Research Technology (ResTech)

November 6, 2011

Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

“The survey” and “some groups” are going the way of the dodo bird, to be replaced by new market research techniques.

Kevin Lonnie

by Kevin Lonnie

Founder & CEO at KL Communications Inc

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Editor’s Note: I need to admit that I am jealous I didn’t write this post. Kevin Lonnie of KL Communications is someone in the market research industry that I respect immensely and today’s post is an example of why: he  just nails it in his analysis of where the industry is, the opportunities and challenges in front of us, and where we may be heading.  I’ll be posting my own variation on these themes later this week, although Kevin just raised the bar very high indeed! Enjoy this one folks and take it to heart; as Kevin says it is time for market research to put the pedal to the metal.

 

By Kevin Lonnie

“The survey” is synonymous with quantitative research.  To the rest of the world, “the survey” is where quant begins and ends.

In a similar vein, “Let’s do some groups” summarizes about 98% of the qualitative industry.  I’m not trivializing the great work by our leading qualitative experts, I’m saying that in the public domain and for that matter, in the halls of business, “Let’s do some groups” is where qualitative begins and ends.

Now, of course, we have online surveys and online groups, but that’s just moving the same techniques to the web.

I would like to personally thank “the survey” and “some groups” for an admirable job.  They have represented us for the past 60 years now and we wouldn’t be a $30 billion industry without them.   But it’s time to break out the gold watch and hold the retirement ceremony because their time is past.

Yet even with the prospect of exciting new technology and prodded by tough economic times, left to our own devices I think we would still be slow to change.  In fact, last month I hosted a table at MRA’s Corporate Research Conference on the impact of social media.  I was a bit surprised that the seven corporate researchers at my table admitted to only the most basic understanding of social media, let alone its potential implications to our industry.  They also shared that interest in social media insights was not coming from the research group but rather from senior management.

I realize that MR is not a technology led industry; our roots lie in the social sciences and statistics.  But when technology affords us the tools to do our job better than we ever have before, it’s time to get on that train.  And technology is affording us the opportunity to become a proactive, rather than a reactive industry.  Sure companies want meaningful interactions with their customer base, but mostly they want to make money.  And our industry can do that not only through risk reduction, but through growth opportunities.  And while “the survey” and “some groups” can help with the former, they offer little for the latter.

I have read countless articles expressing the viewpoint that the new opportunities presented by New MR (e.g. social media listening, mobile, text analytics, MROCs, Crowdsourcing, neuro-monitoring, etc.) are merely new tools in our toolbox.  I don’t agree with that politically correct argument.  I think these new tools are the replacements. Which means “the survey” and “some groups” are going the way of the dodo bird.

As for the timeframe, I think we will have a radically different research environment within 10 years.  And as usual, it will be driven by money.

  • Most expensive surveys will be replaced by social media listening.
    • Attitude & Usage / Huge Tracking Surveys, no reason for them anymore, again replaced by social media listening
      • Text analytics is the engine that will power social media, more and more powerful algorithms will make sense of what today is largely white noise.  The quant jocks of today will be the text analytic gurus of tomorrow
    • Product/Concept Testing Surveys – We’ll now have consumers helping to drive the co-creation process via Crowdsourcing.
    • Focus Groups will be replaced by meaningful, transparent conversations & neuromonitoring / neuromarketing observations
      • Online ethnography will allow for virtual testing centers where passionate consumers provide video feedback
      • MROC forums will provide the same moderator led discussions at a fraction of the cost
      • Neuromarketing will allow us to know what consumers really think about your new product/ad with a roadmap of firing neurons that words just can’t equal

Mobile will become the dominant mode of data collection just as it’s becoming the dominant mode of voice & data communication.   An app driven interactive experience will replace “the survey” which is far too bulky and dull for the mobile environment.

So while I come to bury “the survey” of today, I think like a Phoenix it will rise again.   Unlike today’s self administered boring survey the survey instrument of tomorrow will be greatly augmented via gamification. While social media will replace the huge trackers, we still need an objective survey to cross-validate social media produced findings.    Survey designers will need to become survey engagers in that it will be as important to create an appealing fun environment as it will be to craft questions.  We spend too much time arguing between five and seven point scales (in fact 11 is better yet!) and not enough on engaging the respondent so that they are sharing thoughtful opinions.  Tomorrow’s survey programmers will be more akin to game developers with a strong combination of both left brain and right brain skill sets!

And while we remain reluctant to change, there is finally enough motivation to propel even researchers into the 21st century.  And that’s the prospect of enormous competitors who are quite willing to take our lunch money.  And yes, I’m talking about Facebook and Google.    With their enormous database (Google + puts Google in this discussion) of personal information these Goliaths are well positioned to dominate our industry unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Unless, of course, we embrace change and realize that we have one key advantage that no amount of technology can supplant and that is the intellectual property, the sheer skill to make sense of it all.

We’re moving to an agile, proactive, interactive future.  It won’t resemble the industry we grew up with.  Forces are conspiring to accelerate the rate of change.

Now is the time to put the pedal to the metal, because that car you just noticed in your rearview mirror is actually far closer than it appears.

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innovationmarket research industry trendsmobile researchquantitative researchrespondent engagement surveys

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