Ethnography seems to be all the buzz in marketing these days. And maybe that’s for good reason. A recent article about ethnographic research from the American Marketing Association’s newsletter suggests that ethnography can help marketers become more strategic in their decision making.
Citing an article by Richard Durante and Michael Feehan, copresidents of Waltham, Mass.-based marketing firm Observant LLC, the AMA notes that “ethnography offers an alternative to traditional research that leverages direct observation (avoiding the capriciousness of human memory) and ensures that marketing strategies and sales messages are well-aligned, internally consistent, and capable of addressing end-audience needs.”
The authors suggest that to fully appreciate ethnography, research managers need to grasp a simple notion: “Individuals behave in response to events in their environments, including the actions of others.†Furthermore, understanding behavior requires observing it in its natural environment. “This involves asking people—in that setting—why they’re acting in a particular way, not asking them to later recall what they did, said, or thought,†the authors write. “This, in a nutshell, is ethnography.â€
Andy writes! 