MRG Evening Meeting: New Research Methods
The different aspects of new research methods was the topic of discussion at last night’s MRG evening meeting. The first of three speakers to tackle the issue was Jamie Furlong, from online research company, Syclick.
Furlong began by extolling the virtues of using the internet as the main tool for research, defending the medium which he said has grown out of its infancy into a useful and cost effective tool for research.
He pointed out that more and more companies, Syclick included, are harnessing new technology and making use of it. He spoke of the main advantages of electronic research, which, through the use of Application Service Providers (ASP) makes a whole platform of information available to an unlimited amount of users. This means that customers wishing to access information don’t have to rely on any software, they don’t have to worry about disc space, and can access information from any computer with an internet connection. In this respect the internet is truly a global system.
Response rates are another bonus, he said. The Daily Express was challenged to poll its readers on a Wednesday and thanks to electronic researching methods the results were in on Thursday and an article appeared in the paper on Friday.
Another feature of the internet, apart from its speedy response time, is that websites can now emulate the features of a desktop computer, allowing the user to create, tables, graphs and even to cross tabulate figures. Email is also valuable for reaching normally inaccessible audiences.
Furlong went on to voice the main concerns about using the internet as a research tool, emphasising the contentious issue of security. He said that although there is no no 100% failsafe solution, awareness and application of techniques can solve the problem. Other drawbacks include connection problems and companies which install “fire walls” to prevent mail with attachments being received. However, these are far outweighed by the cost of electronic research, which is considerably less than traditional methods.
Furlong concluded by saying that we cannot afford to loose confidence in the internet as it is a valuable new technology and an effective research tool.
Mattias Blomgren from Eureka, Scandinavia’s second largest research group, was the next to speak. Blomgren highlighted the need for up to date market information and accused traditional methods of research of being too slow and too costly.
He spoke of a market analysis tool developed by Eureka, called “Archway” which uses a range of methods to collect and collate data in a fast and efficient manner.
Blomgren cited an example to show the effectiveness of the system, explaining that in Sweden a survey consisting of 26,000 interviews, which produced 250 tailored reports, was conducted in just 5 days and at reduced cost.
Respondents used mobile phones, palm held computers and the internet to convey information to the source and the data was then made immediately accessible over the internet for analysis.
Archway also makes use of a sophisticated search engine which can send emails at high speed and provides a chat forum for results to be discussed and analysed. Tailor-made web reports can then convey information quickly and cost effectively to clients.
Stuart Arman from 2CV was the final speaker. He began by saying that media research should not just be about groovy new approaches but that traditional methods such as group discussion and questionnaires are an integral part of the research process. He spoke of the importance of creating new ways of disarming respondents and of gaining a purer and more emotional response from them.
He described a brief carried out for ROAR last year, which used a variety of different techniques to “develop a relationship” with a panel of 600 15-24 year olds.
This age group, he said, is the hardest to target because they are never at home and can not always be reached by email or telephone.
He spoke of the importance of creating a relationship with respondents by sending out emails, reaching them in the street via text messaging, and establishing personal profiles through the use of video diaries and group discussions.
These methods, he explained, allow us to create a profile for customers telling them when and where people access their brands. It is successful because people love talking about themselves and we as researchers need to bring our respondents to life. He emphasises the importance of context which, he said, is becoming an increasingly integral part of research.
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