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Tag Archives: Forbes Consulting
Finding the Hole in the Social Media Donut Metaphor
A market research team at Three Ships Media inadvertently spread a viral sensation following an internal discussion of social media.
The group used donuts to explain current social media. Once Three Ships’ creative director Nuno Gomes had hammered out the list on their whiteboard, a colleague snapped an image of it and then shot it into the world it attempted to make sense of. Hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets later, the donut just might be the new standard against which social media are measured.
We think the list works. Here are our additional fields for the database:
It’s a shame that Three Ships’ list tops out at a mere nine donuts – three short of a dozen – though it seems inevitable that at least as many new social media sites will debut sooner than we’re likely to see decent new donut varieties. It’s hard enough for us to keep track of the differences between all of these, let alone explain them to parents, spouses or friends. Laminating a small but high-res print of this image would provide a handy wallet card.
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.
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
Social Media Extends the Life of Super Bowl Advertising
It’s estimated that 173 million people will watch Super Bowl XLVI. During the game, 27 percent of Americans plan to be on Facebook, 30 percent plan to be texting, and 8 percent plan to tweet. Some 35 million people are likely to post their favorite ad on Facebook. The average user has 130 friends so that’s approximately 4.5 billion potential viewers. Today, Super Bowl ads now have life before, during, and long after the Super Bowl MVP announces, “I’m going to Disney World.”
Check out ABC News’ take on the top Superbowl commercials for 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVurAYI5xEY
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!
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:
