The Market Research in the Mobile World conference took place in Amsterdam last week; it was an agenda-packed and insightful event that solidified the industry’s commitment to expanding both the opportunities and the capabilities of mobile market research on a global scale.

Kinesis’ Leslie Townsend and Tariq Mirza delivered a session “Glocalizing” Mobile Research in the European Region which compared mobile survey traffic, device usage, completion rates, and other metrics between Europe and the U.S. Kinesis also conducted a survey among the conference attendees via our multimode MRMW Community to gauge researchers’ own perceptions on mobile; some results are shown below:

The majority of MRMW respondents indicated that location-based research and gamification will gain prominence in the near future, but a number of respondents indicated that it is still too soon to tell/don’t know what impact the various mobile capabilities will have on the industry. This was somewhat surprising to us, given what our own Kinesis respondent traffic looks like these days. Ms. Townsend and Mr. Mirza shared some Q1 data that revealed more than 25.5% of Kinesis’ U.S. survey traffic is now mobile, and that mobile-intended surveys completed on mobile devices have an impressive 59.7% completion rate in the European region. From our data, mobile is gaining ground in all areas of market research, and at a faster rate than ever before.

More information from their MRMW session, and additional findings from Kinesis’ latest data, will be shared in an upcoming Kinesis whitepaper – be on the lookout for it next month. Our team will also be present at the MRMW U.S. event being held July 18-19 in Cincinnati; we look forward to continuing the conversation then.

Today is the Main Stage segment of the second annual NewMR Virtual Festival, and many highly insightful sessions on various market research topics have occurred thus far. Since Kinesis recently introduced our new multi-mode online community solution, the presentations on this topic were of particular interest to us, and these sessions did not disappoint.

Due to a slight schedule shake up, Diane Hessan of Communispace presented “Online Communities: Mistakes, Misuses and Challenges” back-to-back with Felix Koch of Promise Communities, who presented “What’s Next? Five Predictions About the Future of Online Co-Creation.” This proved to be an ideal change because the two presentations offered a lot of synergy regarding how successful research communities operate today, and how they should evolve over the next few years.

During her presentation, Hessan shared some community best practice recommendations, as honed by Communispace’s extensive experience in running online communities for its clients. Some of her key takeaways were:

• Bigger is not always better – an ideal community size is 300-500 members, because as the number of members goes up, participation rates go down
• Communities should never be used simply as a means of delivering surveys – engagement is better sustained with multiple activities (an ideal split would be one third surveys / one third discussions / one third “other” activities)
• Researchers must remain focused on real listening instead of trying to create brand advocates – members want to feel invited to share their true opinions rather than be coerced into adopting ours, and they can always tell the difference (this argument could certainly apply beyond online communities to all research activities)

Next up, Koch offered his five predictions as to how online co-creation, which often occurs via research and social media communities, will change in the near future. He said co-creation will become more:

• Mobile – communities will have to support mobile interaction due to the escalation of mobile device use
• Engaging – competition for people’s online time will only get tougher and therefore communities must ensure they can attract and sustain attention
• Rewarding – as more participants become digitally literate and aware of the value they contribute, new incentive models will be constructed
• Playful – social games appeal to the online masses and are not limited to “gamers” anymore, therefore research gamification will continue to escalate
• Hybrid – communities will begin to combine both online and offline methods of communication to further enhance co-creation

The vast majority of the content from these two presentations aligns with Kinesis’ views as to the present and future of online research communities, and validates the future-proof functionality we built have into our new Kinesis Community™ solution. While market research online communities should not be utilized for all types of research, they do spur co-creation and provide insights that other research mediums cannot. Healthy and thriving communities are sustained by utilizing a community platform that is device-flexible, engaging, and highly advanced.

With tight budgets and shrinking revenues in the face of a weak economy, more market research firms and brands are electing to bring management of their panels in-house. Self-management can offer greater control over the panel’s processes, features and usage, and provide a means to monetize other assets, such as website visitors. The problem is that successful panel management is tougher than it looks. Smaller research companies and brands often lack some of the skill sets that are crucial for maintaining a thriving panel. Larger organizations may very well have all of the necessary skill sets to manage their panels internally, but those skill sets reside in many different employees across several departments, and thus significant collaboration is required to achieve success.

For any research company or brand that is attempting in-house panel management, a full assessment of the required skill sets and communication channels should occur. Does your business have the resources and defined processes in place to ensure value is realized? Here is a high-level summary to consider.

Like all customer-facing business initiatives, research panels require a project manager to provide the general direction, define recruitment and engagement practices, oversee all components of the panel, and drive its success. A technical person with a keen sense of aesthetics/design skills is needed to develop the panelist website, integrate all required functionality, and thoroughly test for usability. Like all websites, a panel website requires continual attention to ensure dynamic content and remain memorable to panelists.  A compliance manager is necessary to ensure that personal and financial data is adequately secured, and that privacy policies and terms of use statements are available and up-to-date. Additional resources may be needed to manage the panelist authentication process, and perform ongoing list management/conversion tasks such as email-to-address matching and de-duplication. Customer support personnel are required to address any panelist support issues in a timely fashion. Recruitment expertise may be necessary if river or social media sample is to be introduced, if customer lists are to be augmented with external sources, or if multiple sources and modes are being managed. If the panel website allows for any discussion forums and/or content upload, a moderator should also be in place to regularly review activity and keep discussions flowing. And naturally, employees with market research know-how are essential to develop the surveys, manage invitation design and delivery (effective invitation design and delivery is an art unto itself, requiring knowledge of spam scoring, email deliverability, and subject line writing), provide incentive fulfillment, and interpret the data to deliver meaningful insights.

Often research companies and brands believe they can save money and maintain better control of the panel if it is managed in-house, and in many cases they are right.  But sometimes companies utilizing in-house management ignore ongoing development and personnel costs, and/or the cost of panel atrophy, which can occur from lack of adequate panel attention.  A panel should be thought of as a core business asset and should be monitored for performance on a regular basis.  While some companies find success, many others fail because they press on with in-house management when they lack the necessary skill sets and resources, and/or because critical cross-department collaboration does not occur.

Research panels provide immeasurable valuable when implemented and fostered correctly. Each organization must evaluate its capabilities with an honest assessment, and for those that lack any of the crucial panel management components, outsourcing can save not only time and money, but ensure panel health as well. An additional route to consider is a hybrid solution in which the research firm or brand maintains responsibility for certain aspects of panel management, while outsourcing others that require more specialized skills and knowledge. Many vendors, including Kinesis, allow for panel management services to be customized, and can even assist in the evaluation process of your internal resource capabilities.

Launching and sustaining a thriving market research online community (MROC) website is a critical component of panel-based research, yet doing so can be a significant challenge even in the best of circumstances. With the vast number of websites and social media tools competing for panelists’ online time, researchers need to ensure that our MROCs offer compelling content, desirable incentives, and ease of use so that panelists remain engaged.

Another component of MROC success – and one often overlooked – is device compatibility. So often we as researchers look only to fulfill our research objectives, but communities, in order to be successful, must also fulfill the objectives of its members. Today one of the quickest ways to frustrate (and potentially lose) panelists is by not supporting a mobile version of your MROC website. With the extremely faced-paced growth of smartphone and tablet sales, all applications should now be designed to support users regardless of the device that they choose to utilize, and research panels and communities are no different. A Compuware study published in July indicated that consumers are increasingly growing impatient with websites that do not provide a satisfactory mobile experience. Some of the study’s key findings included:

• Mobile users’ expectations for mobile website speed continue to increase. 71% of global mobile web users expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone compared to the computer they use at home — up from 58% in 2009.
• More than 80% of mobile web users would access websites more often from their phone if the experience was as fast and reliable.
• A bad experience on a mobile website leaves mobile web users much less likely to return to, or recommend, a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and 57% are unlikely to recommend the site.

Given these consumer expectations, and knowing that researchers are increasingly competing for panelists, does it make any sense to have MROCs that support only certain types of browsers? Unequivocally, no. Furthermore, mobile users seem to be a group of potential panelists that are especially ideal for MROC recruitment. Statistics from some of the largest online communities indicate that a significant percentage of their members already engage with these communities via mobile devices. Consider that one third of Facebook’s 750 million users regularly access the application from their mobile phone, and 43% of Twitter users do. This means that a large segment of individuals who participate in online communities desire to do so using a mobile device.

