Stop looking at carriages start looking at trains

John GriffithsMarch 8th 2011

Planning Above and Beyond

Cloud of Knowing

Face to face meetingsNext one due in April

Sharing papers

Open source project

http://www.webjam.com/cloud_of_knowing

Remit to consider how online content can beincorporated robustly into market research

The tool nearest to hand is NOT necessarily the best one.. Just the closest

Stochastic (counting) tools are easy to write

It doesn’t mean they tell you very much

Totem talk from Rosie Campbell

Start with shared meanings Cultural discourses Family stories Telltale words used

Only look at the componentwords when you understandthe shared context

Several totems in each market – demarcate each oneTHEN identify component words

Source: Inside language - how to spot totem polesRosie Campbell MRS conference 2010

You don’t understand a train by counting carriages

The meanings come from abovenot below

Obese = lazy and complacent

Who I am – tied into my weight

Uses ‘obesity’ to repel her from it

Can’t bring herself to use the ‘obesity’ word

‘people’

usvs

Branding trains

Attaching brands to trains..

Can be artificial – imposed Better to discover which train the brand

fits with And find the right time to make the brand

connection – in the right part of the train Fill the train – don’t try to own it

Tying this down..

Using qualitative analysis or reanalysis of existing studies to identify different trains, the mix of carriages – analysis by hand

THEN use analytic engines to track the train – analysis using automated processes

Pick the right platform

Sampling

The curator curve

Posts regularly on a topicOften refers to own postings

Posts one off commentsNo evidence of deeper interest

NB not the sameas authority orinfluence

The audience curve

Online hit – viewed by thousands or hundreds of thousands

Rarely if ever read by anyone!!

The context curve

Detached from context

Actively involved/immersed in context

Reflective but away from context

Insomnia: which gives the best picture?

Detailed diary contentby insomnia sufferers

Regularly accessed andrated content

When and where thecontent was createdeg video andphoto content

Work TOP down – sort the trains before the carriages

Sample – grade the data rather than increase the size of the dataset – to bring clarity – reduce noise increase signal

Don’t use a tool just because its there or because its free..

That’s all folks!