It's Measure Up Trivia Tuesday!

Interested in Marketing Measurement Analytics? The 2011 Measure Up conference is structured around integrating many fractured pieces of measurement analytics into one effective marketing strategy. Download the brochure to learn more.Each week between now and the event we're playing Measure Up Trivia Tuesday!

Today's winner will receive an exclusive 20% off code for registration on the conference.

Can you answer the following question about Measure Up?

In our Measure Up podcast series with Debjani Deb of Empower Research, she mentions one key take-away message that marketers should learn, what is it?*

*Hint – the podcast can be found here.

Comment below with your answer, we'll randomly pick a winner from any correct entries.

New Speakers to Join Measure Up!

We're pleased to announce that new speakers have been added to the Measure Up line-up.

Joining Frank O’Brien and Lincoln Lopez June 6th at 9:30am on the panel "The Metric Side of Social Media: How to Measure, Optimize and Harness your Followers" hear from Nancy Smith, VP Marketing and Communications, iRobot, Josh Herbert, CEO, Magellan Jets and Jessica Gioglio, Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Dunkin' Brands, Inc.

For a full list of speakers at Measure Up, download the brochure here. For the most up-to-date Measure Up news and coverage, follow us on twitter @MeasureUpIIR.

We hope to see you at the conference this June – Register with code MEASURE11BLOG for 15% off the standard rate. Register here.

Can a store's external appearance affect customers?

In a recent research report from Retail Customer Experience, they discovered that while service and cost are two of the biggest factors that contribute a consumer's entrance into a store, the external appearance can be just as important to a consumer.  In fact, of all the consumers surveyed, 96% believe that the appearance of the store is important or extremely important.  Over half the consumers surveyed stated that they have avoided entering a store due to the fact that the appearance from the outside lacked cleanliness and organization.

Have you considered the outside appearance of your store to consumers?  What other factors do believe contribute to consumers deciding to enter your store?

Measure Up Trivia Tuesday!

Interested in Marketing Measurement Analytics? The 2011 Measure Up conference is structured around integrating many fractured pieces of measurement analytics into one effective marketing strategy. Download the brochure to learn more.

Each week between now and the event we're playing Measure Up Trivia Tuesday!

Today's winner will receive an exclusive 20% off code for registration on the conference.

Can you answer the following question about Measure Up?



Naomi Hirabayashi, Director of Marketing at Do Something.org will be discussing what three main points during her presentation on mobile and web marketing analytics?*

*Hint – this can only be found in the downloadable brochure.

Comment below with your answer, we'll randomly pick a winner from any correct entries.
This post has been crossposted from the Community 2.0 blog.

Shopper Insights in Action 2011: 181% more retailers than 2010

We are excited to announce, as anticipated, Shopper Insightsin Action 2011 has reached record breaking registration levels. With 181% more retailers than last year already, it is clear, now more than ever before, that the industry has spoken; Shopper Insights in Action truly is the Voice of the Industry.

2011 is THE YEAR you do not want to miss.

Only this event offers you the unique opportunity to shape the future of retail with the smartest in the business. Just take a look atthis year's outstanding speaker faculty, it is BRIMMING with industry icons alongside the most intriguing combination of point of view, practical experience, industry expertise - you will not be disappointed!

This is your chance to hear directly from the source how you, in your role specifically, can influence the path to purchase and ultimately sell more. Retailers already confirmed to participate include:

Ahold USA

Best Buy

Canadian Tire

Charming Shoppes Inc.

Darden Restaurants

Electronic Arts

Family Dollar Stores

GameStop

Giant Eagle

Harley Davidson Motor Company

HEB

Jenny Craig

Macy's

Meijer

Oakley Inc.

OfficeMax

Price Chopper Supermarkets

Publix Super Markets Inc.

Safeway

Sam's Club

Sears Holding Company

Staples, Inc.

Sunset Foods

Target

Tesco's Fresh & Easy

Tecnoquimicas

TJX Companies, Inc.

