Research Methodologies

June 8, 2016

Online Panels: The Black Sheep of Market Research: Part 2

Panel companies have the background, knowledge, tools and technologies that can help online market research be great again.

Adriana Rocha

by Adriana Rocha

Founder & Chief Executive Officer at eCGlobal

0

A few months ago, I wrote the first part of this article, “Online Panels – The Black Sheep of Market Research?, and all the positive reaction and feedback were very inspiring and overwhelming. So, in this second part, I’d like to explore why I believe panel companies have the background, knowledge, tools and technologies that can help online market research be great again, as well as how they can “turn the table” and lead innovation in this industry.

Building and managing online panels for so many years, I’ve felt on my own skin the pains and frustrations of panel companies with bad surveys they need to fulfill. In our case for example, we have tried to be creative and tested several ways to improve UX, from developing research games, to building 3D worlds where respondents can participate with their avatars, to designing beautiful survey templates, and, more recently, applying Gamification techniques.  Regardless, the years have proven that all of those methods still need a vital part in order to improve the user experience: how well the questionnaire is written and designed.

It has been a difficult mission to make our clients write user-friendly surveys, or take UX as a priority; however we have learned a lot by listening and collecting feedback from our users.  And then we realized we could go far beyond delivering consumer data just based on surveys but increasingly from the data spontaneously shared by the users, including their experiences with products and brands, as well as their mobile and social data.  The more data our panelists share, the greater the potential to apply such data to extract consumer intelligence, as well as to improve user experiences with market research.  That is where Machine Learning, Deep Learning and AI can play a key role in understanding consumers, and also helping improve surveys. See a few examples below:

  • Based on users’ profiles, interests and behavior, panels don’t need to keep sending users repeated questions and surveys. They can use existing data and ML algorithms to respond to known questions and just ask the needed ones;
  • Using data shared by the users on their experiences with products and brands (eg: product reviews and customer service satisfaction) , panels can apply ML methods and deliver brand KPIs, product preferences, etc.
  • Panel companies have extensive profiling data about their members, from socio-demographics to thematic profiles on health, travel, technology, etc. By combining such data with users’ own social media data (eg: Facebook or Twitter), panels can provide to market researchers insights they will never get by just analyzing public social media;
  • Using historic survey data and users’ input, from both researchers and panelists, panels can create “smart surveys”, that is, surveys that improve over time, recommending the right questions to the right audiences.

Well, the application of machine learning and multi-source panel data is an example of how old and new technologies can make a big impact and create new opportunities in the Market Research industry. As commented before, I still believe in a bright future for online research and panels, at least the ones who are taking the right steps now. Am I dreaming too high?

(BTW, I’ll be at IIEX in two weeks presenting “The Next Generation of Online Research: when Machine Learning empowers Surveys”, and a platform designed to implement it. I would love to continue the conversation with those of you who will attend the conference) .

 

0

machine learningonline panelspanel providers

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.

Comments

More from Adriana Rocha

IIeX North America – the SXSW of Market Research?

CEO Series

IIeX North America – the SXSW of Market Research?

Our biggest IIeX North America yet, and there’s still so much more to come.

Adriana Rocha

Adriana Rocha

Founder & Chief Executive Officer at eCGlobal

Research Technology (ResTech)

Market Research Automation: Our Greatest Fear or Innovation?

What new accomplishments may market researchers reach if they had better-thinking machines to assist them?

Adriana Rocha

Adriana Rocha

Founder & Chief Executive Officer at eCGlobal

The Engagement Crisis: There is Light at the End of the Tunnel

Insights Industry News

The Engagement Crisis: There is Light at the End of the Tunnel

The lack of engagement from consumers/respondents in market research has generated a growing crisis in the industry.

Adriana Rocha

Adriana Rocha

Founder & Chief Executive Officer at eCGlobal

Online Panels: The Black Sheep of Market Research, Part 1.

It seems people have forgotten the value that a market research panel truly provides.

Adriana Rocha

Adriana Rocha

Founder & Chief Executive Officer at eCGlobal

ARTICLES

Moving Away from a Narcissistic Market Research Model

Research Methodologies

Moving Away from a Narcissistic Market Research Model

Why are we still measuring brand loyalty? It isn’t something that naturally comes up with consumers, who rarely think about brand first, if at all. Ma...

Devora Rogers

Devora Rogers

Chief Strategy Officer at Alter Agents

The Stepping Stones of Innovation: Navigating Failure and Empathy with Carol Fitzgerald
Natalie Pusch

Natalie Pusch

Senior Content Producer at Greenbook

Sign Up for
Updates

Get what matters, straight to your inbox.
Curated by top Insight Market experts.

67k+ subscribers

Weekly Newsletter

Greenbook Podcast

Webinars

Event Updates

I agree to receive emails with insights-related content from Greenbook. I understand that I can manage my email preferences or unsubscribe at any time and that Greenbook protects my privacy under the General Data Protection Regulation.*