Community Narratives, also referred to as storytelling, is a
qualitative research method in which a creative consumer group is
encouraged to share experiences with products and to express their
feelings. Consumers describe experiences or situations in their own
words. The participants in the group are typically users of a category
of products, not a specific brand. Both established and innovative
qualitative data collection methods are used in the context of ongoing
relationships within groups of target consumers. While traditional
focus groups allow only a short time to probe the feelings and actions
of representative consumer groups, storytelling employs multiple
sessions to allow the same creative, articulate consumers to build
community within their group, a process that leads to more honest
communication, enhanced creativity, and increased discernment of the
target product category and/or concept.
Community Narrative techniques probe beyond surface consumer
attitudes, behaviors, and feelings to allow researchers to learn at a
deeper emotional level than traditional sensory methods. Consumers are
encouraged to express their experiences and feelings, allowing
motivations and unarticulated needs to be uncovered and new insights to
emerge, often by building on other group members’ ideas. Using literal
and figurative exercises, the storytelling process provides focus on the
researcher’s initial questions while allowing spontaneous “verbal
excursions” by group members. Understanding consumer responses on
product sensory attributes is a major outcome.1
References
1 Meilgaard, M., G. V. Civille and B. T. Carr (2007). Sensory Evaluation Techniques, 4th Ed. New Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 12: 267.