Toys 'R' Us

Walgreens Company

Wawa

Williamson Dickie Manufacturing Company

To see a sample of all the companies already registered to attend please click here: http://bit.ly/ioe5nU

Can you afford to NOT be at Shopper Insights in Action this July? Join us as we co-create in the moment with your industry peers and leaders.

Register by this Friday & Save $200! Please mention your registration priority code: SHOP11BLOG

http://bit.ly/jq6Nhd

Phone: 888.670.8200

Email: register@iirusa.com

Cheers,

The Shopper Insights In Action Team

* Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities Available

Please contact Jon Saxe at jsaxe@iirusa.com or call 646.895.7467

Measure Up Podcast Series: Rossen Roussev

Over the next few weeks, in preparation for the Measure Up conference, we'll be highlighting conversations focusing on marketing measurement best practices in a Measure Up podcast series. In today’s edition, Measure Up conference chair Guy Powell and Steven Groves, co-author of the recently launched book ROI of Social Media, interviewed Measure Up speaker Rossen Roussev.

Roussev will be presenting "Analytics Techniques: Media Monitoring and Reputation Analysis" in the MARKETING MODELING & ANALYTICS TECHNIQUES track on Tuesday, June 7th at Measure Up. For a sneak peek of the session, listen to the podcast here.

To learn more about Measure Up, visit the event webpage. Plus, follow us on twitter for continued updates @MeasureUpIIR.

We hope to see you at the conference this June – Register with code MEASURE11BLOG for 15% off the standard rate. Register here.

You’re Invited to the Integrated Marketing Measurement Event of the Year

"Measure Up is THE event for one-on-one conversation and knowledge sharing in the field of marketing measurement." - Aneta Hall, Emerging Media, Corporate Marketing, Pitney Bowes.

Come to this event to learn how to build your company's return on investment (ROI) as it relates to the integration of traditional, online and mobile activities; specifically social media. Marketing measurement has become a critical piece of profitability among industry leaders. Join Measure Up and learn how YOU can maintain your competitive advantage in a world of increased analytics.

Hear keynotes from:
• Jean Paul Isson, Vice President Global BI and Predictive Analytics, Monster Worldwide
• Kanishka Das, Associate Director, Consumer and Market Knowledge, Procter & Gamble
• Sean Bruich, Measurement & Insights Research, Monetization Analytics, Facebook, Inc.
• Lise Brende, Director of Marketing Analytics, Bing & MSN
• Duncan Houldsworth, Vice President, Analytics & Competitive Intelligence West Region, Time Warner Cable
• Amy Weisenbach, Senior Director, Tequila & Rum, Beam Global Spirits & Wine
• Jennifer Pockell-Wilson, Senior Director, Global Marketing Operations, Polycom, Inc.

Take a look at who's already signed up to attend:
AbsolutData Technologies * Ahold USA Retail * Beam Global Spirits & Wine * Cars.com * Cisco * Conversation LLC * DemandROMI * Digital Influence Group * Do Something * E&J Gallo Winery * Empower Research * EmpowHER * Facebook * Foiled Cupcakes * GE Capital * Harrah's * Horizon Research Consultancy Group * Johnson & Johnson * Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University * Kirkland's * Location Based Marketing for Dummies * LoudDoor * Management Science Associates * Marketing Operations Works * MarketingNPV * Mastercard Worldwide * Microsoft * Midwest Energy * Monster Worldwide * Moreover Technologies * MSN Bing * Polycom, Inc. * Post Foods * Procter & Gamble * ProfitStreams * Radian6 * Redpepper * SABMiller PLC * Sanofi Aventis * Shell * Shire * SLN Inc. *
Social Media Group * Time Warner Cable * TiVo * United Federal Credit Union * UPMC Health Plan Inc. * Verizon * VisionEdge Marketing

We hope to see you in Boston this June! Register here. Register with code MEASURE11BLOG for 15% off the standard rate.
Follow us on Twitter for more updates @MeasureUpIIR

Lock in the Lowest Rate for The Market Research Event!

