Focus Groups

October 26, 2012

GRIT Sneak Peek: Continued Mainstreaming Of Communities, Social, Mobile

For this report, we wanted respondents to take a more general view on potential future changes in the research industry.

Tamara Barber

by Tamara Barber

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GRIT Partners

 

By Tamara Barber & Lenny Murphy

We are hard at work on GRIT right now; we are still in field and have close to 1,500 completes as of this writing and are working to get even more. It’s been phenomenally successful so far and the depth of the data is unprecedented. If you have not participated yet, please click on the logo above and it will take you to the survey.

Because we couldn’t wait to dive into the results we pulled an interim data file when we were just past 1000 completes and began some initial analysis and report preparation. What we are going to share with you today is drawn from that interim report. It is NOT FINAL and the numbers should be take as directional for now, although we don’t expect significant variation other than regionally for these data.

We’re very lucky to have a stellar team of pros working with us on this analysis, including folks like Ray Poynter, Jeffrey Henning, Todd Powers, Ruben Alcaraz, and my co-writer of today’s post, former Forrester analyst Tamara Barber.

For the past few years GRIT has asked respondents about their planned use of new and emerging techniques. Last year, we focused on which techniques they would be likely be using in 2012. For our Fall report, we wanted respondents to take a more general view on potential future changes in the research industry. Rather than focusing on the coming year, we instead asked simply: “Which of these techniques and approaches do you see ahead in your future.” Although not directly comparable, we believe that an assessment of the overall trends between the two years is telling of what techniques are here to stay, which are poised for growth, and which have the furthest to climb.

Of the new research methods we’ve included in our research the past two years, these three have had the most industry vetting, and subsectors of well-known suppliers already exist for each. Last year, these were the new techniques that GRIT respondents were likely to use in 2012, and recent data show that these are still the most promising techniques moving forward. Specifically, 48% of respondents this year plan to already be using online communities in the future, followed by 41% on mobile surveys and 37% on social media analytics.  The optimism toward these techniques is officially a trend.

 

Text analytics showed up as fourth among techniques that will be in used in the future – the same ranking as in last year’s survey (although with different question wording). One-third of respondents see themselves already using this technique, and 37% will at least have it under consideration as a possible technique.

Respondents are least likely to see themselves using neuro marketing and biometric response in the future. Indeed, these techniques are still new to many researchers with 21% saying they aren’t sure if they’ll use neuro and 22% saying the same for biometrics. These two were in the bottom of last year’s ranking as well. It’s possible that traction on these will grow as more successful case studies are shared in the marketplace. However, for many researchers the applicability of these techniques remains fuzzy.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that visualization analytics jumped up to number six, from tenth place last year. A full 54% of respondents believe they will be either using or considering the technique. With Big Data looming large in the industry, visualization is one technique that will prove valuable in finding meaningful patterns in a sea of varied data points. The higher ranking this year, in a question with a longer time-horizon, suggests respondents see potential — given enough time for visualization tools and methods to be honed to fit researchers’ needs.

We will be delving deeper into this topic and exploring many more in the full GRIT report which is scheduled for release in January, including the extent of the belief that the market research industry is changing, the sentiment around that belief, and its impact on your business. For the second time, the survey will also try to uncover which industry bodies and media outlets are considered to be “influential”, as well as map the global network of influence and thought leadership. For the first time we will be digging into how social media analytics is impacting the industry, with a particular focus on which technologies and providers are driving change. It’s going to be the best GRIT report to date and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Does all of this thinking about the future have you excited and you just can’t wait to learn more? Well, next week there is a great opportunity for you!

 

ARF Industry Leaders Forum

 

Next week The ARF is holding their Industry Leader Forum, and you can bet that these topics will be in discussion there. In fact, I can guarantee it since GreenBook blogger and my business partner Gregg Archibald will be on hand to moderate a discussion with the great client-side C-suite leaders on hand. If you want to hear what brands like P&G, General Mills, Microsoft, Citigroup, Hasbro, Frito-Lay and more think about the methods and models that will drive the insights function forward in the future then this is the event you cannot miss. Click on the image above to go to the site and register!

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grit reportmobile surveysonline communitiessocial media text analyticsmobile research

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The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.

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