Spread the Word . . .
-
Category Archives: Research on Research
How are companies learning about you?
Antonio Bolfo/Reportage for The New York Times
Check out this article from The New York Times about what companies like Target may know about you and how they’re turning that information into profits.
Short on time? This video provides a short but interesting overview of the article.
Mobile Marketing in the Modern World
With the rise of smartphone usage among adults in the U.S. providing instant access to all types of media, marketing researchers are realizing the potential for gauging consumer opinions directly before, during, or after a purchase. In contrast, traditional online surveys rely on respondents’ memories of using or purchasing a product/service; depending on how long ago that purchase was made, the accuracy of responses can decline as memories fade. For example, if respondents are asked to think about the last time that they purchased toothpaste and it was over a week ago, they probably won’t remember where it was purchased, why it was purchased, or how much they spent on it. However, if respondents are asked this on their smartphones immediately after purchasing toothpaste, they should be able to answer survey questions more accurately since the purchase is still fresh in their minds. The prospect of gaining more accurate survey data “in the moment” is thus very compelling.
However, with this new way of reaching respondents, a new set of challenges have arisen such as privacy laws, data/texting charges, and system compatibility issues with the numerous types of smartphones. How to make sense of it all?
That’s where the Mobile Marketing Research Association (MMRA) comes in. In January of 2012, the MMRA launched with the mission to “unite and serve the industry in developing best practices, professional standards and ethics regarding the use of mobile devices for marketing research.” One way in which the MMRA practices this goal is by hosting the Market Research in the Mobile World conference, which unites market research professionals around the globe in order to share new insights and technologies related to mobile marketing, in addition to building best practices and a vision for the future. This year’s conference is being held on April 18th and 19th in Amsterdam. If you plan to attend, check out David Forbes’ session entitled “Developing a mobile platform tool for assessing consumer emotional states in target lifestyle moments,” where he’ll discuss applying MindSight technology to smartphones as a way of determining consumer emotions right at the point of purchase.
To learn more about the Market Research in the Mobile World conference, check out http://www.mrmw.net/.
Be sure to check out the recent launch of MindSight Mobile.
Top 2012 New Year’s Resolution Among Market Researchers…
…Segmentation, of course!
If you’re like many clients these days, you are increasingly focused on identifying which physicians and patients are most valuable and on developing strategies to target them. In fact, a quick look at Google Trends reveals that interest in segmentation soars in Q1 and Q4:
At FCG we understand the importance of identifying both the rational benefits that the product should convey and the emotional hooks to engage and motivate target segments.
Research ON Research: The BIG Challenges of International Research
The global economy has afforded US based companies an unparalleled opportunity to expand into new markets. However, with this opportunity comes many challenges. Due to the complexities of international research, an experienced “guide” is required. Differences in language, culture, politics and style are but a few of the many potential pitfalls. Here are a few of the most important insights:
TO ONLINE OR NOT TO ONLINE
- Select the Right Survey Methodology: Different countries require different methodologies based on research topic, Internet penetration, and computer literacy.
- When interviewing consumers, use the 65% rule of thumb. If the country’s Internet penetration rate is 65%+, it’s ok to conduct interviews online via email recruit; if Internet penetration is below 65%, using central location data collection is recommended – here respondents are recruited via telephone and/or street intercepts to the location itself. The interview is then conducted on a computer at the site for accurate data collection and local “proctors” assist respondents with computer literacy. Of course, door-to-door recruiting is another viable option, especially in emerging markets.
Research ON Research: To Catch a Cheat
High quality data is the backbone of a successful and actionable marketing research project. Online data collection continues to be a popular way to collect data due to its cost effectiveness and ability to collect large sample sizes in a relatively short period of time. While online data collection is a highly effective means for collecting data, a concern over data quality has emerged over the years with respondents who cheat while filling out surveys. Thus, it is important for marketing research professionals to stay on top of solutions in order to preserve data integrity.A survey cheater can be identified in many ways. The most common types of cheating are as follows:
The Pretenders – gives false information in order to qualify for a project for which they would normally not qualify.
The Roadrunners – speeds through surveys without giving proper thought or attention to the questions being asked.
