Posts Tagged ‘Web 2.0’

Warning – Rise of the Research Amateur

Published on Nov 1st, 2010 by Jack

Throughout the course of his book Cult of the Amateur Andrew Keen discusses how the Web 2.0 society in which we live is killing off various professions ranging from journalism to music. There is good news and bad news regarding this trend. The good news – many professions will remain (relatively speaking) safe from being overthrown by the web. The bad news – market research is not one of them.

Two Web 2.0 outlets which are going from strength to strength seriously threaten the market research industry as we know it. Firstly, DIY research outlets such as Survey Monkey and Survey Galaxy mean that anyone with a keyboard can conduct their own survey and download an excel spreadsheet filled with data – for virtually no cost. Even if a DIY researcher has to pay for a sample, they will not have to pay for project management, DP, analysis and so on, making DIY market research extremely accessible and cheap to anyone with an internet connection.

Secondly, the concept at the core of market research is on its death bed. Asking questions is rapidly going out of fashion. The rise of social media research means we no longer have to ask questions to get answers, as consumers are having on-line conversations about brands and products at their own accord. All that remains for Web 2.0 researchers to do is look into what consumers are saying in regards to a research question and voila, the answers are there on-screen.

Alas, all is not lost for market research. Questionnaire scripting, conversational analysis and Excel data may be accessible for a knock down price in the world of Web 2.0, but there are many research services that the internet cannot offer. Skills such as conjoint design, ethnographical interviewing and multivariate analysis are unlikely to be provided by outlets other than market research agencies. This means that should you require an ethnographer or statistician then your only option will be to use the services of professional researchers.

Bearing all of this in mind, market research is not quite at the stage where it can be replaced by a Web 2.0 equivalent a la Britannia and Wikipedia. That said, we need to ensure we continue to provide services above and beyond the heavily price discounted research offerings available via the internet. This way market research can continue to be needed, relevant and worthwhile, whilst gaining some momentum for the “cult of the professional”.

The Role of Statistical Integrity in the “Web 2.0” Era

Published on Oct 20th, 2010 by Jack

One of the core statistical values to be promoted as part of the forthcoming World Statistics Day is integrity. The recent rise of user generated content and DIY internet research (all elements of what is known as “Web 2.0”) means that awareness of this particular value is especially important.

Traditionally, it has generally been the case that organisations such as governments and universities are the outlets which drop statistical bombshells. Now quite literally anyone has access to the tools to do this.

In recent years it has become possible for anyone with basic IT knowledge (and often limited statistical ability) to either host an internet survey or place a poll on a website. Users of such research tools (most of the time) do not show the same integrity statistics professionals a) emit themselves or b) would like to see within their profession. Gone are robust sampling methods, as anyone can partake in “Web 2.0” research exercises, killing notions of representativeness and non-probability sampling. Additionally, there are no mechanisms to stop people omitting their opinion on numerous occasions, causing data sets to be filled with duplicated information. However, and most importantly, those utilising such research tools do not treat the information they gather in a manner which is forthright. Often the data generated by such research will be presented with no regard for statistical reporting protocols. Furthermore, and most worryingly, despite its (often) unrobust nature, the information gathered by such methods may feed into the decision making process.

So what does this all mean? It means that when we promote the integrity of statistics, we must also seek to make “Web 2.0” DIY researchers aware that increasing their statistical integrity will not only improve their work, but also the reputation of all statistical investigations as well. Additionally, it also means we must raise awareness of these methods amongst the untrained  readers of statistics, so as to avoid true, integrity driven statistical research being tarnished with any brush which may criticise “statistics 2.0”.

Digital Immunity

Published on Jul 13th, 2010 by Matthew

How persuasive are your digital marketing assets?  I don’t mean how cleverly laid out or how well constructed, I mean how persuasive are they?  It’s a fact that most corporate websites still represent the heartbeat of a brand’s digital portfolio.  Often these websites are very good at delivering product information.  In many cases they are also excellent transactional tools.  But are they persuasive?  Do they re-enforce existing brand and product perceptions or do they trigger deeper engagement and re-appraisal?

Recent research conducted by Northstar suggests many do not.  This is not because corporate websites are poor – it is because the consumer reality is changing.  The more time consumers spend online, the more impervious they are to what it can offer.  The less easily impressed they are and the more immune they are to what is delivered.  Web 2.0 has spawned a Consumer 2.0.  One that skims across the digital landscape.  One that hops from one hyperlink to another.  One that does not dwell simply on the content in front of them, but who’s mind is split and often distracted.

Those concerned about web metrics are well versed in this.  For example they factor this behavior into their evaluation of such items like online video.  They know that end to end play through of video on the web is the exception and not the rule.  That more usually the consumer watches parts and pieces of their selected videos – often over and over and over.

Such behaviors show a fragmentation of attention and diluted overall engagement.  Increasingly consumers are viewing some corporate websites as ‘digital malls’ – a vast expanse of compartmentalized information, some of which is valuable in itself, but much of which rarely stirs the emotions or advances engagement.

Conceptually e-brochures were conceived to add this level of intimacy and specialization.  They were tasked with bridging the gap between the general and the specific.  But they have so far failed to deliver this.  E-brochures appear to add little to the deliberative part of the process.  More commonly they echo information or assist a transaction.

The creation of the ‘digital boutique’ appears to be required.  A smaller, more intimate and more focused experience that allows the consumer to indulge a little.  Something that might be less linear and even less organized than the typical corporate website. This type of digital asset would allow consumers to immerse themselves and ‘get lost’ in a brand or a product reality.   Such a destination would engage because it surprises both in its function and crucially in its content.

The reality is that most brand owners already have these assets as part of their digital portfolio; the opportunity for the future is how to re-package and deliver access to this information in a manner that inspires Consumer 2.0 (or soon even 3.0).