Immersive Research is a framework for online research that seeks to capture consumer experiences in context as they occur. Research Activities are the key to making Immersive Research work in the online and mobile medium.   In this post, I will describe how to leverage an Activity-Based Approach to reveal the different layers of consumer experiences.

If we think about a consumer experience around a product or brand, we can divide it into three distinct layers:

• Behavior
• Context

1. Emotion

Ok, let’s try to make this more tangible. Here’s an example of someone preparing dinner for themselves and a friend. 

Behavior represents actions:

“I used my phone to text my friend at 4:30 to arrange dinner at 7:30.  I was at the store and picked up food to prep, I stopped at this store since it’s on my way home and has the best quality. ”

Context represents the backdrop for the action, often environments: 

“I have a small apartment, and an even smaller kitchen, so I have to arrange my space carefully, and can only have one or two friends over at a time.”

Emotion represents the underlying motivations and subtexts:

“I use this old flour sifter. It actually doesn’t work very well, but it was my grandmother’s and I feel connected to her.  I stick with some of the food brands I use because I feel a connection to them – they are things I remember growing up. “

In Immersive Research, we can unlock the full dimension of the consumer experience by matching specific types of activities to the different layers of behavior, context and emotion. 

Behavioral activities typically are diaries and journals. They can be set up to capture the various specifics of moments of behaviors, consumption, and usage.

Context activities are often photo or video tours and “show me’s” that capture environments, processes and show how an action fits in to people’s lives.

Emotion activities are often creative projective exercises that can be as simple as letter writing, or use imagery and metaphors to get deeper emotions. 

By layering behavior, context and emotion activities together, you can develop a deep understanding of consumer experience; this is the kind of understanding that can move a business forward.  

Now here’s the best part.  Revelation’s Activity Library provides you with a myriad of examples of diaries and journals, tours, “show me’s” and creative projective exercises.  Activity Library gives you a jump start so you can quickly and easily create powerful Immersive Research studies that give you the kind of understanding that can truly move you forward. 

Get in touch to get started!