Determining the Future of Market Research

August 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As much as our profession focuses on anticipating future behavior, actually telling the future is still a bit out of our reach. But why worry about predicting the future, when you can be a part of shaping it?

Calls for submissions just closed for the upcoming NewMR Festival – a virtual event dedicated to shaping the future of the Market Research industry. Organized by Ray Poynter (of The Future Place Blog), with the help of Sue York, Andrew Jeavons, Greg Coops, and Pravin Shekar, the NewMR Festival aims to create a collaborative environment for the co-creation of the future of market research (talk about grabbing the lion by the tail!)

You can read through the list of synopsis already proposed for the event. Proposals will be included in an open ballot later this month, upon which the community at large can vote for the inclusion of their favorite topics. The Festival itself will take place online from October 31 – November 4, 2011. Stay tuned for details.

If the anticipation is just killing you, you can get your fix by browsing through all of last year’s presentations. It may be fun if only to see who has been right so far!

Filed Under: Events, Market Research Tagged With: , , ,

What We’re Reading: GameAccess, Mobility & Market Research Myopia

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Happy Monday, and Happy August as well. Despite the summer lull, filled with vacations, longer lunches, and generally slower-moving business, there’s still plenty to talk about in the world of market research. Here are some of the articles and news items that have our attention this morning:

  • GameAccess is Launched! – We’re very excited to share the news of the launch of our sister site, GameAccess. At the helm is gamification expert Betty Adamou (who you may recall as a past ResearchAccess contributor). Betty is the founder and CEO of Research Through Gaming (R.T.G), and through her efforts heading GameAccess.com, we’ll all benefit from the wealth of knowledge she has about game theory, game mechanics, and how gaming can be used not only in market research, but in advertising, marketing, concept testing and more. Read more about Betty and GameAccess in her introductory note as Editor-in-Chief. Welcome aboard, Betty!
  • “Must Read” List from the Market Research in the Mobile World Conference – We’ve talked a lot about the impact of mobility and mobile data collection on market research. There’s a slew of interesting thought leadership happening in that space right now. Fortunately, our friends over at the GreenBook Blog have put together a terrific list of articles, videos and presentations coming out of last week’s Market Research in the Mobile World conference in Atlanta. Examples include “Using mobile qualitatively to transform insight generation,” “The new era of expressive research: using technology for cultivating insights,” and “Mobile vs. online: modality considerations for data quality.” Go take a look!
  • Market Research Myopia: What the industry isn’t seeing in its own research – Kathryn Korostoff over at ResearchRocks.com has a great piece this week about a somewhat narrow field of vision that occurs when the market research industry looks inward. Specifically, that when the market research industry surveys itself, it tends to leave out a key segment of the audience: technology providers and platforms. Consequently, is the resulting research skewed?
  • The Real Cost of Social Media – Most especially because I enjoy infographics, I wanted to include this piece from MediaBistro on calculating the real cost of social media. As the author points out, the benefits of social media are often well understood, but the true underlying costs aren’t always fully considered.
What are you reading this week? Be sure to share your favorite articles/blog posts/chat discussions/etc with us, here in the comments or via Twitter (@researchaccess).
Filed Under: Gamification, Market Research, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Twitterversity: Training in the Principles of Market Research Project Management

July 27, 2011 By 1 Comment

Professional training and career development is an ongoing, continuous process. And tomorrow, there’s a great opportunity to keep that process going!

Be sure to join Kathryn Korostoff of Research Rockstar tomorrow, July 28th from 7am-3pm EST, for an exciting day of free market research training at MRXU, their Twitter-based market research training program.

Here’s the agenda for the day:

Class: Principles of Market Research Project Management
When: July 28, 7 am to 3 pm EST.
All times below are EST.

7 AM: Professor Kathryn Korostoff opens the event with, “A Question of Time: Setting Realistic Time Expectations with partners, colleagues and clients.” How long do different aspects of the research process really take?

8 AM: Professor Diane Hagglund will focus on, “Special Considerations for B2B Projects”, and will be available for Q&A via #MRXU

10 AM: Ten Project Management Tools.

11 AM: Professor Greg Timpany on, “Project Management 101: Tips for Beginners”, and will be available for Q&A via #MRXU

12 PM: Professor Michaela Mora on, “A Step by Step Guide to the Market Research Process”, and will be available for Q&A via #MRXU

2 PM: Hot Topics & Final Q&A. The Twitterversity will close with any follow-up on hot topics from the day. All POVs welcome!

Complete details can be found at Research Rockstar.

Follow along with your favorite Twitter client using the hashtag #MRXU. We’ll be there!

Filed Under: Career, Events, Market Research Tagged With: , , , ,

We Want You!

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The mission of Research Access is to exist as a hub for the market research professional community – as a place for thought leadership, knowledge transfer, and the sharing of experiences and best practices that help us all improve the market research industry as a whole.

The key ingredient to that mission – and the source of those benefits for all – is you. Market research professionals who share their thoughts, ideas, experience and expertise. Your contribution to the discourse elevates the experience, and enriches the community.

We’ve been fortunate to have so many wonderful contributors to Research Access – experts and luminaries from all corners of the industry – but we’re always on the lookout for talented individuals who are ready to share. If you’re interested in contributing to the Research Access community – through articles, essays, how-to’s, videos, or in some other unique or creative way – please drop us a line at info@researchaccess.com or via Twitter (@researchaccess). The opportunities to make a real and lasting contribution to the market research community are endless! Get involved today.

 

Filed Under: Essay, News Tagged With: , ,

When Research Contradicts Conventional Wisdom

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We came across a great post this morning from our friends at Dimensional Research entitled, “When ‘Everyone Knows’ Contradicts the Research.” (It’s actually a post from earlier this year, resurfaced via their Twitter account; follow them at @DimensionalR.)

The all-too-common market research challenge that this post tackles will likely sound familiar to you: What happens when the findings of the research disagree with what “everyone knows?”

This is a perennial issue for market researchers. Conventional wisdom has taken root, research is conducted to prove it true, and the research proves exactly the opposite. Why? The research must be wrong. The survey must be flawed. The data is bad.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Market Research Tagged With: , , , ,

What We’re Reading – Respondent Engagement

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Happy Monday to all!

We’re digging into our blog roll this morning, and finding an endless supply of interesting content worthy of your attention. Here are a few pieces in particular that should be on your radar:

  • A New Model for Respondent Engagement - Our good friends over at the GreenBook Blog have nailed it out of the park once again. In this post, they tackle the perennial problem faced by market researchers – that of declining response rates among greater competition for attention, and as a result, declining sample quality as well. Fortunately, as GreenBook editor Leonard Murphy points out, there are new models emerging to re-engage those who’ve become desensitized or indifferent, and the results are encouraging!
  • Does Satisfaction Always Lead to Loyalty? Not Necessarily. - Many companies, my own included, seek out higher customer satisfaction as a way to promote long-term customer loyalty. Rajan Sambandam argues, though, that loyalty does not always increase in correlation to customer satisfaction, particularly for companies who deal in products considered “necessities.” The money those companies spend chasing customer loyalty may be better spent elsewhere.
  • The Limiting Adjective of “Marketing” Research - Be sure to read through this thought-provoking essay by Kevin Lonnie of KL Communications, who argues that the very name attached to our industry – “Marketing Research” – is outdated and limiting, and it needs to go. What do you think?
  • Not All Data’s Created Equal - A terrific article on the danger of quoting “statistics.” Here’s a taste:

I’d far rather we got on with the business of surprising and delighting our clients, rather than ’8 of 10 cats believed’. Show human reactions to things. Proper ones, not some manufactured focus groups. How do people REALLY behave in the juice aisle?

What are you reading this week? Be sure to share your favorite articles/blog posts/chat discussions/etc with us, here in the comments or via Twitter (@researchaccess).

Filed Under: Market Research, News Tagged With: , , ,

Avoiding Crummy Market Research

June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I came across a great article last week that I wanted to bring to your attention. The article, entitled “Five Ways to Protect Against Crummy Market Research,” was written by Paul Gillin of The CMO Site, and being written from the perspective of an informed respondent, Paul brought up some great points.

Paul begins by pointing out some of the most offensive questions in a survey he recently received. Here’s his favorite (and mine, too):

Envision a scale with Highest Revenue at one end, and Highest Control of the Buyer Relationship on the other. Where would you put yourself on this continuum? (We don’t have the ability to draw a “dial” so please try to balance your answers on this scale.)

It’s painful just reading that question. And it’s hard to imagine that a market research professional was involved in any way in crafting that question. (If they were, they should be fired.)

Paul points out some of the other systemic flaws in this instrument, as well, and what will inevitably happen next:
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Filed Under: Market Research Tagged With: , , ,

ResearchBase: Health Risks of Cell Phones

June 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You may have heard about the recent news concerning cell phone use and the possible associated health risks – namely, an increased risk of cancer. This is according to a recent announcement from the World Health Organization, which now categorizes cell phones in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform.

A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, including the United States, made the decision after reviewing peer-reviewed studies on cell phone safety. The team found enough evidence to categorize personal exposure as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

What that means is they found some evidence of increase in glioma and acoustic neuroma brain cancer for mobile phone users, but have not been able to draw conclusions for other types of cancers.

In addition to the obvious concern for our own health and well-being, one of the more striking aspects of this story, though, is that prior to this announcement, despite concerns of a number of parties, the WHO had assured consumers that no adverse health effects had been established.

Which brings us to the latest addition to ResearchBase: a study conducted by Powerfeedback and SurveyAnalytics to determine the potential impact of this news on cell phone usage.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Research Base Tagged With: , , , , ,

What We’re Reading – Mobile Research Galore

June 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We’re back this week with a round-up of what we’re reading. Our focus today is on a number of articles tackling the topic of mobile market research, including the impact of the smartphone, current limitations of mobile market research, and where we go from here.

  • What Smartphones Mean to Researchers – Mobility is creating a sea change in the market research industry, and at the center of that change is the smartphone. By enabling consumers and business to have constant, mobile access to data, smartphones have opened up new frontiers for how we communicate, share and connect with those around us, including our customers. In this article, author and Research Access contributor Vivek Bhaskaran analyzes the impact of the smartphone on our industry, and charges us to seize the opportunity that smartphones provides to deepen interaction with consumers.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Gamification, Market Research, News, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , ,

Engagement through Gamification

June 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I wanted to draw your attention to a great slide deck on the subject of audience engagement by means of gamification and game mechanics. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find associated video of the presentation being delivered, but the slides are good enough to share on their own anyway.

In the deck, the author – Chris McClelland of Epic Labs – walks through the benefits of game mechanics when it comes to audience engagement (reward, status, respect, self expression, etc.), along with techniques that can be used to unlock those benefits.

I’ve embedded the slides below. (E-mail and RSS subscribers may need to click through to the full post to see them.)

Engagement through Gamification  


Filed Under: Featured, Gamification Tagged With: , , ,
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