How I Answer Marketing Questions
There are many ways to answer marketing questions. The right approach depends on:
What you’re trying to learn
Who you need to learn it from
How statistically confident you need to be in the answer
I use a range of research approaches and methodologies to uncover data-driven answers, then apply the right methodologies within each approach to get to the truth.
Surveys
Structured primary research, mostly quantitative, designed to gather feedback at scale, allowing you to measure opinions, test ideas, and identify patterns across large audiences.
Research Approaches
These are the primary methods I use to answer marketing questions.
Focus Groups & Interviews
In-depth qualitative research that allows you to hear directly from customers, uncover deeper motivations, and explore how people think, feel, and make decisions.
UX Research
Evaluate how your audience and users interact with digital experiences to identify wants, friction and confusion. Learn how to solve these issues and the opportunities to improve performance.
Data Analysis
Analyze existing data sources, such as digital marketing performance, sales data, and third-party data (secondary research) to uncover patterns, trends, and opportunities that inform marketing decisions.
Surveys for Market Research
Surveys are one of the most versatile and scalable ways to answer marketing questions.
They allow you to gather structured feedback from the right audience, quantify opinions, and test ideas with confidence. Once enough people have taken your survey, you have real statistical confidence in the answers you’re working with.
The real power of surveys comes from choosing the right survey research strategy based on the question you’re trying to answer.
Below are some of the key approaches I use, along with when and why they’re used (click to expand).
Foundational Research & Measurement
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What it is
Structured questions that capture demographics, behaviors, attitudes, and usage patterns. This is the backbone of most quantitative research.
When I use this
When you need to understand who your audience is, how they behave, and how they think at a broad level.
What it answers
Who are our customers?
How often do they engage with our category?
What behaviors define different groups within our audience?
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What it is
Ongoing measurement of brand awareness, familiarity, perception, consideration, and loyalty—alongside key competitors—to understand your position in the market. This often includes Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a benchmark for customer advocacy and satisfaction.
When I use this
At the start of a new engagement or initiative to establish a clear baseline, and over time to track how brand perception and performance evolve.
What it answers
How well known is our brand compared to competitors?
How are we perceived in the market?
Where do we stand relative to competitors?
How loyal are our customers (NPS)?
Are we improving over time?Item description
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What it is
A comprehensive survey framework that explores how people use a category, what they think about it, and how they engage with brands within it.
When I use this
When you need a foundational understanding of a market, category, or audience.
What it answers
How do people currently use this category?
What are their habits, needs, and perceptions?
How do brands fit into their lives today?
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What it is
Structured agreement or rating scales used to measure perceptions, opinions, and intensity of feeling.
When I use this
When you need to quantify attitudes and compare how strongly people feel about different ideas, messages, or experiences.
What it answers
How strongly do customers feel about this idea?
Does this message resonate?
How do perceptions differ across audiences?
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What it is
An exercise that evaluates likelihood to purchase under specific scenarios, often tied to product, pricing, or messaging variations, as well as specific testing that incorporates both System 1 and System 2 exercises to help determine what customers will actually do in addition to what they say they’ll do.
When I use this
When forecasting demand or comparing potential performance across options.
What it answers
How likely are customers to purchase?
How does intent change under different conditions?
Which option is most likely to drive action?
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What it is
An exercise that explores how people live, spend their time, and engage with media channels, including platforms, content types, and behaviors.
When I use this
When developing personas, planning media strategy, or understanding how to effectively reach and engage an audience.
What it answers
Where and how do customers spend their time?
Which media channels and platforms do they use most?
How do they consume content?
How can we best reach them with marketing efforts?
Strategy, Segmentation & Decision-Making
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What it is
A framework focused on understanding the underlying needs customers are trying to solve, rather than just what they say they want.
When I use this
When you want to uncover the real reasons behind customer decisions and identify opportunities to better meet their needs.
What it answers
Why do customers choose one option over another?
What are they actually trying to accomplish?
Where are current solutions falling short?
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What it is
A set of questions and exercises used to identify distinct audience groups based on needs, behaviors, or attitudes.
When I use this
When a single “average customer” view isn’t enough to guide strategy.
What it answers
What distinct groups exist within our audience?
How do they differ in needs and behaviors?
Which groups are most valuable to target?
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What it is
A structured set of questions that captures how customers move from awareness to decision, including touchpoints, triggers, and barriers.
When I use this
When you need to understand how decisions actually happen across the journey.
What it answers
How do customers move through the decision process?
What influences them along the way?
Where are the key decision and drop-off points?
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What it is
Evaluation of early-stage ideas, concepts, or offerings to understand appeal, clarity, and differentiation.
