an interviewer and respondent for a positive outcome and to an honor an implicit professional code of ethics.

Part four of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how tos” of conducting, analyzing and reporting. This blog covers how to effectively analyze and report insights gleaned from depth interviews for B2B marketers.

Part three of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews. This blog covers how to effectively plan and conduct in-depth interviews for B2B marketers.

Part two of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews. This blog covers advantages of in-depth interview methodology over traditional focus group for B2B marketing research.

Part one of a four-part series to help B2B marketers understand more about this powerful qualitative research methodology and the “how to’s” of conducting in-depth interviews.

Jerry Thomas, CEO of Decision Analyst, a leading international research firm and friend of Godfrey, distilled some great guidelines about when and where it is appropriate to use qualitative research.

The basic building block for co-creation in marketing or business endeavors is asking questions: i.e. research. Asking the right questions of ALL key stakeholders who will be involved or benefit from the solution.

Stratifying can enhance the precision of a sample estimate without increasing the sample size. In other words, you can get the same level of precision by either drawing a larger random sample, or by using a well-thought-through stratified random sample of a smaller size.

Social Media is all around us. Smart B2B marketers recognize that through social connections, information that is shared (good and bad), can impact the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of individuals and groups.

In an interesting academic study titled: Pulse of the Nation: U.S. Mood Throughout the Day inferred from Twitter, researchers at Northeastern University and Harvard University, studied over 300 million tweets (Sep 2006 - Aug 2009) collected  represented as density-preserving cartograms (nice graphics).

Many folks (me included) are not thrilled with AT&T iPhone service. Have I bashed AT&T? Yes. Did I buy into the general premise that there was general dissatisfaction with their service? Yes. Why?

I can't overemphasize the importance of writing good objectives for a successful research outcome. It is the cornerstone of tackling a research project.

If you’re considering a quantitative B2B research study, there are two key areas to keep in mind when determining sample size: desired reliability of the results and the budget. Obtaining a good sample can be a the single largest line item cost in a B2B marketing study.

Being connected to customer needs and desires should be a key aspect of shaping your B2B brand. But the engine of growth needs to include creativity, something many B2B executives don't spend much time on.