The Market Research Event 2011 Event Preview has just been released. What's in store for you at TMRE 2011? We’ve focused this year on bringing more networking, bigger attendance, more client side representation, more never before seen content, more diverse perspectives, and more opportunities for interaction with other participants! The Market Research Event will connect the best in insights from around the world.

We’ll soon unveil the 2011 full agenda. In the mean time, download the TMRE 2011 Preview.

Until then, we invite you to register to join us this November 7-9, 2011 in Orlando, Florida! Register by this Friday May 13th & Save $800 off the onsite rate when you mention priority code TMRE11BLOG. Register here. If you have any questions about TMRE 2011, feel free to contact Jennifer Pereira at jpereira@iirusa.com.

Q&A with Guy R. Powell - What’s the obsession with social media and the ROI question?

As a follow up to a panel at this year's TDMR conference, Measure Up conference chair Guy Powell was interviewed for the Next Gen Market Research blog on the ROI of social media. Read on for an excerpt of the interview:

Tom: You’ve said people ask about ROI of social media much more so than other types of marketing. How do you know this, and why do you think it is?

Guy: I only have anecdotal evidence, but it sure seems that way. In my opinion the people asking the ROI question are feinting in order to hide their true concerns about the perceived risks surrounding social media. They are using it as a stalling tactic. It’s kind of like a bureaucrat or politician making the statement ‘we need to study this further.’ It’s a nice way of registering concern without having to register an opinion.

It’s unfortunate, because every study we’ve done has shown that the social media ROI is significantly higher than other marketing channels - sometimes on the order of 10 to 1 and 100 to 1. What marketers need to be concerned about is potentially being late to enter into social media. Just as the Internet was highly successful 10 years ago and the first-movers gained extraordinary returns, so is it the case with social media that the first-movers are reaping high short ROI and long term advantage. They have been able to build out their position in the social media space. This position is highly protectable and will be difficult for a late entrant/challenger to successfully displace.

Tom: I couldn’t agree more. Are there any ways that early entrants can make it even more difficult for their competitors when they later decide to enter? Also, I suppose no one wants to be seen as a copy cat, and there are certainly different strategies to build a successful brand on social media, yet I’ve seen a lot of shameless copy cat behavior lately. Do you think customers notice this?

Guy: Interesting question about defending your social media position. Not sure I know of any sure fire ways for a brand to defend its turf, once they’ve become leading first movers. But certainly they are in a good position to do so. I guess if they simply match spending and activities, they can probably maintain their relative position. Given that social media is relatively unsaturated, I would imagine there’s probably nothing a brand can do as a sure fire strategy to defend their first mover leadership.

As it relates to copy cat behavior, I’m sure some customers notice. There are probably three groups of customers: There are many customers that simply focus on one brand and may not even notice the cat copying. For those that notice, some of these may say, ‘finally my favorite brand is doing it right’. Then I guess there is the third group that says, ‘they’re just copying, I’ll stick with the first mover (at least until they do something of real differentiated value).’

To read the full interview, click here.

To learn more about social media ROI, join us in Boston, MA June 6-8 for the 2011 Measure Up Conference. Structured around integrating many fractured pieces of measurement analytics into one effective marketing strategy, Measure Up will have a specific focus on Social Media ROI. Register here.

#TDMR Live: Day Two in Video

Ben Smithee of Spych Research was at the Technology Driven Market Research event collecting on-site reactions. Check out the video from day two below.



For more, follow Smithee at @Spychresearch.

Measure Up Podcast Series: Lise Brende of Bing & MSN

This post has been cross-posted with our Community 2.0 blog.

Over the next few weeks, in preparation for the Measure Up conference, we'll be highlighting conversations focusing on marketing measurement best practices in a Measure Up podcast series. In today’s edition, Measure Up conference chair Guy Powell and Steven Groves, co-author of the recently launched book ROI of Social Media, interviewed Measure Up keynote speaker Lise Brende of Bing & MSN.

For a sneak peek at Lise Brende’s keynote session “360 Marketing Accountability,” listen to the podcast here.

To learn more about Measure Up, visit the event webpage. Plus, follow us on twitter for continued updates @MeasureUpIIR.

We hope to see you at the conference this June – Register with code MEASURE11BLOG for 15% off the standard rate. Register here.

Summarizing The TDMR Event: Very Exciting Methodologies, Great Case Studies, But How Can We Take It From Here?

Coverage of TDMR by Roxana Strohmenger crossposted from the Forrester blog.

Earlier this week, I was in “tech geek” heaven because I had the opportunity to participate in IIR’s Technology Driven Market Research Event (TDMR) in Chicago. The purpose of the conference was to showcase how technology has generated new ways for Market Insights Professionals to connect with and understand consumers. Over the course of the two days, the bulk of the presentations focused on two methodologies: social media market research and mobile research, with a smattering of additional presentations on neuroscience and gamification.

TDMR was a great conference. It brought together a core group of 200 Market Insights Professionals who realize that although traditional research methods have their place, as an industry, we need to start understanding and experimenting with new methodologies. In addition, it highlighted how the industry needs to stop dumping data on our clients and instead deliver key insights, make recommendations, and present actionable next steps. These points were especially evident in Merrill Dubrow’s high-energy presentation, which addressed how we are seeing an increased number of outsiders questioning how we do things and why we are so slow to innovate. As he stated — with even Glenn Frey’s song blasting in the background — the “heat is on” for the market research industry to change.

The presentations and panel sessions brought together industry leaders, big brands, and vendors to highlight case studies on how these innovative and emerging techniques are being used. For example, General Motors partnered with Gongos Research to combine MROC and mobile data collection methods to connect with their research community members anytime, anywhere by using a mobile app to capture how consumers were interacting with their car. Or, how Procter & Gamble wanted to shift from researcher-driven, out-of-context interactions with consumers and partnered with Qualvu to utilize smartphone video-based ethnographies to capture consumer- and event-driven engagements whereby consumers bring the researcher in at the moment they are interacting with their products.

While I enjoyed these presentations and chatting with colleagues that “get it,” there were critical topics that were not addressed that I would have liked to hear. Within the context of the study, was the innovative method incorporated with traditional methods, and if so, how? Will this new method completely replace the traditional way the question was studied? What business decisions were affected as a result of utilizing the method? What was the process for getting stakeholder buy-in for the innovative method? The presenters made it sound easy to execute, but was it? What roadblocks were encountered through the study?

Unfortunately, the attendees at this conference are a small group of early-adopting Market Insights Professionals. Therefore, even without these details, we are already on-board for this evolution. But the market insights industry as a whole isn’t yet. We have the potential to shift this industry. However, to succeed in doing so, we need to open the doors wide open and publish detailed case studies that walk our colleagues through the process — both good and bad — so they have a primer on why they should experiment with innovative techniques.

I’m willing to take on this challenge. Which of my fellow “tech geeks” will join me?

If you haven’t tried an emerging methodology, please tell us what information you need to see that will help you in your assessment.

Multimodal Research: A Saatchi and Saatchi Case Study

At The Market Research Event 2010, IIR’s Marc Dresner conducted a series of brief onsite interviews with many of the speakers to dive deeper into their presentations and thoughts on the current state of market research.

This week, we feature Johanna Skilling, EVP, Director of Strategic Planning, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness. Skilling discusses how Saatchi was able to incorporate social media alongside more conventional modalities in the second iteration their annual “Wellness” survey effectively and inexpensively. Watch the interview here:

Join the conversation! What do you think of multi-modal research? And is social media an option researchers should consider in a tracking study?

For more information on The Market Research Event, visit the TMRE Information Page here.

#TDMR Live: Smartphone-based Ethnographies with P&G and QualVu

Live Coverage by Kristin Schwitzer, cross-posted from the New Qualitative Research blog.

Real-time coverage of the following session from IIR’s 2011 Technology Driven Research Event in Chicago: “The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth: The Remarkable Candor of Webcam and Smartphone-Based Ethnographies”

Charlie Rader, Digital Insights Tools Leader Global Products Research Capability of Procter & Gamble, and John Williamson, CEO & Founder of QualVu, shared their work together doing Smartphone-based ethnographies.

John Williamson on left, Charlie Rader on right

Using mobile and video, QualVu gives P&G “more access to more consumers, in more parts of the world, more completely.” Plus, QualVu has strong back end features for data mining, clipping and reporting.

Today, there are 750 million Smartphones and 1.8 billion global Internet users projected to be 5 billion globally in 2020, with 3 in 4 Americans online.
So it is evolution, or devolution? ;)


There has been a shift from researcher driven, out of context interactions and limited engagements, to now it’s all about them: it’s consumer-driven, event-driven, in relevant settings, and with extended engagements.

P&G success stories using QualVu:



• Bounty: event-driven, moments in life with Flip cameras on napkin usage upfront and then sent product to try for a paired-comparison feedback
• Venus: got into previously inaccessible settings (shower) and time periods (very early morning) to open and use prototype razors in the bathroom, along with any products used before/during/after shaving experience, broke down candidness barrier
• P&G Professional floor cleaning: webcams given to supervisors and Flip cams to workers cleaning the floor for actual B2B use, such as cleaning airport floors at 2am

Looking into the future:
• New levels of consumer-driven access: geolocation, QR codes, and break boundaries of “the project”
• Rated panels
• Data sharing (Flash transfer) and mining (searchable)

#TDMR Live: These are a few of our favorite tweets

Day two of TDMR included a lot of talk about Social Media...and a lot of talk on social media. We decided to take a look at some of the most retweeted and thought provoking tweets from the #TDMR twitter stream for an insight into some of the hottest topics of the event.

Top Tweets:

@katseyemedia: #Lenny Murphy asked: What constitutes a market researcher? It's no longer an analyst, maybe it's an insight-ist. #TDMR #mobilemr

@TMRE: "If you're somewhat accurate, but can get it to me fast, that's better then being 100% accurate but getting the information too late" #TDMR

@rstrohmenger Executives are concerned about substance; #mrx is concerned about form. Must change!

@lennyism: Exec want substance, #MRX wants form. That is the fundamental disconnect. Frank Della Rosa

@lennyism: Difference between a logo and a tribal marker; brand evangelists embrace logos as a way to identify themselves. Nice insight from #TDMR #mrx

@kirbythornton: Distributed Cognition aka Wisdom of the Crowd. The response from a respondent differs when collected individually or as part of group #tdmr

@SpychResearch: Ppl don't want to interact w/data. Ppl want to interact w/ppl. Tech is getting better @ empowering it #MRX has to earn seat in convo #TDMR

@scanlon_pittPG Passionate plea on visualizing data. "I care about the insights... Not the data". Conf attendee speaks #TDMR #mrx

@ehdecker: Ppl don't want to interact w/data. Ppl want to interact w/ppl. Well, we've only interacted with data for ~100yrs (out of 2million). #TDMR

@rstrohmenger: Negation does not occur in the brain; #marketing needs to present info in the positive to resonate quickly & easily #MRX #tdmr

@BettyAdamou: 10-7-140 from @andrewjeavons . 10 questions, 7 options, 140 characters #TDMR @surveyanalytics

@ShailiBhatt: Social gaming is huge...Zynga would be the fourth largest country in the world, if it was a country! #TDMR. #mrx

@VirtualMR Warren Sukernek of Alterian cited success of Comcast in using social media for customer service, achieved savings of over $1 mil #tdmr #crm

@brandchannelhub The term "google" was used in the 1960's on The Jetsons cartoon! And we thought Google actually made it up! #TDMR

@kristins09 Charlie Radar (P&G) says "Instant is the new soon!" with mobile and web key research tools for global understanding #tdmr #mrx

What trending topics on twitter did you notice? Did we miss anything?