At Forbes Consulting, we have identified three ways to catch and remove survey cheaters:
- Speed traps: This involves taking the average survey length and disqualifying respondents who have completed the survey in half the time. For example, if we have a 20-minute survey and respondents complete the survey in 10 minutes or less, they would be classified as invalid completes.
- Attention traps: This involves inserting a statement within a battery of attributes/statements that literally asks respondents to check a “3” on a scale. If respondents fail to follow this directive, they would be classified as invalid completes.
- Consistency traps: Here we ask similar questions at the beginning and at the end of the survey. For example, in the screener, we ask respondents their age and in the demographic section their year of birth. If there are discrepancies, they would be classified as invalid completes.
Moving forward, it is important for research firms and panel houses to continue to work together to eliminate cheaters. Panel houses need to stay innovative and diligent by working together with their clients to identify and purge dishonest respondents from their panel. Authors of surveys need to be mindful of the impact of survey length and complexity, and work to maximize respondent engagement by creating a positive survey experience. With a team approach, we can continue to capitalize on the positive benefits of online research.
Research ON Research: Importance of Brand Photos
The Effects of Brand Photos on Attitudes & Usage Measures
BACKGROUND: Including digital images of branded products or brand logos has become a common practice in web-based questionnaires on the implicit theory that these images will improve the accuracy of aided recall measures of awareness and usage. One hypothesis is that these images serve to jog respondent memories of brands seen or used that might otherwise have been forgotten, and thus raise levels of stated awareness and usage. A competing hypothesis is that these images lower levels of stated awareness and usage by deflating the incidence of “phantom awareness” (false positive claims of awareness and usage) by providing cross-validating information.
RESEARCH METHOD: A total of 1,250 surveys (625 with brand pictures, 625 without) were conducted about sports drinks, using a demographically representative online panel, with a standard security screening and a requirement that respondents be partly responsible for household shopping decisions. Each option shown to the respondent was selected at random and chosen to ensure an equal distribution of each option.
FINDINGS: The study showed that reported usage for several brands used in past 6 months was significantly higher when NO picture was shown, and significantly lower when a picture was shown.
CONCLUSION: Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of brand images helps to reduce the prevalence of “phantom usage,” i.e., overstated usage, presumably because brand images provide additional cues that improve respondent recall. Although further research is needed, it appears that brand images improve the accuracy of usage recall and should be incorporated when possible.
Research ON Research: Determining Relative Importance
A common goal for many surveys is to answer the question of how important specific attributes of service or product are as drivers of overall satisfaction. For instance, how important are items such as “ample parking”, “conveniently located”, and “friendly service” to someone’s overall satisfaction with a business?
Typical Correlation/Regression Output
The end goal of this analysis should determine how it is conducted. Are we simply trying to identify the strength of relationship of each individual attribute to overall satisfaction? If so, we can correlate each individual item with overall satisfaction. Or, we may be interested in predicting overall satisfaction based on attribute ratings. A multiple regression analysis will help us build such a predictive equation.
When Questionnaire Length Threatens Data Quality
When Questionnaire Length Threatens Data Quality
BACKGROUND: When surveys go on too long, respondents can get tired of answering them. They may quit part-way through or just become lazy and speed through without thinking about what is being asked. We discard data from both “drop-outs” and “streamliners,” respectively, but this adds time and money to data collection because many more quality respondents will be needed to make up the difference. The longer the questionnaire, the more drop-outs and streamliners (a.k.a. “straightliners”) result.
RESEARCH METHOD: We analyzed data collected from three questionnaires to measure the incidence of dropping-out and streamlining. Drop-out rate was defined as the percentage of respondents who didn’t complete the questionnaire. Streamline rate was defined as the percentage of respondents who engaged in any of the following:
Research ON Research: Can Providing More Choice Tell Us Less?
Using 5-, 7- or 9-Point Scales
BACKGROUND: In theory, more scale points should permit detection of increasingly subtle differences. After all, shouldn’t a nine-point scale invite finer distinctions than a five-point scale? We wondered whether scales with different numbers of points would produce results that differ in terms of statistical variance, neutral response and completion time.
RESEARCH METHOD: Respondents from a nationally representative online panel of household shoppers answered questions about sports drinks. Respondents rated brands on 28 attributes and were randomly assigned to use otherwise identical scales of 5 (n=416), 7 (n=417) or 9 points (n=417).
