TMRE Keynote Spotlight: Consumer Insight as a Source of Corporate Advantage

Leading up to The Market Research Event, we'll profile the keynotes, tracks and themes at the 2011 event.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at the exciting keynote sessions.  For more information on TMRE, taking place November 7-9, 2011; in Orlando, Florida, download the brochure now.  If you register using code TMRE11BLOG, you can save $400 off of the standard registration rate!  This rate is only available until August 19, 2011.

Featured Session:  Consumer Insight as a Source of Corporate Advantage

Featured Speaker: Mary Egan, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Strategy, Starbucks Coffee Company

About the session: In this engaging keynote session, Mary will discuss how Starbucks is using consumer insight to drive corporate strategy for both organic and inorganic growth. As SVP of Global Corporate Strategy, Mary is accountable for developing the strategic framework for the global business with a consumer centric lens, identifying opportunities to deliver the greatest value to the enterprise, and driving cross-functional and multi-business initiatives. In addition, Mary works to develop retail and channel strategies that directly support the future vision of Starbucks.

• • Applying research to drive Enterprise Strategy
• • Research to shape M&A
• • Research to fuel profitable growth in retail

Chicago School Board Flunks Research 101

Screener Imparts Lesson: What Not to Do

By Marc Dresner, IIR

This week’s rant may or may not be brought to you courtesy of the Chicago Board of Education. We don’t know...

Few things irritate me more than being subjected to a poorly designed survey. Sadly, I didn’t qualify, or this post would probably be much longer.

Instead, the screener will have to do, and I’m sure you’ll agree it speaks volumes about the instrument that likely followed, not to mention the irresponsible knuckleheads who created it.

Before I rip into the Chicago Board of Education as promised in the title of this post, I’m obliged to note that I’ve been unable to determine that CPS is beyond a doubt the party responsible for the survey in question, although I suspect as much.

When I actually managed to get a live human being on the phone, my queries at the city, county and even the state level were predictably met with either confusion and/or belligerence, and I was invariably sent on a snipe hunt. E.g., “What you need to do is call so-and-so in our public affairs department at this dead-end number. They’ll do a much better job of frustrating you.”

But more often than not I just left messages—lots of messages—that went unanswered.

What I can tell you is that someone purporting to represent CPS called me two weeks ago and asked me to participate in a survey, to which I agreed and was subsequently barred after TWICE submitting to a ham-handed screener.

Why, oh why, didn’t I just lie? At least that way I might’ve gotten past the screener and to the bottom of this mystery.

I knew something fishy was afoot when my caller ID could not identify the source, except to tell me that this was an Illinois call with an 800 prefix.

Curiosity got the better of me. Upon answering the phone, I was greeted with an IVR screener and a vague invitation along the lines of: “We are conducting a brief survey for Chicago Public Schools. Would you please take a moment to answer some questions? If ‘yes,’ please say ‘yes’ or press one. If ‘no,’ please say ‘no’ or press two.” (In Spanish: To proceed in Spanish, press three.)

My sense of civic responsibility prompted me to say “yes,” at which point the fun began.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand you. Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.” (At this stage, they dropped the “no” option, presumably because “no” is typically expressed by the respondent hanging up the phone.)

So I pressed one. “Thank you for participating. We will now ask you a series of questions. Are you a Cook County resident? Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.”

I said yes. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand you. Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.”

I pressed one. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand you. Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.”

I pressed one, again. “I’m sorry, but I cannot complete your request. Please hang up and try back later.”

(Of everything, that last message led me to believe that the survey was the genuine article because I’ve heard it time and again in my dealings with our local government.)

So—apologies for the acronym, as this is a family-friendly research industry blog—but WTF?!? My request? Try back later?!?You called me.

Not two minutes later, the phone rang again!

Now they had my complete attention, and you bet I picked up. This time, I made it past the Cook County resident question to the following: “Do you reside in the City of Chicago? Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.” I pressed one.

“Are you the parent of a child who currently attends public school in Chicago? Please say ‘yes’ or press one to proceed.”

I said no—even though it wasn’t an option on the menu—and was then asked if I was the grandparent of a child who currently attends public school in Chicago. Nope.

“We’re sorry, but you do not qualify for this survey. Thank you.” Click.

How rude! The only thing worse would’ve been for them to substitute a four-letter expletive that rhymes with “thank” before hanging up on me.

As a childless blogger and taxpayer, I was shocked by this unceremonious rejection. So I dialed the number on my caller ID to vent my outrage. But as you might’ve already guessed, the number I dialed did not accept inbound calls.

I spent the next 15 minutes fuming, stroking my phone like a loaded gun and praying for them to call back. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Technical difficulties aside, this was a frightening screener for several reasons, not the least of which was the sheer stupidity of its design.

Why bother asking me if I live in Cook County when what you really want to know is if I live in Chicago? You can’t live in Chicago without living in Cook County, so the first question is moot.

Moreover, why not just tell me upfront that you are conducting a survey among parents and grandparents of children who currently attend public school in Chicago? It would’ve spared me the trouble of taking the screener in the first place.

And who exactly is the “we” in “We are conducting a survey for Chicago Public Schools”? The sponsor might be implied, but never actually identified itself.

Nor did the sponsor provide a phone number or URL so that a respondent might verify that this is a legitimate source before answering questions about a relatively sensitive topic: a person’s child or grandchild.

And then there’s the matter of the mysterious caller ID. If you’re calling on behalf of CPS, this should be clear on the caller ID so that I know immediately who the source is, and so that I don’t ignore the call because I don’t recognize the source, which may not only have a deleterious effect on the response rate, but also probably introduces a response bias: What sort of person in this day and age answers a phone call at home from an unfamiliar and borderline suspicious source? (Yes, I am aware that I now fall into this category.)

Maybe I’m too sensitive, but as someone long affiliated with the research industry who cares about its viability, respondent abuse agitates me. They don’t grow on trees.

The technical glitches, the bumbling, amateurish design, the inadvertent or perhaps even deliberate concealment of the sponsor, and the abrupt kiss-off at the end not only aggravated me; it all worried me.

The telephone is still a staple modality for academic and government survey research. This screener in my opinion is a weapon of mass destruction. It erodes people’s trust in survey research, which for telephone is already abysmal thanks to telemarketers, suggers and push pollsters.

But what really chafes me is that I’m confident that this folly was in all likelihood sponsored by my local government—which means my tax dollars paid for it—on behalf of our public schools.

Anyone who has lived here and has dealt with the city would probably agree that this screener screams Chicago. Cumbersome, confounding and with a callous disregard for people’s time and feelings, it’s got all of the hallmarks that endear us Chicagoans to our bureaucrats and politicians.

It’s just so irresponsible. And can you image how flawed and potentially misleading the results will be? I shudder to think what they’ll do with them.

The next time you hear some high-fallutin' ivory tower type bash commercial research, please let me know. I’ll gladly pay for a one-way bus ticket to the windy city, where the weather isn’t the only thing that blows.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marc Dresner is an IIR USA communication lead with a background in trade journalism and marketing. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the marketing research and consumer insights industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

Market Research Leadership - Where's the beef?

About the author: Christian Dössel is blogging about market research in German language here and here. After having worked for TNS, TBWA\ and other strategy and market research agencies he now holds the position of Senior Research Director at MM-Eye in Hamburg / Germany with special responsibilities for MM-Eye's new media and online research approaches.

Recent research shows that market research is increasingly affected by a positioning problem.

For example the current Green Book Research Industry Trends Report mentions the fact that the proportion of those who describe the importance of market research as declining, has increased within six months by 20 percentage points.

Only every second expert assigns a rising or at least constant importance to market research. All in all it seems that perception of the relevance of market research suffers.

The reasons for this development are manifold. In addition to external factors such as the financial and economic crisis there are also some internal factors to be identified.

In general declining relevance is a consequence of lacking clear added values. That's valid for brands as well as for companies, and this is also true for market research. On the one hand this can be explained by the constantly increasing number of competitors for market research. Boundaries towards other players such as consultancies, advertising or strategy agencies become fluid. On the other hand, fueled by the increasing importance of the internet, technological service providers play an increasingly important role.

One of the most striking examples for this is the rise of online research communities. Different to for example a representative CATI-survey an online community project is not naturally located in the area of market research competence. It often happens that the marketing itself, supported by IT and technology department / supplier, puts on such projects. Consequently classical market research role models and thought patterns are questioned.

Requirements concerning market research therefore are constantly changing. It becomes increasingly difficult for the industry to keep up with the pace of developments and to find the right positioning.

Someone who has accepted this challenge is IIR USA, the organizers of this year's "The Market Research Event 2011" in November in Orlando. This conference has it all, a first glance at the program (which you get only when you specify name and e-mail address) is sufficient piece of evidence for that.

