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GENERAL APPROACHAlphabet is a laboratory in which, together with continually updated skills in all the disciplines which support our work (sociology, psychology, anthropology, ethnology, linguistics, semiotics), there is also a wide experience in marketing research. We do not use standardized methods. Every marketing problem presents its own specifics and deserves an ad hoc methodology. Over the years, however, the socio-semiotic method has proved to be the most effective. It is this, in fact, which we often prefer to work with. In most cases we adopt qualitative methods, which lend themselves more to in-depth analysis and research with anticipation value. But we can also provide high quality and well integrated quali-quantitative research. FOCUS GROUPSWith reference to the discourse of brands, focus groups are for us one of the best tool to understand the consumer’s point of view. A qualitative fieldwork by means of focus groups is often necessary to check communication issues, owing to the practices of selective perception, selective memorization and selective interpretation. The methodological role of focus groups is exactly that of bringing out the difference between the message as sent and the message as received, and correcting or validating the results obtained from desk analysis. ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCHWhen a deeper understanding of people’s views and behavior is needed, ethnographic research is our tool of choice. This involves the researcher participating in people's lives for a more or less extended period of time, listening to what is said, watching family members interact, sometimes asking questions — in fact, collecting all sort of data to clarify the research issues. Ethnographic research, in other words, is an analysis of social life and culture in a particular group based on detailed observations of what people actually do. DESK ANALYSISThis type of research involves a direct analysis of communication materials by the researcher, and implies an examination of the signifying structure of messages which is conducted using a semiotic grid. The discourse of the brand is conveyed by the way visual, color, verbal and sound signs are woven together in order to produce narrative structures and mechanisms of persuasion. From this perspective, recourse to semiotics proves to be especially fruitful. This approach is founded on the analytical criteria of the French school of semiotics (École de Paris), adapted by Alphabet to the factual needs of corporate communication. SEMIOSCREENSemioscreen is an innovative research method which is eminently suited to advertising. It is the convergence between two particularly effective ways for studying stories: semiotics of the French school, mentioned above, and the notions concerning the creation of myths which have emerged from the place which, more than any other, nourishes contemporary imagination: Hollywood. In other words, Semioscreen combines the scientific rigor of French semiotics with the pragmatic art of American screenwriters. The method offers more refined analyses, ideas and solutions for creativity, escape from standardized narrative outlines and elements of strong distinctiveness compared to competitors. TREND ANALYSISIn this area we mainly look at socio-cultural phenomena, with reference to both short-term trends, which can be of interest to fashion companies, and medium or long-term trends, which can be of interest to companies whose horizon extends beyond seasonal variations. Since trends of this type find their expression first and foremost in the media, our competence in this area is a precondition for in-depth socio-semiotic studies, and it proves its value by offering our clients early notice of the probable developments of society and consumption. CO-CREATIONIn order to study other aspects or moments of a brand – a re-launch, a new positioning strategy, an extension of range – Alphabet uses Co-Creation workshops. Consumers’ creativity is often a cause for surprise. The ability to use it correctly, and create environments where it can be shared directly with managers and researchers, may at times be decisive to help the client make choices which correspond to the public’s deepest expectations about a brand. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCHAlphabet also includes quantitative research in its activity – especially in the case of integrated quali-quantitative projects. In this event a first stage of qualitative research creates the best conditions for preparing the right questionnaire to be used in a second stage of extensive research, which is aimed at measuring all relevant variables. Basically we classify features, count them, and check the interpretation hypotheses gained in the first stage of research in order to get a more solid understanding of what we observe. ONLINE RESEARCHAlphabet is totally open to new communication technologies and their use in qualitative and quantitative research. It is therefore ready to implement online individual interviews and focus groups, which may represent the best way to reach targets like youngsters, technocrats or elite people compared to more traditional forms of interview. Again, the qualitative phase often prepares the quantitative one, which is conducted by exploiting all time and cost advantages attainable on the Web. As we fully understand the innovative characteristics of the Internet as a medium, we know how to adapt the language in questionnaires (which cannot be the same as that used for traditional research methods). |
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