| Qualitative research, whether individual interviews, | | | | metropolitan area is building schools like crazy. So it |
| in-homes, focus groups, ethnographies and the like are | | | | may not be as you or your client suspected. This is the |
| conducted all over the world, as everyone knows. But | | | | point. Are we in a location rut? |
| how are the markets to be studied selected in the first | | | | According to the website of the Las Vegas Chamber |
| place? | | | | of Commerce: |
| New York, London, Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles, San | | | | * More than 5,000 people move to Las Vegas each |
| Francisco, Toronto, Boston and Dallas are all great | | | | month |
| places to see first rate entertainment, dine out and by | | | | * 69.9% have lived there more than 6 years |
| their size, must be great places in which to conduct | | | | * 10% of the residents are over the age of 65 |
| qualitative research or so the common thinking goes. | | | | * 62% of the Households have incomes in excess of |
| A little research into the demographics of a market | | | | $35,000 |
| can save researchers more than a little money, and | | | | Depending on the topic, Las Vegas might just be a |
| get better research. Take for instance...The State with | | | | selection for a market in which to conduct a qualitative |
| the most Dentists per capita - If you said Arkansas, | | | | project involving children, new homeowners, health |
| you would be right. The City with the most new | | | | issues, food, beverages and more. |
| homes built in the last year - If you said Las Vegas | | | | The other argument for selecting a City is the ability to |
| you would be right. The City with the highest incidence | | | | get a direct airplane flight from the client or moderator |
| of coupon clippers - If you said Buffalo you would be | | | | residence City. If one lives in a hub city like Chicago, |
| right. The City with the most new Volkswagens sold | | | | Minneapolis, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh or |
| per capita - If you said Minneapolis you would be right. | | | | other hub town, direct flights are a breeze. Higher |
| But how do you know? | | | | airfares to go anywhere direct, especially if there is no |
| Let's take Las Vegas; bright lights and a City that truly | | | | competition on the same leg prevail. |
| never sleeps. Most focus groups are conducted there | | | | Many times a less populated City / area has more diet |
| in concert with the world class convention center. It's a | | | | soft drink drinkers, cancer survivors, remodeling |
| great idea. Go where folks from all over the country | | | | contractors, hog farmers, children ages 8 to 12 per |
| or even the world converge for days of meetings, | | | | capita than a major city with direct flights. What |
| walking aisles and of course dining, shows and | | | | happened to the old "If it'll play in Des Moines, it'll play |
| gambling. But Las Vegas is not usually considered for | | | | anywhere?" That is not an endorsement for Des |
| testing the folks that live there, outside of occasional | | | | Moines either. |
| television show tests for new programming. In fact, in | | | | Okay, so how does one determine where to go to |
| recent interviews with several QRCA (Qualitative | | | | conduct qualitative research? The answer can be |
| Research Consultants Association, 888 - 674 - 7722) | | | | simple in many cases. All one needs is a search engine |
| researchers, not one had been to Las Vegas other | | | | connection from a computer to visit websites of |
| than to conduct research in conjunction with a show or | | | | Chambers of Commerce, International Trade Offices, |
| convention. | | | | Federal, State and local Government offices and more. |
| This is not a promotion for Las Vegas, as the City | | | | There are also companies who assist researchers |
| does enough of that on its own, but let's look back at | | | | determining markets such as the Qualitative Research |
| those homeowners. Who are they? Retirees - Right - | | | | Network - 800-601-0834. |
| well some yes, but not so fast. The greater | | | | |