There is no "one-size-fits-all" ZMET project. Each study is tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. The length of time, depth of analysis and financial investment for each project vary according to these differences. Our clients have chosen to use ZMET findings both as a stand-alone study or to complement other quantitative or qualitative research.

The first step is to work with you to specify clearly the managerial issue or question our research is to address. For example, a retail bank needed to understand the ways in which their customers valued banking over the Internet. A car manufacturer needed to understand the meaning of small cars for their drivers and how a particular model met these criteria.

BDRC selects research participants based on criteria set by the client. It is not necessary for participants to have a certain level of education or creativity. A ZMET study usually involves between 12 to 15 participants, each of whom is interviewed individually for two hours. Independent research has shown that our techniques require a relatively small sample to produce consistent patterns of thought.

About a week prior to their interviews, each participant is asked to gather 8-10 pictures that reflect their thoughts and feelings about the research topic. Most participants devote several hours to selecting pictures and thinking about the assignment. As a result, participants arrive for their interviews with the benefit of considerable conscious and subconscious reflection about the product or issue.