The changing of the marketing landscape and consumer behaviours urge the market research specialists to identify and upgrade traditional methodologies to make them applicable and effective in the new era. MindsLab has summarised couple of innovative methodologies that we have currently carried out for our domestic and international clients through 2018.

1. Qualitative Innovation Sharing
-Prepared by MindsLab
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Background
Methodology Innovation
Moderation Techniques Innovations
Field work

3. Background

4. Millennials and Gen Z are the Now and Next Core target
consumer groups for brands
211 million Chinese
millennials
50% of millennial check
their phone every 15
minutes
90% of millennials
spend quality of time on
social media-QQ, Wechat or
Weibo

5. An innovative qualitative approach is needed to be
relevant for the new generation
Millennials and Gen Z are born and live on social media.
To understand them, a more social media driven qualitative approach
should be implemented

6. MindsLab Methodology
Innovations

7. Mindslab introduces social media based innovative methodologies to
deeply engage with millennial consumers and dig out the rich insights to
meet different business objectives
Mindslab innovations

8. Mindslab innovations
Business objective
 Expect to understand consumers’ life in real time
 Instant share and feedback
 Dynamic answer covers various media forms ( voice,
images, photos and videos)
 Wide range topics
 Cost saving
Business objective
 Test confidential materials from remote
 Simultaneously translation
 Instant feedback
WeChat group
discussion
Online FGD with
exclusive platform

10. Why and How to conduct Wechat group discussion?
Business objective
 Dig out consumers real life
experience and emotional
scenarios
 Identify new market/ new idea
opportunities
 Explore market trend and digital
content preference
Approach
 Fieldwork team recruit qualified
consumers based on project
 Set-up Wechat groups
 Moderator design Wechat
specific discussion guide with
precise probing questions
 Invite consumers to share
images, voice and videos
Advantages
 Efficiency of saving time and no
travel cost
 A wide range of topics
 A snapshot of consumers life
 Realtime sharing
 Cover a variety of media

11. Role of moderator to oversee the project

12. Role or moderator to ensure participation
 WeChat exclusive discussion
guide will be designed to
ensure the flow and
information coverage
 Moderator will work together
with fieldwork team to
ensure the participation of
consumers. For example @
consumer who doesn’t
participate during the
discussion or send direct
message to the fieldwork
team to remind consumers to
engage
 Constantly motivate
consumers to share using
consumer language.
Pre-defined questions Use @ to remind and
encourage consumers
Using WeChat language

13. WHO deep dive-American human milk pump
Approach:
 Moms are invited to share their
amazing breastfeeding stories
with a group of moms that at the
same stage
 Moms are spontaneously sharing
their life during the day and night
Business objective:
 Understand the most intimate
moments between moms and
their newborns
 Dig out the most amazing
emotional moments that moms
are proud of during breast
feeding
Implications:
 Wechat group chat ensure the
privacy that allow moms are free
to share
 As the flexibility of the Wechat
nature, moms can share their story
at the moment.

14. Market entry test-German house cleaning system
Approach:
 4 Wechat groups have been set
up based on consumers location.
 Consumers are invited to
participate in the discussion for
30 mins everyday for 4 days. Each
day a specific topic is discussed in
the group.
Business objective:
 Understand consumers house
cleaning habits and concerns
across major cities from north to
south
Implications:
 Short discussion time and a single
topic for each session to keep
consumers highly engaged and
participate
 Compressed research schedule to
supply insights in short period

15. Millennial lifestyle discovery – International Sport brand
Approach:
 Apply both individual Wechat
interview and group interview
 Consumers are invited to share
their daily sport life on Wechat to
allow real time sharing
 Group chat will deeply dig out the
topic that are most interested by
the brand
Business objective:
 Understand the millennials habits
and attitude towards sport and
sportwear brand
 Realization a day in their life
 Shopper study
Implications:
 Using Wechat as a Realtime life
sharing tool to allow brand to
participate in consumers’ life
without delay

16. Product placement test-Dr O Chatbot
Approach:
 Using Wechat min-program and
Dr-ochat box function
Business objective:
 Product placement post-interview
 Standardized interviews with
large quantity
Implications:
 Multiple projects to be handled
simultaneously
 Instant answers
 Cost effective
 High-speed summary/coding
 Consistent moderation standard
 Intelligent probing skill

18.  Using exclusive platform such
as QQ to leverage its unique
feature: sending video, picture,
voice message and text
message.
 The platform provide fast
response and more flexibility.
Using the most
powerful exclusive
platform
Applicability of Online FGD
It can be applied to …
 Ideas need to be revised and
tested simultaneously
 Instant feedback to draft idea
 Primary understanding on
certain topics among
respondents.
 Conduct the research
without geographic
restrain.
 It allow clients to revise
test materials on site and
test immediately
 Time Cost Saving
Superiority of Online
FGD
Online FGD

19.  Receive instant feedback from
respondents and client will
revise the material
accordingly.
 Second test is conducted
instantly after revision.
 Simultaneous translation is
conducted on site
 Video recording is conducted
through other software.
Online FGD
Package
Logo
Brand concept
Online FGD
Advantages

20. Online FGD
 Receive instant feedback from
respondents and client will revise
the material accordingly.
 Second test is conducted instantly
after revision.
 Simultaneous translation is
conducted on site
 Video recording is conducted
through other software.

21. MindsLab Moderation techniques
Innovations

22. New idea creation-Listen to my stories
Approach:
 Aligned with client what expected to
cover in ‘personal story’ is very key
(guideline is MUST)
 Encourage and stress-relief are the
tasks of moderator
 Prepare necessary props to enhance
the atmosphere is essential
(stage/cameras etc.)
Business objective:
 Trend study
 Ideation for new concept or
products
 Co-creation with consumers
Implications:
 Allow consumers to highly engage in the
whole process and build up their
ownership
 Encourage consumers to share their
ideas, opinions and experience in a
holistic approach
 Leverage objects and mediators to
motivate new ideas

23. Projection 2.0- What is your symbol?
Approach:
 Allow consumers to use symbols to
exemplify their ideas, emotions and
experience that are not easy to be
communicated through verbal
Business objective:
 Workshop
 Co-creation
 Ideation
Implications:
 Creative approach to understand the
deep meaning or emotional associations
behind each symbol
 Replace or supplement traditional
collage or imagery approach

24. Projection 2.0- Be my idol
Approach:
 Prepare the pictures of celebrities in
various industries, with distinct social-
icon, to inspire consumers
 Balance gender/nationalities for better
relevance
Business objective:
 Who understanding
Implications:
 Understand the expected self-image of
the consumers and their ideal lifestyle
and life status
 Understand the gap between reality and
ideal self to fulfill the needs in-between

25. Fieldwork

26. Further inquiry please contact:
Crystal.xue@mindslab.cn
Boni.liu@mindslab.cn