Mobile Ethnography in Singapore: When Traditional Research Methods Fall Short
Traditional research methods ask people to remember. Mobile ethnography asks them to document in real-time. The difference in data quality can be dramatic.
When consumers recall their behavior in focus groups or surveys, memory reconstructs rather than retrieves. The timeline compresses. Details blur. Social desirability reshapes the narrative. What participants believe happened diverges from what actually happened.
Mobile ethnography uses smartphones to capture behavior as it occurs. Participants photograph purchases, video their routines, log decisions in the moment. The gap between memory and reality closes.
According to IMDA's household technology adoption data, smartphone penetration in Singapore exceeds 90%. Nearly everyone carries a documentation device in their pocket. The infrastructure for mobile research exists, the question is how to use it well.
When Mobile Ethnography Works Best
High-frequency, low-salience behaviors
How do people actually use your product day-to-day? Traditional recall can't capture the mundane routines that drive consumption. Mobile documentation can.
Example: Understanding actual skincare routines. Participants photograph their products and log usage daily for two weeks. The gap between claimed routine and actual routine becomes visible.
Context-dependent decisions
Some choices only make sense in context. What triggers a snack purchase? What makes someone open a delivery app? In-the-moment prompts capture what interviews reconstruct poorly.
Journeys that unfold over time
Major purchases, property, cars, weddings, involve research and consideration across weeks or months. HDB's homebuyer resources show complex decision processes. Mobile ethnography tracks how these journeys actually unfold, not how participants later summarize them.
How Mobile Ethnography Works
Participant Setup
Participants download a mobile app or join a messaging platform (often WhatsApp in Singapore). They receive daily or situation-triggered prompts asking them to document specific behaviors.
Documentation Tasks
Tasks might include photographing all meals for a week, video-recording their evening routine, or logging whenever they make a purchase in a specific category. The specificity matters—vague tasks produce thin data.
Duration
Studies typically run 3-14 days. Shorter periods miss patterns. Longer periods cause fatigue and declining compliance. A week often hits the sweet spot for consumer behavior research.
Analysis
Researchers review photos, videos, and text logs to identify patterns, contradictions, and insights that wouldn't surface in traditional methods. Some platforms use AI to assist with initial coding; human interpretation remains essential.
Research Framework: Method Selection Guide
When to Use Mobile Ethnography vs. Traditional Methods
| Research Need | Traditional | Mobile Ethno |
|---|---|---|
| Understand daily habits and routines | ⚠️ Memory gaps | ✅ Real-time capture |
| Explore emotional responses to concepts | ✅ In-person depth | ⚠️ Limited probing |
| Map decision triggers in context | ❌ Context absent | ✅ Captures environment |
| Generate ideas through discussion | ✅ Focus groups excel | ❌ Individual only |
| Validate claimed vs. actual behavior | ❌ Say-do gap persists | ✅ Evidence-based |
| Track behavior over time | ⚠️ Diary studies possible | ✅ Continuous capture |
Tool: Mobile Ethnography Task Design
Designing Effective Mobile Tasks
| Task Type | Example | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Photo diary | "Photograph every meal for 7 days" | Actual food choices vs. claimed diet |
| Video capture | "Record your morning skincare routine" | Products used, time spent, sequence |
| Triggered log | "Log whenever you consider ordering food delivery" | Decision triggers, context, outcome |
| Receipt capture | "Photograph all grocery receipts this week" | Actual purchase behavior vs. intent |
| Environment scan | "Show us inside your bathroom cabinet" | Product inventory reality |
Challenges and How to Address Them
Participant fatigue
Tasks that are too frequent or too demanding produce declining compliance. Keep tasks simple. Offer escalating incentives for full completion.
Privacy concerns
Some participants are uncomfortable documenting their lives. Explain data handling clearly. Allow opt-outs for specific tasks. Build trust before requesting sensitive documentation.
Analysis complexity
Hundreds of photos and videos require systematic review. Code rigorously. Use multiple researchers. Don't cherry-pick examples that confirm hypotheses.
Questions Worth Exploring
Before choosing mobile ethnography: What specific behaviors do we need to observe? Could we learn this through recall-based methods?
During design: What's the minimum documentation burden that produces usable data? Have we piloted the tasks?
During analysis: What patterns emerge that contradict our hypotheses? Where does documented behavior diverge from what we expected?
Mobile ethnography works when you need to see behavior rather than hear about it. The method requires more participant management and more analytical effort than traditional approaches—but produces data that traditional approaches can't.
At Singapore Insights, we design mobile ethnography studies that reveal actual consumer behavior. If you need to close the gap between what consumers say and what they do, let us have a conversation. You can also write to our Research Lead, Felicia at felicia@assembled.sg or give us a call at +65 8118 1048.
