Want to understand how the idea you are trying to commuicate gets passed on? Then try Social Influence interviews…

What you want people to think about your product, brand, or message, isn’t easy to control – or even predict. People apply their own filter to messaging… And, of course, ‘social proof’ – the process by which we decide our views based on what other people think, is crucial to how ideas spread too.

It’s hard to control the message, but it’s possible to explore how ideas about your brand could spread (and therefore how to make them more sticky) – via this qualitative method…

• In a face to face depth interview, explore your idea, or advertising or message with an individual. Use this interview to gain insight into how the respondent interprets and ‘sees’ the message – what are the filters they apply to your idea?
• At the end of the interview, ask the lead respondent to explain and talk to two or three others from their social network about the idea. Make sure they don’t ‘hot house’ the idea themselves or over-think it…
• Then explore the idea with their nominated friends and family. I think this can be done by cheaper qual methods – on-line, email or by phone… Face to face is a luxury – perhaps if you want to make a fim about how your ideas has spread.

And there you have it – Social Influence Interviews – a way to follow the message as it moves along the line…