When I use this
Before investing in development or launch, to validate whether an idea resonates.
What it answers
Is this idea compelling?
Does it resonate with the target audience?
Is it clear and differentiated?
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What it is
An exercise that connects attributes, experiences, or perceptions to key outcomes (like satisfaction or purchase intent) to identify what actually drives results.
When I use this
When you need to understand what will actually move performance, not just what people say is important.
What it answers
What actually drives satisfaction or conversion?
Which factors have the biggest impact?
Where should we focus to improve results?
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What it is
Methodologies that require respondents to make decisions between competing options, revealing true priorities.
When I use this
When you need to understand what matters most, especially when everything can’t be equally important.
What it answers
What do customers prioritize when forced to choose?
Which features or messages matter most?
What wins when tradeoffs are introduced?
Do you have a survey you want to field? Let me help!
I’ll work with you to design the perfect survey for your goals, then program, field, and analyze the results so you don’t have to.
Click the button below to set up a time for us to chat about your project.
Messaging, Creative & Perception Testing
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What it is
Testing different ways of communicating your value to determine what resonates most with your audience.
When I use this
When refining messaging, positioning, or brand communication strategy.
What it answers
Which messages resonate most?
What is most clear and compelling?
How should we talk about our offering?Item description
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What it is
Evaluation of marketing assets to determine which concepts, visuals, and executions perform best. For this method, I use a combination of quantitative measurement and qualitative at scale, so you can learn what performs best and why.
When I use this
Before launching campaigns, to ensure creative is working as intended.
What it answers
Which ad performs best?
What captures attention?
What drives action?Item description
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What it is
An exercise that measures emotional responses and sentiment toward concepts, messages, brands, or experiences, helping quantify how people feel—not just what they think.
When I use this
When emotional connection plays a key role in decision-making, such as branding, messaging, and creative development.
What it answers
How does this message or experience make people feel?
What emotions are driving engagement or resistance?
Is sentiment positive, negative, or mixed?
How do emotional responses differ across audiences?
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What it is
An exercise that evaluates attitudes, values, beliefs, and motivations to understand how people think and what drives their decisions beyond basic demographics.
When I use this
When you need to go deeper than surface-level characteristics and truly understand the mindset of your audience.
What it answers
What beliefs and values shape customer decisions?
What motivates different audience groups?
How do customers think about this category or problem?
How can we connect with them on a deeper level?
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What it is
A hybrid approach that embeds voice responses and AI-generated follow-up questions directly within a quantitative survey, creating a series of mini qualitative interviews at scale.
Participants respond in their own words using voice, and the system dynamically probes deeper—allowing us to capture richer, more natural feedback while still maintaining the structure and scale of a survey.
When I use this
When you want to go beyond surface-level responses and understand the “why” behind the data, without sacrificing sample size or statistical confidence.
What it answers
Why do customers feel or behave a certain way?
How do people naturally describe their experiences or needs?
What language should we be using in marketing and messaging?
What themes emerge across large groups of respondents?Item description
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What it is
Using qualitative at scale, this is a systematic analysis of open-ended responses to identify patterns, themes, and common language.
When I use this
After collecting qualitative feedback at scale, to translate it into structured, actionable insights.
What it answers
What are the most common themes people talk about when discussing the product or category?
How do customers naturally describe the category?
What language (the specific words and phrases) do customers use when talking about the product or category?
Advanced Modeling & Optimization
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What it is
A set of methodologies used to understand willingness to pay, price sensitivity, and perceived value.
When I use this
When pricing decisions need to be grounded in customer perception, not internal assumptions.
What it answers
What price feels too expensive or too cheap?
What is the optimal price range?
How does price influence purchase intent?
(Includes approaches like Van Westendorp and purchase intent modeling.)
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What it is
Advanced statistical modeling that evaluates how customers make tradeoffs between features, price, and other variables.
When I use this
When decisions involve multiple variables and you need to understand how they work together to drive choice.
What it answers
Which features drive the most value?
What combination of features and price is most appealing?
How will changes impact demand?Item description
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What it is
A prioritization methodology that asks respondents to repeatedly choose the most and least important items from a set, allowing us to determine the relative importance of each item with a high degree of precision.
Rather than rating everything as “important,” MaxDiff forces tradeoffs, producing a clear, ranked hierarchy of what truly matters most.
When I use this
When you need to prioritize a list of features, messages, benefits, or attributes and want a clear, defensible ranking.
What it answers
What matters most to customers?
What matters least?
How do different attributes rank relative to each other?
Where should we focus our messaging or product development?
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What it is
An exercise that identifies the optimal combination of items (features, messages, products) that maximizes reach across an audience.