#TDMR Live: Mobile and Geo-Location Research

Live Coverage by Kristin Schwitzer, cross-posted from the New Qualitative Research blog.

Real-time coverage of the following session from IIR’s 2011 Technology Driven Market Research Event in Chicago: “Geo-location Research through Mobile Device”

Jim Schwab, SVP North America of OnePoint Surveys, a UK-based mobile provider that can handle any handset, any country and any language.

What is LBR (Location-Based Research)? It’s two-way real-time communication between a researcher and a participant, enabled by mobile handsets that engage people when they’re going about their daily business. In the moment, in location. Short: 1-3 minutes max. Participant selects communication vehicle to maximize response rates (18-30%, with 1-2% drop-off per question). Thank-you rewards delivered right to the phone immediately upon completion.

When to use LBR? Consider mobile market research when you can’t use other methods:

• want to be in-the-moment / on location
• when need fast turnaround
• need to reach hard to reach respondents

See www.onepointsurveys.com for related white papers.

Challenges? Very fragmented market: SMS (can reach all 5 million phones), MMS (picture, video), email (upload picture or video into survey), etc. 82 different mobile operators in India alone. Cannot send a text into Brazil for free, but can in Mexico. Varying screen sizes and handsets, etc.

Channel options? SMS (maximum reach), WAP (a more visual experience with a few more questions), Mobile Web (Smartphones), Apps (includes GPS location and barcode / QR code technologies), Integrate to Apps (integrated in a brand’s existing app), and Choice of channel (WAP, Mobile Web or SMS).

Four mobile market research case studies:

1. Retail voice of the customer (their hottest application in US right now)… shoppers text # with feedback to a keyword assigned per store… in future, trying to link to retailer’s loyalty program to increase joining and use as a recruiting tool for other MR studies.
2. Brainjuicer and MGM’s movie prelaunch ad awareness and media mix, used 5 cities (n=150 each) to text in key word upon exposure to any related media, without needing to download an app. Delivered comparable results in real time (participants texted feedback which downloaded a survey to their phone).
3. App-based mystery shopping to test retail openings, staff courtesy & efficiently, displays and signage via a branded App. Benefits: (GPS validated location and process), secure account, each day selected shops based on participant’s location, and no picture/text link mess-ups.
4. App-based UK location-based test with 200 shoppers. Whenever they would walk within GPS coordinates of any supermarket store in the country (all pre-loaded), they were pushed a survey that linked to that specific store, then in Phase II participated in more in-depth work via online surveys and chats.

#TDMR Live: Day One in Video

Ben Smithee of Spych Research was at the Technology Driven Market Research event collecting on-site reactions. Check out the video from day one below.



For more live coverage, follow Smithee at @Spychresearch

Trivia Tuesday: Win a Copy of ROI of Social Media

Interested in Marketing Measurement Analytics? The 2011 Measure Up conference is structured around integrating many fractured pieces of measurement analytics into one effective marketing strategy. Download the brochure to learn more.

If you're looking for an additional resource on this topic, consider the newly released book ROI of Social Media By Guy R. Powell, Steven W. Groves and Jerry Dimos. We have a free copy of the book to give away to a reader who correctly answers the following trivia question and comments with the answer below or tweets it to us @MeasureUpIIR. A winner will be chosen randomly from all correct answers.


What are the three takeaways Lise Brende, Director of Marketing Analytics, Bing & MSN will be discussing in her Keynote presentation on 360 Marketing Accountability?

*Hint – this can only be found in the downloadable brochure!
Comment below with your answer and an email address we can reach you at if you win.

