Tag Archives: Boston Market 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.

MindSight @ ARF

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.

 

Building Brands with Emotional Advertising

Even big tech companies are deciding emotional advertising is the best way  to create a connection with their consumers. Check out this ad from Google’s emotion based campaign. MindSight can help you access there emotions in your clients as well.

Learn more about Mindsight

 

The “Thrill of the Chase”…

NielsonWire recently reported that the “best-liked ads of Q3 2011 depict the pursuit of love”. According to Nielson, the appeal of ads like this one

from Chevy (which was the #1 new Q3 ad most liked by women), is the “thrill of the chase.” These findings from Nielson are based on respondents liking an ad “a lot.”

This stated measure obviously provides useful information. Yet, studies where techniques like MindSight® are able to get at information beyond what the respondent reports in standard question batteries, reveal that there may be a whole other world of emotional information we are often missing.

Video in particular is a medium quite adept at inspiring emotion. We sit on the edge of our seats when the detective is about to name the culprit in a murder mystery, or jump when a ghoul pops out during a horror flick. In the ad from Chevy, there is a feeling of suspense as the “marry me” banner flits by in the background followed by chagrin when we realize the girlfriend has missed it.

In fact, in their report Nielson notes that the underlying theme of the most popular ads seems to be an emotional one, a “thrill.” Thus, how much more powerful would it be to find out what a respondent’s emotional reaction to and feelings about an ad might be in addition to how much they liked it?

Learn more about MindSight

 

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!!!!

With Superbowl XLVI craziness all around us, it may not come as a surprise that football is America’s favorite sport. Passion for watching the game is at an all time high – 36% of adults say professional football is their favorite sport. Compare that to baseball, in second place with only 13% of adults saying it was their favorite. Check out additional facts here.

Will you be watching the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants on February 5th? I know I will!

Physical & Psychological Well-Being… Which Comes First?

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.

In Honor of the King

Best known for his “I have dream speech”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. achieved much, much more in his lifetime.  Read the interesting facts below and take a fun, short quiz to better understand why we celebrate this holiday!

Source: Social Wayne.com

Click here to take a quiz to see how much you know about Martin Luther King Jr.

Does a Parent Deserve a Massage More Than a Non-Parent?

By Ric Dube

Clearly, our stage of life says something about the products we consume. I rarely shopped at the home improvement superstore until I became a homeowner, from which moment I grew as familiar with its aisles as any of the store’s clerks. More familiar, in fact, than a few of them.

When we buy gifts for others, what we choose to give inevitably echoes our life stage because the kinds of people we care about and their respective interests and priorities relate directly to factors such as our age, marital and family status, and home ownership. For example, it makes intuitive sense that parents buy more toys than non-parents because they’re the shoppers with kids. But what do non-parents buy more of?

We asked more than 2,000 holiday shoppers what kinds of gifts they planned to buy this season (details below). As predicted, the majority of those who said they are shopping for “toys and games” have kids at home, although these shoppers were also more likely to say they gave “power tools” and “perfume.”

Sourece: Forbes Consulting Group Holiday Shopping Survey, December 2011

Meanwhile, shoppers without kids were more likely to shop for “gourmet foods,” “specialty alcohol” and services such as “massages and spa days.” Why are shoppers without kids more likely to give a gift of self-focused indulgence than those with kids?