From my point of view the combination of diverse and interesting topics makes the TMRE 2011 very attractive. Nine different tracks - from "Market Research & Leadership Insights" and "New Tools & Breakthrough Methodology" to "ROI & Measurement" show the full spectrum of recent challenges and how one can deal with these new approaches, innovations and ideas.

While promising "connecting to the best insights from around the world" the TMRE helps in positioning market research and to re-strength, win back or even expand relevance.

And this is something where we all can benefit and gain a lot.

Online access panels, natural communities and online research communities – what, when and why?!?

About the author: Christian Dössel is blogging about market research in German language here and here. After having worked for TNS, TBWA\ and other strategy and market research agencies he now holds the position of Senior Research Director at MM-Eye in Hamburg / Germany with special responsibilities for MM-Eye's new media and online research approaches.

Online, Social Media Monitoring, Research Communities … It has been a long time ago since market research was affected by that huge amount and speed of change. Not only in order to marketing their own services, but also to face the challenges new words, phrases, tools, brands and so on have been established.

No wonder that confusion sometimes is still quite large.

One approach that became a popular representative of new methods in a short time is the approach of online research communities, also known as Market Research Online Communities (MROCs).

There are different definitions of Online Research Communities, but they all have a common base: "An Online Research Community is a platform that is used exclusively to generate a deep understanding of needs, attitudes and the reality of life of specific target groups."

So we don't talk about access panels with a focus on quantitative research and we don't talk about natural communities full of customers' conversation, like brand communities, Facebook pages or topic related community sites.

But of course these sources can help us finding and recruiting the right participants for an appropriate Online Research Community.

But we have to make sure to keep advantages and disadvantages in mind:
For example people from Online Access Panels are used to the internet, but they are probably not used to community tools and have a lack of willingness to participate over a longer period of time.

On the other hand people from a natural community like a branded site or a Facebook page have rich experience with a specific topic as well as with the community tools but maybe they don't want to participate in market research. And sometimes, especially if you are not the owner of the natural community, it might be difficult to talk to the community members.

We will learn more about research communities at The Market Research Event 2011 in November. If you look at the program you will see that IIR USA has planned a whole track for this topic. It will be interesting to follow the "Social Media & Communities" track on Monday.

TMRE Keynote Spotlight: The Art of Choosing

Leading up to The Market Research Event, we'll profile the keynotes, tracks and themes at the 2011 event.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at the exciting keynote sessions.  For more information on TMRE, taking place November 7-9, 2011; in Orlando, Florida, download the brochure now.  If you register using code TMRE11BLOG, you can save $400 off of the standard registration rate!  This rate is only available until August 19, 2011.

Featured Session: The Art of Choosing


Featured Speaker: Sheena Iyengar, Author, The Art of Choosing


About the presentation: A world renowned expert on the subject of choice, she says that choice can provide a sense of freedom and control that is essential to our well-being. It is the most powerful tool we have to shape our lives, to go from who we are today to who we want to be tomorrow. Unfortunately, the misunderstanding and poor practice of choice often undermines its many benefits and leaves us frustrated, overwhelmed and unhappy.

In her critically acclaimed book The Art of Choosing, called “refreshingly thought-provoking” by The New York Times and “a page-turning narrative that blends academic rigor with a pop culture sensibility” by The Boston Globe, Sheena shines a bright light on the many different facets of choice, exposing it in all its mystery, complexity and compelling beauty. The Art of Choosing is “provocative rather than prescriptive” (The Wall Street Journal), raising questions that many of us have never asked ourselves but should. Sheena’s inter-disciplinary research on how and why we choose, and what we need to do to choose better, has surprising and profound implications for our personal and professional lives. Her insights are invaluable to executives looking to improve strategy, leadership and customer relations.

Game Changer

Today, our guest post comes from Peter Gold, the CEO of Veraquest. His broad range of research experience lends itself particularly well to the world of omnibus research where clients tend to have an extremely diverse set of needs. Peter’s background as a practice leader has enabled him to develop a business model that is rich in client-centric benefits while simultaneously being very cost-effective. Peter earned a BSBA from the University of Florida and holds an MBA from Boston College.  His company, VeraQuest is a Sponsor at this year's The Market Research Event.

Game Changer

Stating the obvious, social media has transformed the way we interact with our world. No longer can media take days or weeks to reflect and report on a certain event or person. No way would that be permissible. In the new millenium, we expect our news immediately, concisely and visually. In the United States, about 6 in 10 online adults are searching the Internet every single day for news and information (and another 15% are checking the Internet weekly). That means 60% of all online adults can’t wait even a day to consume the information they feel they need.

For personal (non-work use), social media has become nearly transcendent in the lives of online adults.

• ►Almost 2 in 3 online adults access social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace weekly or more often; and 46% access these sites every day. This is nearing the rate at which people use email… According to our data, 78% of online adults are emailing their friends and family on an at least a weekly basis; and 49% are doing so every day.
• ►Approximately 1 in 3 online adults access blogs on a weekly basis (and about 1 in 5 daily). This beats the 11% of online adults who shop online every day.
• ►About 1 in 5 online adults use Twitter at least once per week (and about 1 in 10 use Twitter daily).

At work, social media isn’t nearly as transformative, but still its presence cannot be dismissed. We have found recently that for work purposes on a weekly basis, about 1 in 4 online adults use social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook; 15% access blogs; and 13% use Twitter.

Our expectation is that these figures will only continue to grow. And, we will keep you apprised as we track these data to see if our hypothesis is correct and whether Americans’ use of social media continues to evolve.

Next week, we will discuss whether the introduction and use of social media has had a positive or negative impact on our world. But before you get a look at that data, what’s your perspective?

Who Is Registered to Attend The Market Research Event 2011?

See Which of Your Fellow Market Researchers Have Already Registered!

Hundreds of your colleagues have already signed up to attend the "World's Top MR Event". TMRE 2011 takes place this November 7-9, 2011, in Orlando, Florida.  Who is attending?  Senior research, insights and marketing executives from:

20  20 Technology, 3M, 3Play Media, AARP Member Services, Accusoft Pegasus, Acosta Sales & Marketing, Adobe Systems, Affinnova, AIP Corporation, Altria Client Services, AMD, American Cancer Society, Inc, Amway, Analytic Partners, Annik Technology Services, Answers & Insights Market Research, Aon Hewitt, Applica Consumer Products Inc, ARPO Research Consultants, AT&T Mobility, Authentic Response, Barilla America Inc, Bavarian Inn Lodge, BBDO, Bellomy Research, Benenson Strategy Group, BET, Birdsong Gregory, Blizzard, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blueocean Market Intelligence, Borderless Access, BP, BrainJuicer, Burke Inc, Bush Brothers & Company, BuzzBack Market Research, C + R Research, C&C Market Research, Cablevision Systems, Cambiar, Canadian Tire Corporation, Career education corporation, Cargill, Carhartt Inc, CBS Interactive, Center for Strategy Research, Chadwick Martin Bailey, Cint USA Inc, Citizens Bank, Civicom Inc, Clarabridge, CMI, Coleman, Comedy Central, Communispace, Confirmit, Constant Contact, Consumer Insights Group LLC, Corporate Research Intl, Cranbrook Search Consultants, CRG Global Inc, Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, CVS Caremark, D L Ryan Companies Inc, Daniel Swarovski Corp. AG, Dean Foods, Decipher Inc, Decision Analyst Inc, Del Monte, Dell, Delta Hotels & Resorts, Directions Research Inc, Disney Canada, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Dominos Pizza, Dunkin Brands Incorporated, E Tabs, eCGlobalPanel, Egg Strategy, Emotion Mining Company Inc, EmPower Research, EmSense Corporation, Experian, Fieldwork, Focus Coast to Coast, Focus Forward LLC, FocusVision Worldwide, Foiled Cupcakes, Ford Motor Company, Foremost Insurance, Forrester Research, Frankenmuth River Place Shops, Frito-Lay, Gazelle Global Research Services, Genentech, GGeorgia Pacific, GFK Custom Research North America, Global Market Research Group, Globalpark Inc, GMI Global Market Insite Inc, Gongos Research, Google, Greenfield Online, GutCheck, Habits and Habitats, Hallmark Cards Inc, Hamilton Beach Brands, Harris Interactive, Heineken Mexico, Hershey Company, Hewlett Packard, Hylands, Ideas to Go, IFC & Sundance Channels, Illume, Illumination Research, iModerate, In4mation Insights, Infosurv Inc, infosurv, inc, InfoTools, Insight Evolution LLC, Insight Marketing Systems, Insight Research Group, InsightExpress, Insights In Marketing, InsightsNow Inc, Intel, Intuit, InVivo BVA USA, Ipsos, ISA Corporation-Interviewing Service of America, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, Kalsec, Kalsec Inc, Kao Brands Company, Kellogg Canada, Kellogg Company, Kimberly Clark, KL Communications Inc, Kohler Co, Koslow Marketing Insight, L & E Research, Laureate Education Inc, Liberty Mutual, Lightspeed Online Research, Lightspeed Research, Limra International, Lufthansa Technik AG,  Luth Research LLC, MARC Research, Maritz Research, Market Decisions Corporation, Marketing In Focus, Marketing Systems Group, MarketSight LLC, MarketTools Inc, MarketVision Research, Marriott International Inc, Mars Food Europe, Mars Petcare US, McCormick & Company Inc, McGraw Hill Education, Mckee Food Corporation, Meijer, Microsoft, Microsoft Support Services, Millward Brown, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Inc, Mindwave Research Inc, Mktg Inc, Morgan Search, MRSI, MSW Research Inc, Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, Neiman Marcus, Nestle Purina, Nestle USA, Netquest, Neurofocus, NFL, Nokia, Nordstrom Inc, Olson Research Group Inc, Omnicell, Opinion Access Corporation, Opinionology, Paradigm Sample, Pepsi Co India, Performance Research, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Procter & Gamble Company, Psyma International Inc, Publix Super Markets Inc, Pureprofile, Quest, Quick Test Heakin, Radius Global Market Research, Recyclebank, Research Now, Rodale, Rosetta Stone, Ruth McNeil & Associates, Sachs Insights, Sam's Club, SAW Insight, Schlesinger Associates, Scotia Bank, Scripps Networks, Sears Holdings, Seek Research, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, Shelter Insurance Group, Shire, SIS International Research, SJR Group, SKIM Analytical, SmartRevenue, Smith Arnold Partners, Smith-Dahmer Associates, Southern California Gas Co, Spike, St John & Partners, StandPoint, Staples Inc, Starbucks Coffee Company, Sterling Brands, StrategyOne, Survey Sampling International, SurveyGizmo, SurveyWriter Inc, Swarovski, Swift Prepaid Solutions Inc, Swiss Life AG, Symrise, Synergy Business Consultancy, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, TELUS Communications, Texas Instruments, The Clorox Company, The Dial Corporation, The Family Room/Just Kid Inc, The Modellers, The Olinger Group, The Pert Group, The Walt Disney Company, Thoroughbred Opinion Research, Thoroughbred Research Group, Time Warner Cable, Tivo, TNS, Toyota Financial Services, Tragon Corporation, Umongous LLC, United Sample Incorporated, Universal Studios, Universidad Catolica San Pablo, University Of Texas Arlington, uSamp, USPS, VeraQuest Research, Visa, Vision Critical, Visteon Corporation, Vodafone, W5, Wolverine World Wide, Yahoo!, Yum! Restaurants International

