• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Sidebar
IU

Indiana University Indiana University IU

IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUIGo from Moment to Momentum

Laddering Interview? Channel Your Inner 3-Year-Old

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Teresa Mackin

Students in professor Kim Saxton’s M450 class last semester were assigned to do research on backpacks and write a blog post. This week’s entry is from senior Danielle Look:

Any Kelley School of Business student who has successfully completed M303 Marketing Research is more than qualified to conduct interviews for the purpose of gathering primary market data. Depth Interviews and Laddering Interviews differ only in the minute distinction that the latter aims to construct a diagram depicting the values that drive consumer purchasing decisions. The type of data collected via open-ended, probing questions is the same for either method.

Like any set of skills one sets out to acquire, practice makes perfect, and the professors at Kelley are no stranger to this truth. Reflecting on a recent assignment to conduct five laddering interviews about bags and backpacks, I came to realize that the best results came when I channeled my inner 3-year-old.

Always ask “Why?” even when it might seem annoying.

When a consumer is asked why they like something, they’ll usually respond with simple, short descriptions of the product — otherwise known as attributes (e.g. size, shape, color, capacity, material). It feels natural to follow by asking why those features are important, but after that it can get weird and feel forced.

Resist the temptation to move on to the next question in your research plan by continuing to ask why in precisely the way you’re asking it in your head, even if it seems obsessive.

When I asked an urban commuter from Chicago if her backpack was currently meeting her needs, our conversation flowed like this:

Respondent: I don’t need a new backpack but I want a new backpack.

Interviewer: Why is that?

Respondent: Because I’m embarrassed to be walking around with the one I have.

Interviewer: Why does your current backpack embarrass you?

Respondent: Because it’s old and ragged and has holes in it.

Interviewer: Why would a new one be better?

Respondent: Because I want something stylish that blends in with the crowds.

Interviewer: Why do you think a new backpack would help you blend in?

Respondent: My backpack does not feel very sophisticated or professional, so in my mind I want to find something that is.

Take everything literally.

When you’re dealing with qualitative research where the answers are not always black and white, there is a temptation to clarify what the respondent has said with your own insight or experience. This is especially true as your interview schedule advances, trends begin to emerge, and you can predict what might be said next. That’s when it’s time to channel your inner 3-year-old again and remember to take everything your interviewee says at face value.

If you asked a young child to “chew the fat” with you, you might be surprised when they lean in to nibble at your belly instead of sitting down to tell you what they’ve been up to. Similarly, when a respondent says he keeps toiletries in his backpack, you cannot discern that his backpack is used as an overnight bag unless you specifically ask to clarify (which, by the way, is a totally acceptable thing to do).

Learn to expect (and accept) that the world is not as you perceive it to be.

Childhood, much like marketing research, is all about discovery. Free of preconceived notions about what should and shouldn’t be, children wander the earth with wide-open eyes free of judgment and full of wonder. Embody these traits as you conduct interviews and be open to whatever twists and turns your laddering road presents to you.

Though I was mostly interested in the backpack preferences and tendencies of my interview participants, some told me outright that they do not use a backpack at all and instead preferred messenger bags. Rather than thanking them for their time and ending the interview after only five minutes, I asked them the same set of questions I had prepared for avid backpack users but applied them to their preferred style of bag.

In one such instance, the respondent confessed that she often finds herself carrying multiple reusable grocery bags with deep and wide capacity to supplement her messenger bag. “I suppose a backpack of some sort would alleviate that need for multiple bags,” she said aloud as she evaluated whether or not her messenger bag currently meets her needs. The unexpected turn was a welcomed one and I followed with questions about the type of backpack she would choose if she abandoned her messenger bag.

Now that you’ve learned to channel your inner 3-year-old, it’s time to start climbing the ladder to your ideal audience by using your insights to create user personas, discover brand advocates, and understand how their preferences and values dictate their purchase decisions.

How have you successfully used laddering to discover useful information about your target market?

Previously

Luxury trend followers: Every marketer’s best friend

 

Filed under: Marketing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Additional Content

About the Kelley School at IUPUI

The Kelley School of Business at IUPUI is home to a full-time undergraduate program and five graduate programs, including a graduate certificate for professionals in healthcare; master’s and graduate certificate programs in accounting, internal audit and taxation; the Physician MBA and the Evening MBA, which is ranked eleventh in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Categories

Search Posts

Receive Updates

Get the latest news from the Kelley School's Indianapolis programs, faculty, students and alumni delivered directly to your Inbox

Please, insert a valid email.

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent Posts

  • Manning Magid is first woman to lead faculty and research activities at Kelley IUPUI July 1, 2022
  • Nephrologist uses analytics tools from Physician MBA to convert responses from 11,000 patient satisfaction surveys into improved staff performance June 29, 2022
  • What I learned about change leadership from a remote village in Uganda June 27, 2022
  • Healthcare management students support growth of local ECHO group June 21, 2022
  • Kelley School Indianapolis seeks growing businesses for student consulting June 7, 2022

See Archived Posts

Kelley School Faculty at IUPUI

Full list of faculty based in Indianapolis.

Indiana University

Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University | Privacy Notice | Accessibility Help

Subscribe

Subscribe By Email

Get a weekly email of all new posts.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.