Article Review #1: Videography in marketing and consumer research

Article 1: Videography in marketing and consumer research by Russell W. Belk and Robert V. Kozinets

This paper looked at the different types of videographic research methods in marketing and consumption, the problems and opportunities presented, both on data collection aspect and also distribution methods. Videograph is a more comprehensive method than audio taping because body language, proxemics, kinesics and other kinetic forms of body expression can also be captured. The article offered good food for thought about this technique which was one of my research methods. I intend to run 10 groups of focus group discussions as my preliminary study. I also intend to conduct 20-30 interviews. The articles provided some good advice regarding what should be avoided and how to overcome some of the challenges. For example, we should have fuller view of the speaker and not just the ‘talking head’, the method may be obstructive and unnatural, thus we should arrange the video camera e.g. using a tripod from a distance, and be open to the interviewee of the video arrangement to eliminate any negative emotions. Other usages such as collaborative videographic research, hidden cameras or combination self-ethnography and semi unobstrusive methods in the research are useful information, though not directly relevant at this point to my research. Also, the post production and distribution sections are informative considerations but not relevant to my approach where the videos filmed from the focus group discussions will be used in their raw form.