For more information on this year's event, download the brochure here.  As a reader of the TMRE Blog, you'll save $400 when you register using code TMRE10BLOG.

A New Market for Country Fans

Surveys conducted by MRI and independent research by the CMA may have changed the game for the Country Music Industry. Breaking down everything from a country music fans income, education, social media experience, and the car that they choose to drive; researchers have found a way to connect to fans of all ages. “A further breakdown shows that 48 percent of those who like country music are male and 52 percent are female. The age brackets are interesting, as 13 percent are in the 18-24 age range; 17 percent, 25-34; 18 percent, 35-44; 20 percent, 45-54; and 16 percent each in the 44-64 and 65-plus. Twenty-six percent are singles who have never married.” These statistics help the industry see who their audience is, and more importantly who they’re selling their products to.

“One in two people with an income of $100,000-plus are country fans and one in three people who have professional or managerial jobs are country fans. One in four of the people who live in the top five DMA's are country fans. Again, Fuson pointed out that this opens a lot of doors because there is a whole new market where country fans live.” These new demographics will help to expand sales in areas that were not necessarily considered before, not because they weren’t accessible, but because they weren’t aware there was a market for their products.

One of the greatest things about Social Media is that you can track your productivity instantly, and today social media and music festivals go hand in hand. The Country Music Industry will also benefit from this because it’s an easy way for them to connect directly with their fans. “Perhaps the most surprising thing about the research, based on CMA surveys of some 25,000 people, is that country fans are slightly more likely than the general population to be active Facebook users.”

The data from the survey will also help save time and allow the industry to tailor their campaigns to their consumers interests. Even just knowing the simple fact of what kind of car a fan drives could lead to partnerships with that specific car company. The information they received is invaluable, and is sure to expand their market for years to come.