When I use this
When you can only include a limited number of items and want to reach the widest possible audience.
What it answers
Which combination of items reaches the most people?
What should we include (and exclude)?
How do we avoid overlap and redundancy?
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What it is
Simulated shopping environments that evaluate how products perform in a competitive context (displayed on a real shelf), where factors like price, packaging, and placement all influence decision-making.
When I use this
When you need to understand real-world purchase behavior, especially how pricing and competitive context impact selection.
What it answers
Which product would customers choose in a competitive set at which price?
How does price impact selection in context?
How does packaging perform against competitors on the shelf?
What drives actual purchase decisions, not just stated preference?Item description
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What it is
Research designed to evaluate how packaging influences perception, value, and appeal, independent of or alongside other factors.
This often combines quantitative measurement with qualitative feedback at scale to understand not just which packaging performs best, but why.
When I use this
When packaging plays a key role in how a product is perceived, and you want to understand its standalone impact on interest, value, and differentiation.
What it answers
Does this packaging convey the value we intend?
Which design elements resonate most with customers?
How does packaging influence brand perception?
What language, visuals, or formats drive appeal?
Why do people prefer one design over another?
It’s Not One Method. It’s the Right Mix.
Great answers rarely come from just one approach. I combine multiple question types within a survey to deliver a clear, data-driven answer you can act on.
Common Questions I hear about surveys.
Focus Groups, Interviews & Other Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is one of the most powerful ways to understand the why behind customer behavior. It allows you to have real conversations with real people, hearing how they think, what they feel, and how they describe their experiences in their own words.
Qualitative research helps you explore depth, and is especially valuable when you’re uncovering new ideas, refining strategy, or trying to understand something that isn’t easily captured through structured questions. The real power of qualitative research comes from creating the right environment for honest, thoughtful conversation, and knowing how to guide that conversation to uncover meaningful answers.
As a trained qualitative research moderator and analyst, I’ll run the full project for you, including discussion guide development, participant recruitment, interview moderation, and final analysis.
Below are some of the primary qualitative approaches I use and services I offer, along with when and why they’re used, and the benefits of each approach (click to expand).
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What it is
The structured framework used to guide qualitative conversations, including the topics, flow, and probing strategy designed to uncover meaningful insights.
When I use this
For every qualitative study, ensuring conversations stay focused while still allowing flexibility to explore new ideas as they emerge.
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What it is
One-on-one conversations with participants that allow for deep exploration of thoughts, experiences, and decision-making.
When I use this
When I want to go deep with individuals, especially on complex, personal, or nuanced topics.
Benefits of This Approach
Uncovers deeper motivations and decision drivers
Creates space for honest, detailed responses
Allows flexibility to explore unexpected insights
Ideal for sensitive or highly personal topics where a group setting might not be appropriate
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What it is
Moderated group discussions where participants interact, react to each other, and build on ideas in real time.
When I use this
When group dynamics and shared discussion can help surface reactions, opinions, and new ideas.
Benefits of This Approach
Reveals how ideas evolve through discussion
Surfaces reactions participants may not express individually
Encourages new ideas through group interaction
Useful for testing concepts in a shared environment
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What it is
A smaller version of a focus group, typically with fewer participants to allow for more in-depth discussion while still maintaining group interaction.
When I use this
When you want a balance between one-on-one depth and group dynamics.
Benefits of This Approach
Provides more depth than traditional focus groups
Ensures every participant has space to contribute
Maintains the benefit of group interaction without overcrowding
Ideal for more complex or nuanced topics, or issues where a paired group (such as parent and child) is ideal
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What it is
Moderated group discussions where participants interact, react to each other, and build on ideas in real time.
When I use this
When group dynamics and shared discussion can help surface reactions, opinions, and new ideas.
Benefits of This Approach
Reveals how ideas evolve through discussion
Surfaces reactions participants may not express individually
Encourages new ideas through group interaction
Useful for testing concepts in a shared environment
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What it is
Observing participants in real or simulated environments to understand behavior in context.
When I use this
When what people do matters more than what they say.
Benefits of This Approach
Captures real behavior in context (such as in a home or office)
Identifies friction points that may not be verbalized
Reveals gaps between stated and actual behavior
Provides a more authentic view of the customer experience
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What it is
Using qualitative conversations to evaluate ideas, concepts, messaging, or experiences in a more open-ended way.
When I use this
When you want deeper, unfiltered reactions before or alongside quantitative testing.
Benefits of This Approach
Provides nuanced, in-the-moment reactions
Identifies confusion, clarity, and emotional response
Helps refine ideas before scaling
Surfaces insights that structured surveys may miss
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What it is
One-on-one or small-group conversations with internal stakeholders, executives, or business decision-makers to understand priorities, perspectives, and strategic context.