Researchers who plan to launch a new MROC, and also those whose existing MROC is currently limited to computer browser interaction, need to immediately take steps to ensure mobile device compatibility. Failure to do so seriously undermines the potential of the MROC, and ultimately the quality of your research.

Earlier this year Kinesis unveiled QR code support for Kinesis Survey™ so that clients could automatically generate a QR code for any mobile or multimode survey. Just last month we introduced the most advanced MROC portal, Kinesis Community™, which also can utilize QR codes as a means to drive recruitment of new panelists. While QR code implementation is not yet a widespread practice among our clients, nor among the greater market research industry, Kinesis is certainly ready when they are. Considering some recently released QR code usage statistics, it looks as if consumers – particularly those in younger demographics – are ready as well. Last week Comscore reported that 14 million Americans scanned a QR code using their mobile phones in June (representing 6.2 percent of the total mobile audience and 53.4 percent of users ages 18-34). In July, Mobio indicated that QR code scanning grew 9,840 percent in North America in Q2 2011 on a year-over-year basis.

What does this mean for market research? It means that there is a significant opportunity for the industry to get ahead of this mobile technology’s rapid adoption and capitalize on the benefits it affords our projects and clients. It means there is a less expensive and just-as-easy-to-use alternative to SMS short codes for general intercept research.  While short codes are currently the most commonly utilized method for recruiting respondents to provide feedback at retail stores, restaurants and other consumer-targeted locations, they are an expensive invitation delivery option. The client must incur a fee every time a potential respondent submits the short code – or worse – the respondent is charged for initiating the text. Here is the big “in” for QR codes – free for both parties!

QR codes can be displayed on promotional media just like SMS short codes, yet there is virtually no cost associated with their use.  While photographing a QR code first requires that a QR code reader application (app) is installed on the mobile device, several free and nominal cost apps are available for download on a variety of mobile devices. Additionally, as QR code usage continues to grow and becomes commonplace among mobile users, it is highly likely that smartphone OS providers will begin including QR code functionality as part of the standard mobile operating system, and thus eliminate the need for users to search for and download an app on their own.

For now, Kinesis recommends that all researchers who utilize short codes as an invitation delivery method also provide a QR code option. Using both in tandem provides potential respondents with greater flexibility and offers a choice that is free of charge. In the future, as QR code knowledge and usage continues to grow among consumers, QR codes will very likely supplant SMS short codes, unless the fee structure of SMS usage is radically changed.

The market research industry has an opportunity to lead mobile marketers to greater QR code adoption and assist them to reduce the research costs for many general intercept projects. Won’t you join us?

Watch this video to learn about Kinesis Survey‘s extensive mobile survey capabilities and see cutting-edge mobile research technologies in action.

Video by: Raven Productions

You have probably seen one of the Esurance commercials with this tagline: “Technology when you need it. People when you don’t™.” This line does a good job of communicating what today’s consumers want out of customer service. Sometimes we want the speed and anonymity that technology provides us – no human interaction needed or desired. Other times only a discussion with a live person will do. And although this tagline is technically inaccurate (communicating with another person sans technology is not possible unless you are standing face-to-face), the intended meaning is clear: customer service requires a thoughtful balance of intrapersonal technology and interpersonal communication to be most effective. The same is true for online panels.

“Technology when you need it,” certainly applies to panelist portal websites. Portals are highly desirable to panelists because of the functionality offered via technology. Members can easily login to see what new surveys are available, view a history of completed surveys, check and redeem rewards, update user information, and more – independently and on-demand. It is fast, easy and convenient, and goes a long way toward keeping panelists happy and engaged.  But “People when you don’t” is applicable too. Of course there are circumstances in which panelists need human assistance, and not having a fast, easy and convenient means of reaching the panel provider can quickly alienate members.

To maximize portal effectiveness, ensure that the utilized technologies provide autonomy for panelists, yet still offer mechanisms for personal communication. The ability to post and/or email messages that are responded to in a timely manner, or even online chat functionality, gives members a clear and satisfying method of interacting with the panel provider when it is desired. Taking interpersonal communication a step further, many portals also offer aspects of social media to create an integrated community. Enabling members to communicate with each other via discussion boards and direct messaging fosters an inclusive and friendly atmosphere that can result in higher panelist engagement.

