Size Matters: Quantitative vs Qualitative Data

“What is the size of the consumer panel that you pull data from?”

That’s a question that came up this week from a potential client. I love this question, because it gets to the heart of what’s different about what Enolytics aims to do.

So this week I'd like to take a moment to zero in on a fundamental, defining factor of our work.

Panels do generate data and qualitative findings. But at Enolytics we don’t organize panels, and our focus is on quantitative research rather than qualitative research.

You could see what we do as the flip side of the coin.

Extending that analogy, in a very simple way, looks something like this:

Panels: Qualitative research

Flip side: Quantitative research

* * *

Panels: Participants know they’re involved in a formal survey of pre-assigned questions

Flip side: Participants spontaneously interact with a digital platform in real time

* * *

Panels: Hundreds or thousands of participants

Flip side: Several hundred thousand data records or sometimes millions of data records

* * *

Panels: Normally a study is commissioned from one set of participants

Flip side: Aggregating multiple data sets from multiple platforms. (In fact that’s the true definition of a big data company.)

Does that make sense?

There’s deep value in both approaches, of course. What we’re working to demonstrate with Enolytics are the possibilities offered through technology and the quantity of data available.

Any questions or suggestions or ideas, by all means let me know. And thank you, as always, for reading.