Market Research Evolves to Include Digital Interaction with Consumers/Ads May Be Consumer-Generated, Business and Industry Trends Analysis

Both the internet and email are now very common methods of conducting market research.  There is even a branch of this type of research devoted to the study of smartphone users, and a related industry group, the Mobile Marketing Research Association (MMRA).  Smartphones are opening up exciting new possibilities in this type of consumer research, as these devices enable researchers to have real-time interaction with consumers in their homes, while traveling and at work.  Smartphones enable questions, answers and shared experiences via voice, text and, very effectively, video and photos.

Questionnaires circulated to carefully-targeted audiences by email and web pages are extremely useful and cost-effective.  There are now a large number of market research firms that specialize in this type of work.

Another approach is to put ad designers or product developers in lengthy, direct contact with consumers.  This could be with a rotating group of consumers who participate one at a time, or it could be an informal group of four or five people at once.  Sometimes referred to as an “immersion group,” this approach enables a marketing or product specialist to bounce ideas off consumers in an informal setting, watch how they interact with products and directly solicit product or ad improvement suggestions from participants.  Digital contact, such as video conferencing, may be employed.  Such a group could be short lived, or participants might meet once a week for several months with the client company or ad agency.  Closely observing the consumer in a setting that makes the participant feel comfortable can be very effective.  Consequently, more research is being done in consumers’ homes.  Sometimes, this research is conducted by professional anthropologists who attempt to learn how to improve messages or products in relationship to consumers’ everyday tasks, actions and needs.

The use of contests, games, giveaways and prizes is becoming widespread in the development of more effective advertising and product development.  Companies are luring consumers to do such things as suggest new product ideas (Staples received 12,000 invention proposals in one year alone after offering a grand prize of $25,000 as well as semifinalist prizes of $5,000 each), create the names for new products (Crayola asked consumers to provide names for new crayon colors), and create new ads.  For example, Converse, an athletic shoe brand, asked consumers to submit 60-second videos along with advertising spot ideas in a search for consumer-generated content.  The videos of more than 30 Converse fans were used in online and TV ads, and these creative customers received $10,000 each for their efforts.