Following on from the successful launch of our “Popcorn” innovation process, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new Smartphone app for qualitative research – Pickles.
What is Pickles?
Pickles is the new “Real-life, Real-time” Smartphone app, designed by the research team at Mustard. It provides us with instant “in-the-moment” qualitative insights at the point of engagement. It allows our clients to see and hear from their customers in context – mirroring their preferred channels for sharing opinion and content.
Our industry undeniably remains in the midst of a period of significant change. Fast insight is no longer enough – in the world of instant gratification our clients need instant learning. That said, the Pickles app is about much more than speed – it allows us to uncover more genuine insights, and real rather than recalled experiences.
We were also keen to approach this differently. There is a gap in the market and a demand from clients for an approach that goes “deeper”, creating an environment for researchers to get to know consumers over extended periods of time, more akin to digital ethnography. We know how wedded people are to their phones – so this new mobile app was the obvious choice.
Ethnographic research method
Pickles Benefits
Using Pickles provides us with numerous benefits.
- It is real-time. Instant and “in the moment”, so provides real rather than recalled experiences.
- It is real-life. We are with consumers 24/7.
- It is unobtrusive. Totally discrete. 100% natural.
- It is engaging for participants, so we get more considered responses. We get more by making it fun.
- It is fast, flexible and fluid. We can add and change questions as we go.
- It is great value. The extended consultation period means we get to know them and get to learn more.
All of the above combine to provide deeper and more meaningful insights than possible using other traditional qualitative methods.
Pickles Features
Features include:
- Individual instant messaging with push notifications
- Moderated group chat
- Video diaries, vox pops, video and photo upload
- Missions and tasks
Pickles Applications
We have used the Pickles app for clients including Princes, Carlsberg, Goldenfry, JD Williams, Next and Greggs. Ethnographic research particularly suits Pickles, but we have also used it for ad and campaign feedback, understanding consumer behaviour / decision making, product testing, creative testing (e.g. POS, signage, packaging), customer journey / CX research, brand research and mystery customer missions. It is versatile enough for almost any project.
How Pickles helped Carlsberg
We used the Pickles app on a project to explore and understand consumer “on trade” decision making – to understand the processes involved in choosing a new beer. We have also used the Pickles app to capture live response to a new TV ad as it aired (“The Danish Way”) – which clearly told Carlsberg how some intended messages were received more strongly and effectively than others.
Hannah Searle, category development manager at Carlsberg UK, is already a Pickles advocate:
“It was brilliant to see an instant reaction to the new Carlsberg Export advert when it aired. Unprompted and in situ responses provide an extra dimension when we talk to both customers and colleagues about the evaluation of the advert. It’s a great innovative way to approach research on-the-fly.”
For more information on Pickles, or to request a demonstration, please contact Amy or Jack on +44(0)161 235 5270.