#TDMR Live: Day One in Charts

Following along with the #TDMR twitter feed has been fascinating during the conference. We've had a lot of great insights from both our attendees and speakers. In the spirit of using technology for market research I decided to pull some charts about our twitter feed using the Archivist tool.

First looking at our most active twitterers.You can see that we have a large group of twitter users following along and sharing. There are a few who dominate (Including our own @TMRE account), but overall many different voices to pull insight from.

Next I looked at the top words being used.
Obviously the Tweet-up on Sunday night caused a lot of excitement. You can also see that the #MRX and #NGMR hashtags are being widely used.

The tool also allows us to look at the amount of tweets vs. retweets (and it seems this crowd is made up of content producers as opposed to curators) the more shared links and the volume over time. To see the larger images, click here.

What were some of the most interesting tweets you saw on day one? Did anything catch your eye in particular?

#TDMR Live: Online ‘Feeling-based' Dial Testing with Vision Critical and ESPN

Live Coverage by Kristin Schwitzer, cross-posted from the New Qualitative Research blog.

Real-time coverage of the following session from IIR’s 2011 Technology Driven Market Research Event in Chicago: “Online ‘Feeling-based’ Dial Testing – A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding the Emotional Drivers of Content Appeal”

Vision Critical and ESPN spent the past two years “innovating together” to develop new research solutions. Matt Kleinschmit, Senior VP of Vision Critical, and Julie Propper, Senior Director Advertising Analytics of ESPN, spoke on their relatively new online approach to testing cr
eative.

What is Reaction Plus? a new way of doing traditional dial testing, a scalable system for testing audio visual content online with national sampling in the context of a regular online survey, measuring emotional reactions real-time with overall assessment. It’s a next generation content testing tool providing second by second testing with real-time reporting, and full quant results available a few days later. It’s good for program testing, on-air talent testing, promo spots, ad testing, pilot testing, web media content testing, and radio.

How does it work? four steps: training video, content evaluation, follow-up Qs, and instant reporting.

How did ESPN use it? to take a closer look at creative and determine which elements have the greatest impact on ESPN’s audience. For football season, they looked at 43 ads from 14 advertisers and tested 25 reactions (e.g., amused, annoyed, informed). Their work included looking at various creative themes, media weight, and commercial duration.

What did they learn?
• the importance of knowing your audience – men and women have different reactions (e.g., men are more frequently amused by the tested creative than women);
• simultaneous emotions exist – the same element triggered both Amused and Annoyed reactions;
• not all TV creative are created equal – branded messages are more likely to have higher unaided recall, aided recall and overall appeal, while co-branded messages tend to have higher fit with the sport;
• (not surprisingly) emotions that drive appeal and recall: Happy, Amused and Entertaining; Annoyed can drive recall, even though not appealing;
• make the most of a :15 second commercial, as these shorter spots can generate reaction in half the time of :30 spots.

Going forward, ESPN will use Reaction Plus to test multiplatform efforts, wear out, optimal commercial pod length, contextual relevance, pod positioning, and live game/highlights vs. programming.

#TDMR Live: Eye Tracking Session with Olga Patel from NESTLE

Live Coverage by Kristin Schwitzer, cross-posted from the New Qualitative Research blog.

Real-time coverage of the following session from IIR’s 2011 Technology Driven Market Research Event in Chicago: “Eye Tracking in a Virtual Retail Environment: Understanding Shopper Behavior Panel.”

Olga started by saying she didn’t want to follow a neuromarketing presenter, which is exactly what happened! Eye tracking is measuring the motion of the eye or intensity of the gaze, and is gaining popularity in MR as it helps to overcome respondent inaccuracy when they: stretch or rationalize the truth, cannot articulate properly, or choose the most beautiful product. It strives to get at subconscious levels of understanding.

