Mobile Market Research

GROUP 179

Why it is happening? Consumer behaviour change – mobile and tablet

Today smartphones do so much, they take high quality pictures, video footage and they can direct us quickly and easily to places. We love our social media and use it regularly, we put out there our opinions and reflections and now get bombarded with advertising based on what we have liked and where we have made comments.

In 2012 to 2013 traffic to marketing surveys from mobile devices in the US and Europe increased from 23% to 43%. Although some of this trend can be related to ‘unintended mobile respondents’, or the completion of surveys not designed for mobile use, does this show that we want to complete surveys when and where we are instead of waiting until we get home to use our PC? Is this a result of the ‘on demand’ society?

Does the statement “Consumers want the choice and ability to complete a survey when and where they want and on a device of their choice” ring true for you?

Studies have also shown that mobile survey responses are received faster than computer responses. Is that because we carry our smartphones all the time?

Worldwide smart phone boom is revealed in striking contrast with the debut of Pope Francis in 2005 compared to Pope Benedict in 2013 at St Peters Square, Vatican City.

Most mobile respondents use their smartphones rather than a tablet. This is a reflection of higher smartphone ownership, but most respondents have been shown to complete the surveys at home. Has our smartphone overtaken the trusty PC or laptop?

What is happening now?  Overview of todays market research capabilities

From a Marketers perspective Mobile surveys provide a great deal of opportunity for collecting more relevant data, more frequently.  New mobile tools have emerged; SMS invites, passive data collection, GPS data collection, bar code scanning and visual data capture.  

Participative research is huge via the mobile device. The ability to gain deeper insights into people’s lives by getting them to take part in an activity. Mobile devices easily enable consumers to take a video, picture or send a text message as part of a Market Research program.  

At any given time across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, you’ll see Marketers running competitions asking consumers to engage with their brands by sharing a video, picture or text message.  

Sites such as UserTesting.com allow Marketers to under go User Testing quickly and easily via video feedback from real people as they engage with their platforms.  

Twitter and Unmetric have recently announced the launch of an App called Sense that allows markets to monitor their competition in real time, via a live stream of campaign images, videos and hashtags. Review the full article here.

This could possibly be the most exciting and dynamic time within the market research industry. What other benefits are Market Researchers seeing from the rise of mobile?

How far can market research go before it becomes a privacy issue?

These new market research practices come with ethical concerns. In particular around privacy and what is ‘informed consent’. Informed consent is the permission granted in full knowledge of the possible consequences.

• With today’s mobile capabilities, are consumers providing informed consent?
• How far can market research go?
• Is there a privacy issue now?
• What will the future of Market Research look like?

We have attached a brief survey of some “mobile” market research questions. Please click on the link http://jtedgehill.polldaddy.com/s/market-research to give us your thoughts. Please make sure you click “Finish Survey” once you are done.