What are the key international research questions?

In 2013, ESOMAR published Answers to Contemporary Market Research Questions. A book which seeks to answer the questions that somebody new to a topic would often like to ask, but may be too embarrassed to ask. The book can be purchased from the ESOMAR website here. In 2014, new chapters are being added to the book, and one of the new chapters will be international market research. At this stage we are identifying the ten (approximately ten) questions that the chapter should answer. Below are our initial thoughts. What is meant by international research? Can the same questionnaire be used in every country? Can I use the same data collection method in every country? Can I use English in every country if there are ‘enough’ English speakers? How is multi-country research commissioned and organised? How is international qualitative research conducted? Does market research cost the same in each country? What are the differences in laws and ethics around the world? What are the key challenges in analysing international data? ? We would welcome your suggestions, for changes, additions, or deletions? We are also consulting on questions for a chapter on mobile market research, you can see the current suggestions here.

What are the key mobile market research questions?

In 2013, ESOMAR published Answers to Contemporary Market Research Questions. A book which seeks to answer the questions that somebody new to a topic would often like to ask, but may be too embarrassed to ask. The book can be purchased from the ESOMAR website here. In 2014, new chapters are being added to the book, and one of the new chapters will be mobile market research. At this stage we are identifying the ten (approximately ten) questions that the chapter should answer. Below are our initial thoughts. Can I assume that my research can be conducted entirely via smartphones? What are feature phones and how are they used in mobile research? When should I use mobile only and when should I use mixed-mode research? What is a research app and when are they used? What is passive data collection? Does mobile research give the same answers as online research? What are the key uses of mobile in qualitative research? How is geolocation being used in mobile research? What are the key legal and ethical issues for mobile research? ? We would welcome your suggestions, for changes, additions, or deletions?

Why might a product test show a negative result?

Tens of thousands of new products are tested each year, as part of concept screening, NPD, and volumetric testing. Some products produce a positive result, and everybody is pretty happy, but many produce a negative result. A negative result might be that a product has a low stated intention to purchase or it might be that it fails to create the attitude or belief scores that were being sought. Assuming that the research was conducted with a relatively accepted technique, what might the negative result mean? A bad product/idea One possibility is that the product is simply not good enough. This means that if the product is launched, as currently envisaged, it is very likely to fail. In statistical terms this is the true negative. The false negative The second possibility is that the result is a Type II error, i.e. a false negative. The product is good, but the test has not shown this. Designers and creatives seem to think this is the case in a large proportion of the cases, and there are many ways that this false negative result can occur. The test was unlucky If a test is based on a procedure with a true negative […]

Jan Hofmeyr challenges the future of market research at MRMW London

Last week, at the MRMW Conference in London, the future of market research as we know it was challenged by Jan Hofmeyr. Although there were many informative and interesting presentations, Jan was that the only person who was talking about a very different way of doing business. In writing this post I am working from memory, so apologies if I misrepresent anything. The presentation in London appeared to be a continuation of a presentation that Jan made last year in Amsterdam, at the ESOMAR 3D Conference. A continuation in the sense that he had moved his thinking on, and an extension, in that he now appears to be offering a solution to some of the world’s largest agencies and clients. The main points Jan Hofmeyr’s main points were: The existing model of market research, in particular the large trackers, is broken. It is too slow, too expensive, and not sufficiently useful. Not many people would argue with this point of view. The best device, for collecting tracking interviews is the mobile phone. Jan’s key point is that nearly everybody has a phone and they have it with them almost all the time. And, by mobile phone, he means both feature […]

If at first the business does not take off, kill it?

Why doesn’t the UK have more successful start-ups? That was the question posed on Radio 4 to Wendy Hall (Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton) on the BBC’s Life Scientific programme. Her answer was that we don’t kill things quickly enough. She went on to talk about some of the start-ups that she has been involved with. She described how a start-up might receive millions in initial funding. However, if it fails to take off, the company is then often given more money, because people do not want to see or accept that their money has gone. Her argument is that this tends to delay the end and gets in the way of new ideas being tried. Since most ideas fail, she would like the UK to move to a fail fast style, a form of agile business. Not only does it tie up money, but it ties up the entrepreneurs and idea makers who spend their time trying to make a doomed idea work, rather than moving on to the next idea. When I think back to my time as a trustee of the Nottinghamshire Pension Fund, where one of our duties was investing, I can […]

Why you should take part in the GRIT Survey

Market researchers are really bad at taking surveys, first they mostly decline to click the link, and those that do complain that the survey is awful. However, there are some surveys that are so important you really need to take them, and the GRIT Survey is one of them (click here to start it now). The Green Book Industry Trends report is not a scientifically valid measurement of the research industry. Even the ESOMAR studies fall a bit short of that goal. However, it is the best indication about what the leading edge is doing. The back data (this will be the 13th report) and the new data allow intelligent estimates to be made about what is hot, what has peaked, where people will be investing next in research. However, to make this a valuable resource for you, we need you to take part in the survey. This year’s survey is much shorter and much less painful than any previous GRIT survey, indeed it is probably the most pleasant market research survey of market researchers around. So, please take part, please share your views, and then let’s see if we can share some guidance on where the world of market […]