The events of 2020 are a time in history we will never forget. The pandemic combined with the nation’s racial and social uprising of that summer, exasperated issues impacting communities of color, putting them at the forefront of international media headlines and shifting them as a priority of every major organization and brand’s engagement approaches. These unprecedented events ultimately changed how they addressed diverse issues on their platforms and through their products and services. Now, more than ever, there is a sense of urgency to better understand the experiences of individuals from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities to help inform outreach strategies and create more inclusive products and services. Organizations can no longer afford to ignore the demands of inclusion from communities of color, and qualitative researchers have a unique opportunity to tell these stories of marginalized individuals.

Traditionally, market researchers have helped bridge the gap between organizations and the communities they are seeking to understand, but today’s social and racial renaissance requires a specific connection to insights to analyze the data in a way that highlights the cultural nuances that may exist. And while research methodology best practices often highlight the importance of making your participants comfortable during the data collection process to ensure a fruitful interaction with a respondent, there isn’t always an emphasis on the importance of researchers understanding the same cultural or ethnic background of your participants that can ultimately shape the quality of data collected. That’s why your research team should be reflective of diverse cultures, experiences and backgrounds to help ensure your data collection and analysis best practices are truly impactful for your clients. Here are a few benefits of having a diverse research team.

Read more at QRCA.