[music]
We have given you a number of project assignments
that involve gaining marketplace insight.
So it's important to, ah, cover some issues that relate to
how to learn about subsistence contexts,
as that is a central theme in what we are trying to do.
In terms of gaining marketplace insights,
it's important to understand how people think, how they feel,
and what it means in terms of
conducting research in these contexts.
One of the things to do is to have very simple tasks,
and to show people products and advertisements and so on,
so that it's very real for them.
It's important to use very straightforward language,
to be realistic in what you ask people to do,
and it's important not to have them read or write, as well,
and to administer the research
and administer the survey yourself.
One of the things to keep in mind
is to not make people anxious
when they participate in this kind of work.
Uh, you may remember the last time you took an exam
when you were in school or you are in school.
Uh, you may have felt very anxious
because you were in this setting
and you were worried about whether
you got the right answer and so on.
Now, you don't want to put participants
in that frame of mind.
Because you are more literate than them,
you are of a higher social status,
and you're asking them a number of questions.
So one of the first concerns they may have is
whether you are testing them.
One of the first concerns they may have is
whether they gave you the right answer.
So it's very important to put people at ease
and let them know that they are the experts
and that you are there to learn from them.
So that's one of the first things I would say
when I'm having a conversation or doing an interview
in these kinds of contexts.
In terms of feeling and emotional considerations,
it's very important to have a sincere conversation.
I can use a lot of big words to talk about the research we do,
but ultimately that's all it comes down to,
have a sincere conversation.
awoid judging people, awoid exploiting them,
awoid making them feel anxious,
and be genuinely interested in what they have to say.
That's the key to doing research in these kinds of contexts.
In terms of conducting your research,
it's very important to try to work with
different organizations who can give you access to people
who are at the bottom of society.
Uh, you have to respect them just the way you would respect
anybody in any setting in terms of doing research,
by ensuring their privacy, uh, and also you have to make sure
and administer your research verbally
and not assume that people can read or write.
In terms of your own attitude,
it's very important to learn from people in this environment
and immerse yourself in the environment.
It's also important not to think about what people cannot do
because they are low-literate,
but what they do and what they can do,
and emphasize their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
We all have strengths, we all have weaknesses,
and that's why the mutual learning mindset
is very important, uh, in order to try to understand
what expertise they bring
and what expertise you bring as well.
So what are some generic issues in gaining marketplace insights?
When you're dealing with subsistence or poverty,
you get what you see; what you see is what you get.
People don't have the time for pretensions.
Secondly, don't try to act like you are poor.
Don't try to be somebody you are not.
People will see through that.
Just be yourself, and that's very important,
and just be authentic in who you are.
Be yourself, be genuine, be authentic.
When you don't know about something, ask.
It's very important not to act like you do.
It's very important to ask and find out
if you don't know about something.
Don't try to maintain a distance.
Don't be status conscious.
Try to develop that human relationship.
Remember, it's that human relationship
that blurs everything else when it's all about survival,
so try to build that human relationship.
Don't go in there being very task-oriented,
trying to get what you want.
That's not the point.
I think the most important point is to
engage in a sincere conversation
and make sure that the people you interview,
the people you spoke to,
felt like they gained something out of it.