TMRE Keynote Spotlight: An Anthropological Presentation of the Use of Mobile Tech & Digital Media in Everyday Life

Leading up to The Market Research Event, we'll profile the keynotes, tracks and themes at the 2011 event.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at the exciting keynote sessions.  For more information on TMRE, taking place November 7-9, 2011; in Orlando, Florida, download the brochure now.  If you register using code TMRE11BLOG, you can save $600 off of the standard registration rate!  This rate is only available through today, July 15, 2011.

Featured Session:  An Anthropological Presentation of the Use of Mobile Tech  Digital Media in Everyday Life

Featured Keynote Speaker: Mimi Ito, Professor in Residence, Department of Anthropology and Department
of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine

About the session: Mimi Ito is an international expert on how people use mobile technologies and new digital media in their everyday lives. A cultural anthropologist of technology use, she also is a leading authority on how social network technologies are shaping society. Dr. Ito has been named the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning. Created in 2009 from an endowment fund originally established by the MacArthur Foundation at the University of California, Berkeley, the digital media and learning initiative aims to determine how digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.

Be Happy, Use Social Media

Today, our guest post comes from Peter Gold, the CEO of Veraquest. His broad range of research experience lends itself particularly well to the world of omnibus research where clients tend to have an extremely diverse set of needs. Peter’s background as a practice leader has enabled him to develop a business model that is rich in client-centric benefits while simultaneously being very cost-effective. Peter earned a BSBA from the University of Florida and holds an MBA from Boston College.  His company, VeraQuest is a Sponsor at this year's The Market Research Event.

Be Happy, Use Social Media

Last week, we spoke about the use of social media and how it has pervaded the lives of online adults in the United States. But today we would like to reflect on whether the now-unavoidable presence of social media has had a positive or negative impact on our world.

In general, Americans tend to lean (and this lean is only ever-so-slight) to the positive when thinking about the impact of social media.

• ►46% of online adults (only a plurality) believe that the impact of social media has been generally positive. But, the vast majority of this group is in the “somewhat” positive camp.
• ►Approximately 1 in 5 online adults feel there has been no real impact by the introduction of social media to our world, which frankly I find hard to believe.
• ►About 1 in 3 feel the impact has been negative.

When thinking about social media, its greatest impact seems to lie in changing our collective intellect… in improving our ability to absorb and reflect on information, causing us to become better thinkers, communicators, and citizens. But this change may have come at a price as emotionally and physically we seem to have lost a step, feeling more anxious and stressed and less physically active, due to our use of social
media.

Specifically according to our data, most online adults feel that social media has caused us to become more:

• ►Connected to one another (81%)
• ►Informed about the world around us (77%)
• ►Willing to try new things (75%)
• ►Willing to take risks (67%)
• ►Creative (66%)
• ►Adaptable to new situations (63%)
• ►Self-confident (62%)
• ►Effective communicators (61%)
• ►Professionally successful (61%)
• ►Effective critical thinkers (52%)
• ►Thoughtful to the needs of others unlike us (52%)
• ►However at the same time, many online adults agree that social media has caused us to become:
• ►More isolated (49%)
• ►More anxious or stressed (62%)
• ►Less physically active (75%) and healthy (57%)

All that said, here is my favorite slice of the data: almost 2 in 3 online adults (64%) say that social media has made us happier – and what’s better than that?

And therein lies the riddle of social media. It has caused us to become more connected, yet more isolated; more cerebral, yet less physically fit; and happier yet more anxious.

Tell us – how often do you use social media? And how do you feel it has changed you personally and the way you interact with the world?

Last chance to save $600 on the world’s biggest and best Market Research Event

Join Anne Mulcahy, Former CEO of the Xerox Corporation at The Market Research Event for her much anticipated Keynote Presentation: Leading a Transformation: The Role of Leadership & Insights.

One of the most admired leaders of her generation, Anne Mulcahy has been widely credited with transforming Xerox Corporation, where she served as CEO for nearly a decade.

On a practical, day-in, day-out level, what can leaders do to navigate sweeping change in their organizations? What are some of the blind spots that can be avoided, and how? It is often said that communication is critical, but there is seemingly little advice about what you should say - especially at those pivotal, difficult moments.

During her Keynote Presentation, Anne Mulcahy will offer insights on the lessons learned over the decade she led the remarkable transformation at Xerox and the critical role of listening to your customer.

The Market Research Event is the world's most comprehensive market research event - bring you more speakers, more topics, more global perspectives and more client-side representation than any other MR conference. For more on this year’s Program and Presenters, download the brochure.

This week is your last chance to register by July 15 to Save $600 off the standard & onsite rate to join us for the biggest and best event yet. Mention priority code TMRE11BLOG. If you have any questions about TMRE 2011, feel free to contact Jennifer Pereira at jpereira@iirusa.com.

