Category Archives: Customer Research Methods

Zombie Theory

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

It is hard to totally disprove a theory or idea in social sciences — there is always some possibility that a different experimental design or a new sample will show that it works in certain circumstances. However, if we are scientists … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Research Methods | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cola Co-creation

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

Coca-cola has developed new dispensing machines that contain up to thirty flavors that can produce up to 100 different types of soda. The machines can be reset realtime and communicate so that coke can introduce a new soft drink and … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, communication, Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Experiment, Internet effects, Process Innovation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brainstorming groups still kill ideas

Posted on July 23, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

I was surprised to find an article in a leading innovation journal that summarized a recent research paper on brainstorming. The summary stated that in contrast to most past studies this one showed that group ideation may reduce the number of ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Ideation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

In Search of Innovation

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

A great article on innovation in todays WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204830304574133562888635626.html Look away from the lampost I suppose a cynic might claim that “great” means that it agrees with the recurring themes and principles discussed in this blog. Specifically: Storytelling, Involving users … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Experiment, Ideation | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Facebook doesn’t listen to customers

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

Is it best to ignore your customers? Innovation thought leaders such as von Hippel, Utterback and then Christensen, have written about the risks of listening to customers when trying to innovate. A fellow blogger defended Facebook’s policy to ignore users … Continue reading →

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Hotel Innovation in focus

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

Avoiding group think from focus groups It should not be a surprise to readers of this blog that innovators in hotel service find focus groups and surveys “unreliable” and suggest actually observing customers using the services instead: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/events/roundtables/service.html

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Confessions of a focus group moderator

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Gary R Schirr

Fifty years of research has shown that relative to simply interviewing customers 1:1, group techniques for ideation — focus groups and brainstorming — are harmful, as they: Reduce the number of ideas generated, and Reduce the quality/originality of the ideas … Continue reading →

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Online Communities — Replacements for Focus Groups

Posted on December 16, 2008 by Gary R Schirr

A recurring theme of postings on customer involvement methods is that traditional market research methods such as focus groups and brainstorming  kill ideas and creativity; there is a need for better ideation techniques that truly engage users. J. Scott Armstrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, Ideation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weird Al Update

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Gary R Schirr

The Internet Changes Everything The internet changes the song parody business. Through digital release of a song or video an entertainer can parody a song that is still on top of the charts… Weird Al’s first release on iTunes sold … Continue reading →

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Weird Al and the Internet

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Gary R Schirr

Wired magazine has an interesting article about how the internet has affected the career of Weird Al Yankovic. Weird Al is impacted by two trends from the internet: Fragmenting of the market into small segments (Long Tail?) A surplus of amateur … Continue reading →

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