When I use this
At the beginning of a project or initiative to align on goals, uncover internal assumptions, and ensure the research is designed to answer the right questions.
Benefits of This Approach
Aligns research objectives with business priorities
Uncovers internal hypotheses, assumptions, and knowledge gaps
Ensures stakeholder buy-in from the start
Surfaces strategic context that may not be visible externally
Creates a strong foundation for all downstream research
Online vs. In-Person Qualitative Research
Qualitative research can be conducted either online or in person, and each approach has its advantages depending on the goals of the study.
Online (Virtual) Research
Focus groups and interviews conducted via video platforms, allowing participants to join from anywhere.
When I use online qualitative research
When speed and flexibility are important
When recruiting geographically diverse participants
When working with niche or hard-to-reach audiences
Advantages of online qualitative research
Easier and faster recruitment
Lower cost
Broader geographic reach
More convenient for participants
Disadvantages of online qualitative research
Limited ability to observe full body language and subtle in-room dynamics
Harder to replicate natural group interaction compared to in-person settings
Potential for distractions in participants’ environments
Technology issues (connectivity, audio/video quality) can disrupt flow
Less control over participant engagement and attention
Not ideal for testing physical products or tactile experiences
In-Person Research
Focus groups or interviews conducted in a physical setting, often in a dedicated research facility.
When I use in-person qualitative research
When observing body language and in-room reactions is critical
When testing physical products or environments
When stakeholder observation is a priority
Advantages of in-person qualitative research
Richer interpersonal interaction
Stronger group dynamics
Better for tactile or sensory experiences
More immersive observation
Disadvantages of online qualitative research
Higher cost due to facilities, travel, and logistics
More time required for planning, recruitment, and execution
Limited geographic reach unless participants travel
Scheduling can be more complex and restrictive
Some participants may feel less comfortable or less candid in a formal setting
Less flexibility to pivot quickly compared to virtual formats
So What Does This Mean?
Both online and in-person qualitative research are highly effective, and the right choice depends on the question we’re answering, the audience we need to reach, and the type of feedback we’re looking to capture.
Each approach comes with tradeoffs, which is why I don’t default to one over the other. When we work together, I’ll recommend the format that will work best for you, giving us the most honest, useful, and actionable answers based on the goals of the research.
Do you have a qualitative project you want to get started? Let’s chat!
I’ll work with you to design the perfect discussion guide and methodology for your goals, then schedule, moderate, and analyze the results so you don’t have to.
Click the button below to set up a time for us to chat about your project.
Common Questions I hear about qualitative research.
UX Research for Websites, Apps & Digital Experiences
UX research focuses on how people actually interact with your website, app, or software, and understanding what works, what doesn’t, and where friction exists.
It’s designed to uncover how users navigate experiences, complete tasks, and make decisions in real time. This goes beyond what people say they would do and focuses on what they actually do when using your product.
Whether you’re building something new or refining an existing experience, UX research helps identify what’s working, what’s confusing, and where improvements will have the biggest impact.
Below are some of the primary UX research approaches I use to evaluate and improve digital experiences (click to expand).
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What it is
One-on-one conversations focused specifically on how users interact with a digital experience, including their expectations, behaviors, and pain points.
When I use this
When I need to understand how users think about navigating a product and what they expect from the experience.
Benefits of This Approach
Uncovers user expectations and mental models
Identifies pain points and friction in the experience
Reveals how users describe and interpret functionality
Provides context behind user behavior
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What it is
Testing early-stage designs, prototypes, or wireframes before development to evaluate usability, clarity, and flow.
When I use this
Before development or during redesign phases to validate ideas early.
Benefits of This Approach
Identifies issues before development begins
Saves time and cost by catching problems early
Helps refine layout, navigation, and flow
Ensures designs align with user expectations
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What it is
Surveys designed specifically to evaluate user experience, satisfaction, ease of use, and perception of a digital product.
When I use this
When I need to quantify user feedback across a broader audience.
Benefits of This Approach
Scales UX feedback across larger audiences
Quantifies satisfaction and usability metrics
Identifies patterns across different user groups
Complements qualitative UX insights
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What it is
Testing two or more variations of a digital experience in a live environment to determine which performs better based on actual user behavior.
When I use this
When optimizing existing websites, apps, or workflows and you want to validate changes using real-world performance data.
Benefits of This Approach
Measures what users actually do, not just what they say
Identifies which version drives better engagement or conversion
Reduces risk by validating changes before full rollout
Enables continuous, data-driven optimization of digital experiences
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What it is
Analysis of how users move through a digital experience from start to finish, identifying key steps, decision points, and drop-offs.