Do you follow @TMRE on Twitter? We’re close to the 1000th follower mark, and that person receives a $50 AmEx gift card! Follow us today for your chance to win!

TMRE Keynote Spotlight: Leading a Transformation: The Role of Leadership & Insights

Leading up to The Market Research Event, we'll profile the keynotes, tracks and themes at the 2011 event.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at the exciting keynote sessions.  For more information on TMRE, taking place November 7-9, 2011; in Orlando, Florida, download the brochure now.  If you register using code TMRE11BLOG, you can save $600 off of the standard registration rate!  This rate is only available until July 15, 2011.

Featured Session: Leading a Transformation: The Role of Leadership & Insights

Featured Keynote: Anne Mulcahy, Former CEO, Xerox Corporation

About the presentation:
One of the most admired leaders of her generation, Anne Mulcahy has been widely credited with transforming Xerox Corporation, where she served as CEO for nearly a decade. On a practical, day-in, day-out level, what can leaders do to navigate sweeping change in their organizations? What are some of the blind spots that can be avoided, and how? It is often said that communication is critical, but there is seemingly little advice about what you should say—especially at those pivotal, difficult moments. Anne Mulcahy offers insights on the lessons she learned over the decade she led the remarkable transformation at Xerox and the critical role of listening to your customer.

Research. It’s What’s For Breakfast.

An Oat By Any Other Name…

By Marc Dresner, IIR USA

Last week, as I perused the packaging on a box of Post’s Honey Bunches of Oats while tucking into a bowl, I came across an interesting bit of marketing copy highlighting the research that had gone into naming the product.

Yes, I read cereal boxes. The sides and back panel are always of particular interest, especially the latter. While the back of the box isn’t a dead zone, it’s certainly not prime real estate—it doesn't greet us on the store shelf or call out like a book's spine in our cupboard library—so I’m always intrigued by what the manufacturer does with it.

In this case, Post opted to tell an origin story: “How did they come up with this amazing cereal?”

Well, it turns out that one of Post’s plant managers and his daughter came up with the concept, tested variations in their own kitchen, picked a winner and presumably passed it along to the folks at corporate, who presumably liked it enough to give it a green light.

Now here’s where the tale got interesting: The marketers behind this particular box—the one I was reading—saw fit to mention that research showed consumers liked the product, but they didn’t like the original name.

So, as the story went, the project team turned to a brand manager, who came up with the current name, along with a suggestion for adding honey to the recipe, both of which tested well and led to a successful launch in 1989—a year in which, according to the box, Honey Bunches of Oats “garnered an impressive share of the total cereal market.”

Consequently, people like me have been starting their day with a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats ever since. I would call that a happy ending and I’m sure Post would agree.

So where the heck am I going with this? Let’s start with the obvious: An advertiser is directly referencing consumer research results in its marketing collateral.

And you’re probably thinking, “So what? Nothing terribly new here.”

You’re right. We frequently see research used as an advertising gimmick in lots of categories in lots of ways. (Even if nine of 10 dentists surveyed recommend it, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this practice, but that’s a topic for another day.)

Post’s inclusion of research in its messaging in this instance stood out to me for several reasons.

First, talking to the consumer about “brand managers” and “market share” seemed a bit unorthodox for the origin story milieu, which typically features folksy yarns about everyday people creating extraordinary products, and/or appeals to our sense of nostalgia, family, tradition, history, etc.

Consistent with this formula, the Honey Bunches of Oats story began in a consumer’s kitchen (albeit that of a Post employee, but a consumer nonetheless) with his daughter. Check and check. But then it took a rather unexpected turn and tunneled inside the corporation. Not exactly the kind of brand imagery one associates with breakfast products.

Second, with its relatively uninhibited use of marketing speak and its focus on the internal development process, it reminded me of a case study one might hear presented at a marketing or research conference. You know the type: “The research told us X, so we took the following actions…”

Granted they didn’t get too jargony or provide the crash course in multivariate modeling I had hoped for, but how many consumers actually know what a brand manager is/does or understand the implications of their breakfast cereal’s runaway category market share? Quite possibly more than we expect.

To wit: My mother, who has no background in marketing, recently informed me that Facebook is really geared more to her “demographic” than mine.

Smarts withstanding on a debatable point, when did the term “demographic” become colloquial? Is this the vernacular of mahjong parties today? Do they sip iced tea and share segmentations in lieu of gossip peppered with (in my mom’s case) Yiddish?