There are certainly plenty of panels out there, and a major key to success and differentiation is finding the appropriate technology/people balance. Too many panels, particularly smaller ones, suffer from inattention and not having someone who regularly evaluates the functionality and communication vehicles available. If you are self-managing your panel, keep in mind that everything you do (and don’t do) with your portal reflects on your brand.  Make sure that proper resources are allocated for its management, and ensure that survey invitations and provided content are appropriate for the panelists.

Finding and maintaining this technology/people balance is not without its challenges – particularly as mobile web usage accelerates and portals morph into multimode to support mobile interaction. But the tagline will remain applicable in all circumstances – ensure your portal stays technologically advanced while not minimizing the importance of human interaction.

In our previous blog, Kinesis detailed the essential considerations for mobile survey design. The development of effective, engaging and succinct mobile surveys is crucial as the industry moves to adopt mobile research, and hopefully you found our best practices recommendations useful.

Now let’s turn the attention to mobile panels – an equally critical factor in the expansion to mobile MR. Panels have been instrumental in market research since the industry went online more than a decade ago. Now, as we move into the next decade, their value will either grow or atrophy depending on whether or not researchers succeed in offering panelists a rich and engaging mobile experience.

Panelists now receive email, and thus survey invitations, on their mobile devices, and they may already be accessing surveys intended for PC interaction from their phones. The missing puzzle piece is to bring their panelist websites to their mobile devices as well. Kinesis President Leslie Townsend provided an informative and forward-thinking article in
Quirk’s magazine that addresses the issues surrounding mobile panel adoption. She believes, and the rest of us at Kinesis agree, that the expansion to mobile (or even better – multimode) panelist websites is essential to the progression of market research.

For in this multimode world, mobile device users increasingly expect that the websites they visit via their PCs will also be highly functional via their mobile phones, and panelist portals are no different. However, due to technology and device size limitations, it is unrealistic to expect that all online portal functionality can be easily replicated in the mobile environment. Therefore, below are some essential considerations for implementing mobile or multimode panels.

First, a decision must be made regarding what types of mobile devices to support. Obviously smartphones provide much deeper functionality than feature phones (although feature phones are currently being utilized quite effectively in mobile market research). Then there are the tablets and Netbooks that blur the distinction between PC and mobile device. Many believe it to be advantageous to optimize panelist websites for smartphones, since these represent the preponderance of mobile browsers and offer panelists a highly dynamic and engaging experience. However, our own analysis of mobile traffic indicates that there are still a significant number of survey-takers using feature phones, and the region and type of panel will often dictate the requirements around device type.

Second, it is critical to identify the features most commonly used on the panelist websites and confirm that those can be replicated for the mobile portal. Functionality for registration with double opt-in, lost password retrieval, and the ability to check and redeem incentives are probably must-haves. Panelists who use both their PC and mobile device to interact on the portal will likely find the mobile site frustrating if it does not offer the features that they use most frequently — and frustration can quickly turn into disengagement.

Another consideration is how mobile device usage affects profiler design. Profilers deemed short and easy to complete in terms of PC interaction may still be too long or difficult to complete via a mobile phone. Functionality that isn’t commonly supported by mobile devices (Flash, JavaScript, tables, etc.) should be avoided as well.

Device detection technology is highly recommended. You may have some projects that simply do not render to a majority of mobile devices (such as a card sorting exercise, or a survey that requires large amounts of text input). In these instances it will be necessary to restrict access to these the surveys from the mobile portal.  This can be achieved by utilizing automated device detection for incoming respondents, so ensure your portal platform offers this functionality.

Panelist recruitment is also a key consideration. If you are building a mobile panel, or recruiting new panelists to an existing online panel via their mobile phones, they could possibly arrive from a variety of sources. Consider all of the forwarded emails, mobile websites and mobile social networking apps available as potential access points – and also the new geo-location technologies that are gaining ground. A single authentication process is highly desirable for both mobile and PC respondents, but may not be possible. Note that usage of geo-location has additional implications, as laws vary by region and have to be thoroughly researched. A separate opt-in may be required.

The adoption of mobile panels is clearly wrought with new considerations and challenges, but their potential to advance market research is immense. With more and more panelists using their mobile phones to access email and the web, mobile panelist websites will quickly morph from ancillary to necessity. And just as we mentioned in the Essential Considerations for Mobile Survey Design post, selecting a panel management solution provider that possesses the software functionality and delivery experience necessary to help you achieve success is, hands down, the number one best practice recommendation.

The growth of social media has dramatically changed the way people share personal information with each other. Social networking websites allow individuals to provide a wealth of data about themselves, from basic demographic facts to highly personal information and images. These sites also offer their members/users a platform to express opinions on activities, events, brands and products. Social communities provide a prolific avenue to gather feedback – and can tie that feedback to each provider’s demographics – and thus social media has the market research industry buzzing.

As a result, individuals’ social media privacy is quickly becoming a hot topic among researchers. Unlike panelist community members who understand that the information they provide will be shared outside of the community, many social media users assume that their personal data will remain private. Some individuals post personal information and opinions on social media sites without giving any thought as to how that information could be used. Others assume that because a site requires its users to have an account, only other members of that community can access their personal data. The reality is that many members fail to read these sites’ privacy policy and do not understand who owns and can access the data they choose to provide.

Law makers across the globe are responding to this issue by drafting/revising online privacy legislation to encompass social media.  In order for market researchers to utilize data obtained from social networking sites, the industry will need to closely monitor these legislative developments and work with the social media companies to ensure compliance.

Time will tell just how prominent of a role social media will play in market research. But it is clear that changing privacy laws present a moving target that will continue to be a challenge for our industry.

For more information on global privacy issues and/or those specific to your region, see the links below:

Global Privacy Enforcement Network

The Madrid Resolution

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Privacy Initiatives

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

European Commission – Data Protection

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative Privacy Framework

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

The recent ESOMAR Congress in Athens delved into many new research techniques including mobile research, social media, and communities, as well as some of the more traditional research methodologies.  One particularly interesting theme was Semiotics.  The topic of semiotics seems especially appropriate at events such as ESOMAR Congress, where the audience – from exhibitors to attendees – is global and increasingly sophisticated in conducting worldwide research.

Semiotics emerges from linguistics, and the term traditionally refers to the relationship between signs and what they mean. In research, semiotics deals more with global brands and concepts, and which symbols can be used to tie them together in meaningful ways cross-culturally. When a single brand’s ad campaign is rolled out globally, marketers must determine which images convey the same meaning regardless of nationality or location – will the images signify the same thing to one person in Delhi and another person in Tuscany?

Semiotics ties into the study of cognition and the neuro-based research practices that are playing an increasingly prominent role in our industry (all aided by advancements in software design). These types of solutions are also increasingly visible at industry events. For instance, research has now progressed from the online virtual shopping question type that is embedded within a survey to a simulation of virtual shopping that takes place in a staged laboratory environment.

Software development has carried us forward to the point where vendors such as Tobii can now utilize eye tracking software during the in-store experience. This technology has the potential to significantly augment in-store scanner data. It can indicate what items shoppers focused upon but did not purchase, as well as what items shoppers were willing to go back for even though they had left the aisle. (But will we scan the aisles more thoroughly knowing we are wearing research “glasses?”)

From the topics covered at ESOMAR Congress as well as other recent industry events, it seems clear that plenty of new and emerging research techniques are being added to the mix. The world is shrinking while technology is growing at a rapid pace. Semiotics, cognitive research, mobile, social media, are making their mark now – are you ready?

AUSTIN, TX (September 20, 2010) - Kinesis Survey Technologies LLC (Kinesis), the industry leader for robust and scalable survey software and panel management software solutions, today announced the release of version 3.0 of its highly successful Kinesis Panel™ solution.

Kinesis Panel™ is a robust panel management platform for market research panels of all sizes. With the version 3.0 release, it now includes new and augmented functionality such as a versatile campaign manager interface, expanded querying options, the ability to append project-specific data to samples, an advanced email SPAM scoring system, dynamic multilingual execution options, and much more. In addition, new APIs are available for expanded system integration and the creation of custom panelist websites.

“Kinesis utilizes the valuable input of our customers and prospective customers to ensure that Kinesis Panel™ remains on the cutting-edge of panel management functionality,” said Kinesis CTO Juha Vehnia. “Version 3.0 includes several new and enhanced features that will enable Kinesis clients to further optimize their panel management tasks, and benefit from technologies that are not available in any competitive solution.”

Kinesis Panel™ offers market researchers a highly advanced panel management software solution that includes:

• A robust infrastructure to support communities of all sizes with unlimited growth in the number of panelists
• Support for multiple panels from a single installation
• Multimode (simultaneous online, wireless and/or mobile) panel execution
• A highly flexible query tool that can retrieve any type of data and requires no database scripting
• Powerful distribution management functionality to continuously optimize sample
• Cutting-edge email delivery and tracking tools to ensure the highest possible response rates
• Customizable, real-time reporting tools for comprehensive report generation and analysis
• Access to Kinesis Community Portal™, a multimode portal solution that enables the creation of both online and mobile community websites where panelists can access surveys, redeem incentives, manage account settings, and more

Kinesis Panel™ can be integrated with several leading survey applications, but it is optimally suited for use with Kinesis’ own multimode survey software solution, Kinesis Survey™. For more information about Kinesis Panel™, click here.

About Kinesis Survey Technologies
Kinesis Survey Technologies, LLC provides a comprehensive survey and panel management product suite to advance innovation in both mobile and web-based market research. Delivering intuitive, state-of-the-art applications, Kinesis software products can be effectively utilized without deep programming knowledge yet are robust enough to perform the most complex of survey and panel functions. Headquartered in Austin, TX, Kinesis offers product versions for both the market research industry and enterprise business organizations, and proudly supports next generation research applications worldwide.

One of the most powerful tools in modern market research is the online community portal. It enables one-stop access to all community information for panelists, and provides a comprehensive method for soliciting and collecting feedback for researchers. But while creating an online community is fairly easy, maintaining a successful online community often proves challenging.

In order for any online community to grow and thrive, it must meet the needs and expectations of its members. The highly prolific social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – are perfect examples of how to do it right; each keeps its membership loyal and growing by meeting the users’ needs. And while the purpose of market research communities is largely different from that of social media sites, the factors that determine their success are largely the same. Three key issues often cause the failure of online communities: Engagement, Personalization and Flexibility. So if your community isn’t thriving, consider how effective your portal website is relative to these factors.

Engagement. Panel members have way too many alternatives that are just a click away. Your portal has to be engaging, or you risk your members going elsewhere. How do you engage panelists? By keeping your portal fresh, informative and dynamic. Update your pages regularly so panelists aren’t always looking at the same old, tired content. Use a critical eye when determining what content to include – ensure everything there is informative and valuable to the community. And who says research has to be boring? There are many dynamic tools available to keep your portal pages (and surveys) exciting. Interactive media, Flash imagery, plug-ins, contests, games, etc. give your portal some added “wow” factor.

Personalization. Every panel member wants to feel valued. This entails ensuring that each member feels they are both part of the collective group, and also unique within the community. Clearly display active surveys, incentives, and panel information to all members, and include a discussion forum for group interaction. But also enable panelists to log in and access a personalized space. Examples of personalized content include lists of available surveys and past survey participation (history), the ability to track incentive points and redeem rewards, and options to update user information, passwords, etc.

Flexibility. Web access is no longer limited to computers, and your portal shouldn’t be either. When a new survey is posted to the portal, typically an email notification is sent to members. With the rise of smartphones, many members receive their email on a mobile device, and will want to access the portal directly from their phone. While it may not be possible to make every aspect of the portal functional from a mobile phone, the most commonly utilized features should work regardless of the device type. Not providing this functionality will frustrate your panelists, and may cost you their membership. Consider having a multimode portal, or a distinct mobile version of your portal, to maximize flexibility.

Panelist communities are a valuable research tool, and will continue to gain in popularity along with all of the other types of online communities as users enjoy the social aspects of participation. In fact, in many cases individuals who would not join a typical survey-based research panel will join when the community approach is utilized, thus enabling you to recruit panelists across a wider demographic. And by maximizing your community portal’s engagement, personalization and flexibility, you can keep a good portal from going bad.