Why You Should Follow Segmentation Research with Qualitative
13 May 2025

Why You Should Follow Segmentation Research with Qualitative

You have just completed a segmentation study. Your personas are defined, your market is mapped, and your team is ready to launch a campaign. But before you move forward with messaging or creative execution, there is one essential next step to strengthen your strategy—qualitative research.

At Provoke Insights, we know that pairing segmentation with qualitative methods such as focus groups and in-depth interviews provides the human context behind the data. Here are five reasons why qualitative research takes your segmentation from insightful to impactful.

1. Bring Segments to Life

Segmentation identifies what is happening in your market. Qualitative research explains why it is happening. Focus groups and IDIs give voice to your audience by revealing how people in each segment think, speak, and make decisions. This deeper understanding makes your personas feel authentic and helps creative teams craft messaging that truly resonates.

2. Validate and Refine Personas

While segmentation data may look clear on a slide, real people do not always fit into neat boxes. Qualitative research stress-tests your segments to confirm whether they are distinct and meaningful in real-world settings. It ensures your strategy reflects genuine audience behaviors and not just statistical groupings.

3. Strengthen Messaging with Real Language

Your audience may describe their pain points, desires, and values very differently from how your brand does. Focus groups and IDIs help you learn the language your customers actually use. These emotional cues and specific phrases are essential for building compelling messaging that connects on a deeper level.

4. Identify Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Opportunities

Not every segment is equally ready to engage. Some are eager to act now while others require time and nurturing. Qualitative research uncovers where each segment falls in their decision-making journey. These insights help you prioritize segments, select appropriate channels, and develop offers that convert.

5. Reveal Unexpected Insights and Gaps

Even the most comprehensive segmentation study can miss important nuances. Qualitative research uncovers motivations, challenges, and behaviors that may not surface in survey data. These findings can inspire innovation, improve customer experience, and reshape your brand’s position in the market.

The Takeaway

Segmentation gives you a strategic map. Qualitative research provides the context to navigate it with precision. When you combine both approaches, your brand moves from targeting consumers to truly understanding them. That level of insight creates marketing that is more authentic, more effective, and more competitive.

Want to learn more about Segmentation Research? Check out these blogs and case studies.

Boosting Urban Tourism: A City Case Study
05 May 2025

Boosting Urban Tourism: A City Case Study

Reviving Urban Tourism Through Smart Strategy

Across the United States, cities are redefining how they attract visitors. As work patterns and lifestyles shift, traditional downtowns must adapt to remain vibrant. This case study focuses on Providence, Rhode Island, and how it successfully repositions itself to increase urban tourism using data-driven insights and community-focused branding.

Co-authored by Carly Fink of Provoke Insights and Kristen Adamo of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, the article highlights a step-by-step approach to transforming city perceptions and encouraging regional travel. The goal is to bring energy back to the urban core by appealing to nearby suburban audiences.

Research Guides the Urban Tourism Campaign

The strategy begins with a comprehensive market research study targeting people who live within an hour of Providence. The findings reveal what encourages suburbanites to explore the city and what barriers hold them back. While many respondents are drawn to restaurants and events like WaterFire, concerns about parking and safety shape their decisions.

Using these insights, the team creates a campaign that personalizes the downtown experience. The initiative, called “Downtown is Your Town,” features real locals who share their favorite spots for dining, shopping, and entertainment. This storytelling approach makes the city feel more welcoming, relatable, and worth rediscovering.

Engaging Visitors and Inspiring Action

The campaign runs across multiple platforms, including digital ads, billboards, social media, and a refreshed website. Each element reinforces the message that Providence is a lively, accessible, and culturally rich destination. The effort also includes events that spark curiosity and drive foot traffic, particularly during key seasons.

The results are impressive. Website traffic rises by 3,000 percent. Social media engagement significantly outperforms industry benchmarks. Visitors respond positively to the refreshed city image, and local businesses benefit from the increased attention.

A Model for Urban Tourism Success

This case study offers valuable guidance for other cities aiming to grow their urban tourism footprint. It shows how research-backed branding and inclusive messaging can shift public perception and generate real economic impact. Whether you are a tourism leader, marketer, or city planner, the lessons from Providence demonstrate what is possible when a city listens to its audience and builds a brand around authentic urban experiences.

Read the full article here to explore how cities can strengthen urban tourism by connecting with local travelers and delivering a revitalized downtown experience.