When I use this
When optimizing funnels, onboarding, or multi-step processes.
Benefits of This Approach
Identifies where users drop off or disengage
Highlights friction across the full experience
Connects individual interactions into a full journey
Improves conversion and completion rates
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What it is
A structured review of a digital experience based on established usability principles and best practices.
When I use this
When a fast, expert assessment is needed to identify usability issues without user participation.
Benefits of This Approach
Quickly identifies usability issues and friction points
Applies proven UX principles to evaluate effectiveness
Provides immediate, actionable recommendations
Efficient way to diagnose problems before deeper research
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What it is
Surveys designed specifically to evaluate user experience, satisfaction, ease of use, and perception of a digital product.
When I use this
When I need to quantify user feedback across a broader audience.
Benefits of This Approach
Scales UX feedback across larger audiences
Quantifies satisfaction and usability metrics
Identifies patterns across different user groups
Complements qualitative UX insights
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What it is
Participants are asked to complete specific tasks within a website, app, or software while I observe how they navigate and interact with the experience.
When I use this
When evaluating how well a product supports real user actions and goals.
Benefits of This Approach
Reveals where users get stuck or confused
Identifies usability issues in real time
Highlights gaps between intended and actual use
Provides clear, actionable improvement opportunities
Do you have a UX research project you want to get going? Let’s chat!
I’ll work with you to design the perfect methodology for your goals, then program the necessary research tools, schedule interviews, moderate, analyze the results, and even work directly with your development team.
Click the button below to set up a time for us to chat about your project.
Data Analysis and Secondary Research
Not every marketing question requires new primary research. In many cases, the answers already exist within your existing data, whether that’s internal performance data, third-party sources, or publicly available information.
Data analysis focuses on paying attention to industry reports, uncovering patterns, identifying opportunities, and translating data into clear, actionable direction. It’s about connecting the dots across sources and turning information into answers you can use to make better decisions.
Below are the primary data types I analyze to support marketing, strategy, and decision-making (click to expand).
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What it is
Analysis of open-source data such as Census data, Yelp reviews, Google data, and other publicly accessible datasets.
When I use this
When building foundational understanding of markets, audiences, or geographic trends without needing to collect new data.
Benefits of This Approach
Cost-effective way to gather directional insights
Provides broad context on markets and audiences
Identifies trends and patterns across large datasets
Enhances primary research with external validation
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What it is
Analysis of third-party research reports and datasets (such as Kantar, Nielsen, or industry-specific studies) that organizations have access to or purchase.
When I use this
When valuable data already exists but needs to be interpreted and translated into actionable insights.
Benefits of This Approach
Maximizes the value of existing research investments
Translates complex reports into clear takeaways
Identifies relevant insights specific to your business
Saves time by leveraging already-available data
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What it is
Analysis of third-party research reports and datasets (such as Kantar, Nielsen, or industry-specific studies) that organizations have access to or purchase.
When I use this
When valuable data already exists but needs to be interpreted and translated into actionable insights.
Benefits of This Approach
Maximizes the value of existing research investments
Translates complex reports into clear takeaways
Identifies relevant insights specific to your business
Saves time by leveraging already-available data
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What it is
Analysis of marketing performance data across channels such as paid media, email, social, and campaign analytics.
When I use this
When evaluating campaign performance, optimizing spend, or identifying opportunities to improve marketing effectiveness.
Benefits of This Approach
Identifies what’s working and what’s not
Optimizes marketing spend and performance
Connects campaign activity to outcomes
Supports data-driven decision-making
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What it is
Analysis of website and app performance data, including user behavior, traffic patterns, and conversion metrics.
When I use this
When evaluating how users interact with digital experiences and identifying opportunities to improve performance.
Benefits of This Approach
Identifies where users drop off or disengage
Highlights opportunities to improve conversion
Reveals behavioral patterns and navigation trends
Connects UX performance to business outcomes
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What it is
Combining insights from multiple data sources (primary research, analytics, PR data, and external sources) to create a unified view of performance and opportunity.
When I use this
When a single data source isn’t enough to answer the full question.
Benefits of This Approach
Connects insights across different data sources
Provides a more complete picture of performance
Reduces siloed decision-making
Enables stronger, more confident recommendations
Do you have a data question you need answered? Let’s chat!
I’ll work with you to understand your data and the analysis options available, then conduct analysis in Tableau, Excel, SPSS, or another software package of your preference (or I can suggest one if you don’t have a preference).
Click the button below to set up a time for us to chat about your project.