Using ethnography in strategic consumer research
- 1 December 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Emerald in Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal
- Vol. 6 (4), 215-223
- https://doi.org/10.1108/13522750310495300
Abstract
This paper describes how ethnographic and quasi‐ethnographic research methods can be used in order to address the problems of the “limitations of asking” and that “people don’t always do what they say”, and to develop a “thick description” of the lived experience of consumers. A range of approaches are discussed and examples of their use in consumer research are given. Two case studies of ethnographic methods being used in strategic commercial research projects are described in detail. The implications for utilising ethnography in order to obtain managerially actionable insights are discussed.Keywords
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