Qualitative research

What we know about qualitative theories & methods

Article • WARC Best Practice, May 2020

The most current thinking and writing on qualitative theories and methods, the broad approach of seeking to understand the attitudes, motivations, and behaviours of consumers: the why and how of decision making.

What we know about ethnography and observation

Article • WARC Best Practice, December 2019

This paper summarises knowledge and offers guidance and reading on ethnography, a research method where the researcher observes from the point of view of the subject of the study.

Etisalat Misr: Hekaya – Family Talk.

Case Study • Dina El Dessouky, Yosr Khalifa, Mustafa Darwish, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

Egyptian telco Etisalat crafted a comic campaign to narrow the gap between itself and Vodafone and win customers over to its hybrid offer.

KFC: Launching Local Chicken

Case Study • Maxime Menant, Remie Abdo, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

QSR brand KFC used a TV, social media and outdoor campaign to publicise its use of fresh Saudi chicken in order to appeal to national pride and boost sales in Saudi Arabia.

Nissan Patrol: Conquer Everywhere

Case Study • Garrett Olexiuk, Bhaskar Bateja, Remie Abdo, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

Car manufacturer Nissan Middle East used a multichannel, personalised data-driven strategy to relaunch its Patrol marque in the United Arab Emirates.

Glasgow Life and Glasgow Sport (Glasgow City Council): I am the goal smashing – Glasgow Club rebrand

Case Study • Design Business Association, Design Effectiveness Awards, Gold, 2020

Glasgow Club, a gym brand, relaunched its brand to gain memberships across Glasgow in Scotland by launching a new colour palette and messaging system that changed perceptions of what a 'council gym' is.

Mitsubishi SpaceJet: Space Where It Matters

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Mitsubishi, an automotive manufacturer, launched a repositioning and rebranding of its aircraft corporation by creating a brand expression that brought to life the Japanese notion of space for the first commercial aircraft from Japan in half a century.

Sherwin-Williams Packaging Coatings: Engaging with Health and Safety groups to launch a new BPA-free can lining

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Sherwin-Williams, a paint and coating manufacturing company, encouraged US companies to use its new epoxy technology for their packaging by sharing research that shows how safe it is to use.

Washington State Department of Health: It's About Respect pilot campaign

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Washington State Department of Health, a state agency of Washington, tackled the issue of sexual violence among young people in Washington by launching social videos and posters in a pilot school.

Qual research – ‘the business equivalent of antibodies’

News • 27 May 2020

Online research methods are a practical alternative to the face-to-face variety in times of social distancing, but brands shouldn’t be tempted to stick with these post-pandemic as much is lost without the use of face-to-face research, a ...

Face-to-face with uncertainty: Moving qualitative research through and beyond COVID-19

Article • Drago Djourov, WARC COVID-19 Series, May 2020

Researcher Drago Djourov outlines how online methods can help brands make sense of what’s happening right now but makes the case for why we need to go back to face-to-face research post COVID-19.

Snickers: Bring Back the Idols

Case Study • Kaori Yatsu, Hiroaki Taki, Akie Suzuki, WARC Awards, Silver, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Confectionery brand Snickers collaborated with smartphone game Idol Master to appeal to young males and boost single-bar sales in Japan.

Barclays Private Bank: Smarter Giving

Case Study • Emilie Uzan, Alice Pike, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

Barclays Private Bank devised a philanthropic campaign to help increase donations from high net worth individuals to the charity sector in the UK and Europe.

Bangchak: Happy Eatery

Case Study • Pirapak Wipawawong, Wasin Pothikasem, Jiraporn Dechraksa, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

Bangchak the energy company used a feel-good story of a local eatery to create brand love among a mass audience in Thailand.

Maybelline: The foundation of fairness

Case Study • Rajesh Sharma, Neerja Goswami, Kanika Saxena, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Makeup brand Maybelline looked to an integrated campaign to reinforce its position in the booming Indian beauty market and become default choice for millennial and Gen Z women.

Hungarian Telekom: Family can be teamwork!

Case Study • Peter Kormanyos, Karolina Galacz, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

Over three integrated campaigns, telco provider Hungarian Telekom successfully positioned Magenta 1 as not just a package deal, but a service that helps families work together.

Oreo: Rekindling the childlike spirit of playfulness

Case Study • Sneha Raina, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

In India, Oreo, the cookie brand, launched a campaign to widen its audience to include adults as a way of tackling slow growth in the cream biscuits category.

SNIFF: Clásico Dogs

Case Study • Remie Abdo, Rifaat Fakih, WARC Awards, Gold and Smart Spender Award, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Dog rehoming charity SNIFF turned rescue dogs into football stars in a social media campaign to boost adoption rates in the UAE.

Mastercard: Cash is no more king in India

Case Study • Rajesh Sharma, Neerja Goswami, Kanika Saxena, WARC Awards, Silver, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Financial services brand Mastercard developed an integrated campaign to boost card payments and attract new users in India.

Aurecon: Engineering Reimagined

Case Study • Courtney Lock, WARC Awards, Bronze, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Engineering, design and advisory company, Aurecon, harnessed the power of the podcast to strengthen its brand and widen its audience in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East.

Airbnb: The Country Pub Project

Case Study • Samyabrata Deb, Daniel Gervais, Shannon Crowe, WARC Awards, Grand Prix, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

In Australia, Airbnb regained its position as the most popular booking site by creating a project to support regional Australia by boosting a staple of rural life: the country pub.

L'Oréal Paris: The Non-Issue

Case Study • Joy Molan, Rose Van Orden, WARC Awards, Bronze, Effective Use of Brand Purpose, 2020

L'Oréal Paris, the global beauty brand, used a special edition of fashion monthly British Vogue to champion age positivity and reconnect with British consumers.

RAKBANK: Memotraits

Case Study • Mohit Lodha, Kevin Pinto, WARC Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Innovation, 2020

RAKBANK, a leading UAE bank, raised awareness of its sponsorship of FC Barcelona and related credit card product by emotionally connecting with football fans through AI.

Pedigree: SelfieSTIX

Case Study • Hayley Pardoe, Ahmad Salim, WARC Awards, Silver, Effective Innovation, 2020

Canine oral care product DentaSTIX took an innovative approach to improve its relevance and drive purchase in New Zealand.

TD Ameritrade: The first interactive financial goal planning session in a chatbot ad

Case Study • Beth Palmer, WARC Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Innovation, 2020

US-based investment brokerage TD Ameritrade cooperated with IBM Watson to create a display ad capable of providing financial guidance through a chat interface, driving strong conversion rates.