Eye tracking can help with packaging, aisle set up, advertising, etc. Three methodologies are used:

1) Reflected video-based (camera is embedded under monitor and tracks gaze as stimuli is shown, nothing is worn by participants, shows the eye’s path as well as how long gazed where) – tip from print ad example: have model look at product in ad;

2) Mobile eye tracking (respondents outfitted with glasses and then go into a live store environment, transmits at 60 times per second to see what they see, good for testing existing categories – not new products)

3) Virtual reality (for new products, a simulated environment tested either inside goggles worn by participant OR shown on a large flat screen and controlled via a participant-held joystick, much like being inside a video game)

Here’s an example of an eye tracking heat map applied to testing print ads, with the model in the top ad looking at the reader and the model in the bottom ad looking at the advertised product (notice the additional red zone on the product in the bottom ad):

#TDMR Live: Morning Sessions, Day One

The first morning of #TDMR was introduced by conference chair Lenny Murphy with a "state of the industry" panel. First Murphy introduced the GRIT (GreenBook Research Industry Trends) results for Spring 2011, discussing an industry in transition.

According to Murphy, the industry needs to be moving from the Traditional Business Model to a Transition Model to the Future Model, which focuses on integrating and creating innovative technology and breaking down silos. He and the panel members challenged the audience to be leading technology and creating technology, move towards storytelling, and realize that human strategists are still the strongest tool available. For more about this session, read live coverage by Kristin Schwitzer here.

Up next, we jumped directly into exploring new market research technologies as Joseph Carrabis and Frank Della Rosa were "deliberately provocative" with their panel "Analytics Schmanalytics." This presentation explored Neuromarketing. One interesting take-away from Joseph Carrabis was that the human brain is only hardwired to recognize six colors, using other colors in marketing materials or online can cause cognitive confusion and distract from your message.

Next Olga Patel walked us through some of the eye-tracking technology that has been used by Nestle. Interesting technology included heat-mapping for websites, eye-tracking glasses in a real-world shopping environment and 3D goggles for users to visit a virtual retail space. This technology can be merged with Neuroscience to measure the cognitive response and emotional response of consumers - leading to information that can guide package design.

As an example of the future of eye-tracking, Patel pointed at Text 2.0 technology like so:


After the break, Vivek Bhaskaran of Survey Analytics and Kevin Keeker of Zynga presented on using social gaming as a research methodology case study. Zynga is the number one developer on Facebook, and by tying quick 1-2 question surveys into the gaming experience and drawing from Facebook's data they can provide enormous amounts of feedback quite quickly. Incidentally, it was also mentioned that Zynga is hiring for several Market Research positions.

Stay with us here or follow us on Twitter @TMRE for continued coverage of the rest of the event. What did you think of the morning sessions? Share with us in the comments.

#TDMR Live: Technology in Market Research Conference Opening Remarks with Lenny Murphy

Live Coverage of TDMR by Kristin Schwitzer, President, Beacon Research

Real-time coverage of the following session from IIR’s 2011 Technology Market Research Conference in Chicago: “Chairperson’s Opening Remarks and Welcome”

Lenny Murphy kicked off the 2-day IIR Technology Market Research Conference with opening comments about the transitioning nature of our industry.

His comments were based on findings from the recently released GreenBook Research on Industry Trends (GRIT) report, which included these key findings:

· There are major structural and systemic changes in the MR industry.

· Despite a backdrop of professional pessimism, anticipated levels of future research spending are actually favorable.

· Gaps between Suppliers and Buyers, tenure in the industry, age of respondents and geographic location exist when it comes to emerging technology adoption.

· Social media, mobile, MROCs and text analytics are the newer techniques most likely to be used in the foreseeable future.

· Utilizing the latest and most advanced technology is certainly important to both clients and suppliers, but the business relationship itself – personal service, responsiveness, and attentiveness – rises to the very top of the list of decision-making criteria.

· 50 firms are identified as being perceived by their peers as being innovative.

Next, he touched on implications for our industry:

Finally, he wrapped up by moderating a 3-member panel session: