Krisis Time for Ipsos UK

Ipsos UK is taking inspiration from reality TV with the launch of its new conflict-based qualitative approach. The process - known as Krisis (from the Greek word for the moment of truth) - encourages disagreements among group participants, in an attempt to encourage greater honesty and disclosure.

Ipsos first developed the technique in France, and has used it for several projects in Europe, with topics ranging from milk products to cigars and ethical consumerism. The technique will now be rolled out worldwide.

Krisis groups are designed for confrontation: each group of nine consists of three sets of people with opposing views. The company specifically recruits people who have strong views, and are happy to express them.

The groups are also managed in a different way, with facilitators taking part in disputes, challenging participants to defend their views, and even lying to provoke responses.

The technique also makes use of 'individual confessionals'. Facilitators can choose to take participants away from the group - if they are dominating or being particularly quiet, for example - to quiz them in-depth about their views.

Anne Ward, Director of Qualitative Research at Ipsos UK, told DRNO that she was cynical about the process at first, but is now a 'complete convert', having watched several groups in action. She describes the experience as like watching a 'group of unruly friends - or sometimes enemies'.

She believes that, unlike consensus-based groups, where people often try to say the 'right' thing or simply want to be polite, participants in a Krisis group often end up 'saying the unforgiveable'. She believes Krisis 'is the result of real new thinking, born out of a need to understand and harness the expertise of the new consumer'.

Christian Veysseyre, Director of International Research for Danone, one of the existing Krisis clients, explains what he found useful about the groups: 'The way participants are able to respond and contradict one another 'makes it possible to differentiate and choose between superficial speech and real convictions.'

The company is online at www.ipsos.co.uk
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All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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