Faster Survey Results With Mobile and Video Capture

We Do Have Time for Faster Survey Results

There’s a lot of waiting around in consumer research. Days go by waiting on folks to take your survey. It could take a week for focus group transcripts to arrive. You most likely have no time for that. The CEO definitely has no time for that. In sum, ain’t nobody got time for that. Luckily, the latest technology can get faster survey results (and in many cases better ones) than before.

For example, mobile survey provider PollFish can field a standard consumer survey in a matter of hours. The secret is in their unique approach to recruiting respondents: instead of purchasing a sample of paid respondents, their surveys reach mobile users while they are in the apps they already use and offer incentives based in those apps. This allows the researcher to field a survey in a matter of hours without ever having to talk to a sales rep.

It remains to be seen whether PollFish’s methodology will become an industrywide standard. As it is, the online panels and phone banks run the show. However, PollFish has shown to be accurate when others were not. During the 2016 U.S. general election, PollFish was one of the few polling outfits predicting the Republican to take the White House. According to them, they also predicted the last three U.S. special elections with less than 1% margin of error and even called the Brexit vote that few saw coming.

PollFish claims they can reach audiences that are underrepresented in phone and online surveys, which is why they saw swing states going red when others saw blue. If that is the case, their methodology could be useful for brands looking to test the waters in new markets.

Capture Intent with Video Capture

Another intriguing technology comes from video capture company LivingLens, which is making it easier and less expensive to deliver qualitative consumer analysis. Respondents download the app on their phone, then are prompted to capture video testimonials. Researchers can access speech-to-text transcripts in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional transcription.

Geolocation adds an extra dimension to capturing consumer behavior while shopping or attending an event. If the respondent enters a geofenced area, such as the pet food aisle at their local grocery store or a particular vendor’s area at a ballgame, they will be prompted to record a short video of their experience.

Real-time video capture like this lets the researcher get the consumer’s feedback in the moment, rather than waiting for them to later recall their experience. Data is collected faster and with better quality. Since the respondent must video themselves, they are unlikely to fib about where they are and what they’re doing; thus, clients can have confidence that the responses they gather are genuine.

Quality market research takes time, but it doesn’t have to take forever. If you’re interested in the latest in research methods and technology, give us a shout!