what we do
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Quantitative research
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Qualitative research
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How to get around our site
How to reach us
10 Elizabeth Street
Paddington, NSW, 2021, Australia
t: +61 2 8354 4800
 info@directionfirst.com
The professional bodies
ISO Certified Quality Management System AMSRO
Privacy Document

Direction First is a Sydney based Research Agency based in Paddington
10 Elizabeth Street, Paddington NSW 2021
PH: 02 83544800
FAX: 02 9357 1666
EMAIL: info@directionfirst.com

Our company uses information only for research purposes.  This means that we use it to investigate the behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions, motivations or other characteristics of people like you.  We do this in order to provide information to our clients, government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations, that will assist them in making decisions about their products and services.  Your input into these decisions is important, and the more people that participate, the more the results we obtain truly reflect the spectrum of Australian society.

If you participate in our research, we may wish to collect your name and contact details so that we can contact you about the research.  However, as researchers, we are generally interested in the responses of large groups of people, rather than individuals.  We typically combine the information collected from all the research participants to get an overall picture.  This overall picture is then reported to our clients.

Details that identify you are removed from your responses to the research once they are no longer needed for the research.  However, while your information remains identifiable, you have the right to request access to, and/or correction or deletion of, any information about you held by our company.

Our company is bound by the Market and Social Research Privacy Principles, which are approved by the Federal Privacy Commissioner. Information can be found on the website of the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations: www.amsro.com.au.

We also abide by the principles of the Australian Market and Social Research Society’s Code of Professional Behaviour.  Information can be viewed on the AMSRS website: www.amsrs.com.au.

If you have any queries, you can call the Market Research Society’s Survey Line on 1300 364 830 any time, seven days a week. If you call this number you can check whether a company is recognised by AMSRS as a bona fide research company.

If you want to find out more about the way in which our company conducts research, feel free to contact us: info@directionfirst.com

Quantitative research

Quantitative research

Research must be fast. Research must be cost effective. Research must be flexible. And must provide insights rather than regurgitating data.

We try to avoid "death by online survey" and always strive to make them more engaging, fun and attractive. The biggest reasons for survey droputs are boring topics, atrociously worded questionnaires and so long you can watch the whole "Gone with Wind" movie. That's why we put a lot of effort in making them as relevant as they can be, we use the latest technologies to enhance the user experience and our expertise to make surveys to the point adding value and not just length.

Quant surveys include U&A surveys, concept testing, flavour screening, sensory product testing, choice modelling, tracking studies.

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Our qual approaches
We thrive on getting those deeper insights. When the research gives us the knowledge to make actionable recommendations for our clients then we are happy.

We have a huge tool kit of qual tools and techniques that we draw upon to help our clients. These include:

  • Traditional approaches like focus groups, face to face depth interviews, immersion interviews and accompanied shops.
  • Eye tracking software to provide additional insight when understanding shopping experiences in-situ and consumer needs and expectations in online and offline communications.
  • Online discussion boards to reach people more easily and leaving them in the comfort of their own environment.
  • Mobile diaries to help participants feedback whist on the run

Our latest news about online research communities: Consumer Consulting Boards
In 2012 we partnered with InSites Consulting to offer their award winning community platform in Australia. This is a strategic offering of the highest quality in the Australian market. It gives clients the opportunity to uncover strategic insights utilising the substantial experience of Insites in Europe (they have run in excess of 500 Communities) in combination with Direction First's deep understanding of the Australian consumer. Insites have been awarded multiple times by ESOMAR for their award winning thinking and case studies.

We typically would recruit 50-150 participants to take part in the community for 3 weeks plus. 150 is the maximum number of people we would recruit, as based on Dunbar’s number, this is the theoretical cognitive limit of the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships.

Our Consumer Consulting Boards provide a number of benefits:

  • Advanced gamification tools and techniques which aid participants to visualise their needs/expectations, giving our clients the deeper insights and direction that they require
  • A direct line with the consumer, giving our clients access to instant answers
  • The ability to capture unmediated responses – helping our clients get closer to their customers 
  • Findings can be quantified afterwards using any of our quant approaches