Not likely…But they definitely get marketing and the research that precedes it. They understand our language; they know what we’re up to.

(By the way, this may be my last blog post ever, as my mother will probably read it and kill me.)

So I ask you: Was this peculiar twist on the traditional approach to origin stories—with its specificity, its window into corporate R&D and its research and marketing bent—a blunder or a sign of the times?

Lastly, what did you think of the approach to research depicted in this story? (Keep in mind the project took place in the late 80s.)

It seemed fairly unilateral to me. Consumers didn’t like the name, so the brand manager proposed a new one—and happily it stuck. As noted, the brand manager was also credited with adding honey to the product, which also stuck (pardon the pun). What about the consumer?

It could be inferred that while consumers’ opinions were taken seriously enough in “the project” (another term used in the copy) to be asked whether or not they liked the name and whether or not they liked the product’s taste, smell, texture, etc., they were not invited to help rename the product or improve the recipe.

I’ve argued that the man behind the curtain, or mirror as the case may be, was exposed long ago. Indeed many of the techniques in the research toolbox today are collaborative in nature—online communities, co-creative methods, etc.

We tend less to treat consumers as lab rats and more as partners in the process these days.

Was Post right to tell consumers a research story that essentially credited the brand manager with the outcome?

Author’s note: Special thanks to the old Cattlemen's Beef Board campaign narrated by Robert Mitchum—“Beef. It’s what’s for dinner”—for inspiring the title of this entry, and to William Shakespeare for inspiring the cutesy subtitle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marc Dresner is an IIR USA communication lead with a background in trade journalism and marketing. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the marketing research and consumer insights industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

But My Best Friend Has One

Today, our guest post comes from Peter Gold, the CEO of Veraquest. His broad range of research experience lends itself particularly well to the world of omnibus research where clients tend to have an extremely diverse set of needs. Peter’s background as a practice leader has enabled him to develop a business model that is rich in client-centric benefits while simultaneously being very cost-effective. Peter earned a BSBA from the University of Florida and holds an MBA from Boston College.  His company, VeraQuest is a Sponsor at this year's The Market Research Event.

But My Best Friend Has One

In mid-April, we completed a study on cell phone ownership among children and teens. And, to say that we Americans are a nation divided in our opinions would be an understatement. On average, U.S. adults (who believe it is appropriate for a child to own a phone) say age 13 is the ideal starting age. But really there is no consensus on what the appropriate (or bare minimum) age is ….

• ►11% say it’s totally fine for kids at age 10 or even younger (of which 2% say younger than 7 years old).
• ►A plurality (40%) say middle school (ages 11-14) is the right time.
• ►34% say a child needs to be at least a sophomore in high school (ages 15-17).
• ►And 15% say no child should get a cell phone until he or she is fully grown-up and able to vote (i.e., ages 18+).

But even looking at the total U.S. population doesn’t tell the whole story. As with most things child-centric (e.g., ear piercing, snowboarding, planning for the prom), peer pressure, economics, and maybe even some good old fashioned whining and begging come into play. According to the data:

• ►Higher income adults are almost twice as likely (as adults with household incomes $75K or below) to say that cell phones are acceptable for kids under age 11 …. perhaps because they can afford the phone and the accompanying texting fees that their young adults are sure to drum up.
• ►Families with children under 18 in the household are nearly 3 times more likely to say cell phones are appropriate for kids 10 and younger …. perhaps because they recognize the value or the need, or they just buckle under the pressure of their pushy pre-teen.

Otherwise interestingly enough, there are no differences by region of the country or gender or education.

Do you have kids in your household? Have you or they taken a stand on getting a cell phone? What’s your age threshold? Not unlike the average, my kids were 15 and 12. My older one paved the way.

What are the advantages to conducting market research online?

InPharm recently looked at some of the advantages to conducting market research online. The Insight Research Group of Great Britain weighed in on what they thought were the benefits of adding social media market research to the repository of data collected by traditional market research methods.

 They included:

• -New data collection options in addition to traditional data collection methods
• -Data rounds out and contributes to a better view of the whole story researchers are trying to capture
• -Online market research allows for a quicker collection of results
• -The need to spend less because fewer resources (such as no need for a venue and to pay for travel) are needed
• -Relationships are built with those you're collecting data from and as a result, conversations grow overtime, creating richer data collection.
• -There are no geographical boundaries because of the online data collection.

What do you see as some of the benefits of online market research?  What else would you add to the Insight Research Group's opinions?