Global Online Qualitative ResearchJim Longo

Vice President Sales and Marketing Itracks

(Interactive Tracking)

History of Itracks

In this rapidly changing research environment, we know that what remains constant are the values we hold and the relationships we build.

When Itracks' founders, husband and wife team Dan and Garnette Weber, first began exploring online research methods in 1996, they were guided by three core values that still hold true today

1. Deliver outstanding client service 2. Assume first it can be done 3. Create a rewarding and compelling workplace

Today Itracks is the authority when it comes to online qualitative research backed by the Burke Institute, used by RIVA and holder of the North American software patent. Itracks can also boast 5 new product launches in the last year along with recent geographic expansions into the United States, Europe and now Asia.

History of Online Qualitative

• Began in the mid-nineties • Email, discussion groups• Online chat with virtual back room• Expansion of “chat" to bulletin boards along with other online tools

• Development of OBB’s allow for rich qualitative data• Has been gaining momentum as a methodology each year along with the proliferation of the Internet as a data collection

tool. – Online qual will never replace face to face groups (but rather should be seen as a proven way to conduct many

different kinds of studies impossible or impractical to do any other way)– In the quantitative world, Online research has now surpassed the telephone as the primary research tool

• Market Size• Poised for rapid growth• Globalization of brands• Emerging markets • Explosion of computer usage for communication• Clients are asking about it

– when appropriate to use?• Industry survey reports 57% of qualitative researchers expect to increase the volume of online qualitative research in the

next 12 months • 90% of the top 50 research companies use Itracks Qualitative tools • Qual 15 to 20%

– 250 million• 5% online

Global Qualitative Research

Project Stages by TechniqueIn-person and Online

In-person Online Project design Based on specs/objectives Based on specs/objectives

Facility selection Based on Location Based on software needed

Client Briefings Similar (phone or in-person) Similar (phone or in-person)

Screener Mostly phone Online or phone or both

Administration

Hosts/ Technicians Hosts in-person Technicians online

Payment of Incentives At location Various online/mail methods

Confirmations Mostly phone Phone preferred and email

Discussion Guide Developed the sameVerbally administered

Developed the same. Written out with more detail.Loaded into software in advance

Project Stages by TechniqueIn-person Online

Moderation In-person, verbally Online, in writing

Techniques Some similar, some different Some similar some different

Client Debriefings Mostly in-person Mostly online or phone

Transcripts Turn around time can vary. Also depends of clients desires

Always available

Analysis & Report Similar Similar

Online Qualitative Strengths Fortify Quantitative Design in Proposal

• Online Qualitative techniques allow even more flexibility and adds value• How, what, and why with deeper insights to how much, how often provided by Quantitative

surveys• More of the team can participate in research process• Immediate transcripts to team for evaluation

• Keeps the research process moving• Before Quantitative

• Purchase behavior– Build attributes

• Concept tests• Ideation• pretest

– During Quantitative • Iterations in design• Packaging• Advertising

– After• Support survey results

– Rich verbatim• Drive additional research

– Recommend • Gives consumers a voice

– Customer advocate

Online Focus Group (OLFG)

• Synchronous groups that typically last 1 to 2 hours• 8 – 10 respondents per group• Excellent for rapid data collection with tight timelines• Several groups can be done in a short time, allowing for widely disparate

groups to be probed for knowledge quickly• Designed for gathering “first-thought” responses• (Yes/No, Clarification, Directional, Emotion)• Software interface can be branded to reflect your colors and image

Online qualitative

Focus group interface

Bulletin Board Focus Group (BBFG)

• Asynchronous in nature• Allow for thoughtful discussions to unfurl

over a period of days or weeks

• Typically much larger than OLFGs, BBFG can be representative of wider demographics and still be manageable

• Time zones are never an issue• Able to reach busy respondents (doctors, professionals, etc) on their

schedule• Software interface can be branded to reflect your colors and image

Online qualitative

Bulletin board interface

Customize login by language

Additional services

iMarkIt is an innovative concept testing tool that enlivens the respondents experience and provides rich visual feedback for the research buyer. iMarkIt lets respondents mark up ads, video, web pages, direct mail and packaging concepts and logos with visual images and text.

What is iMarkIt?

Drag and drop: Respondents can drag and drop smiley faces on what they like, frowns on what they don’t, lines to cross out text or arrows to point to specifics. All the while, respondents can add their text commentary explaining their rationale.

Report it: Organize your iMarkIt visual reports thematically or by respondent to visually illustrate a point and support your recommendations.

World Languages• Covered Language-BBFG OLFG• English• French• German • Italian • Spanish• Arabic • Chinese - Simplified • Chinese - Traditional • Czech Dutch • Hungarian • Japanese • Norwegian• Polish• Portuguese • Russian • Swedish• Thai • Turkish

• In Depth Interviews• Richness of data• Usability• Webb based• Longitudinal• Less attrition, additional value in seeing other peoples responsiveness • Diaries

– Healthcare• Physicians

– Media• TV

• Blog posting• Day in the life of a product or brand• Home Use Test• Higher response rates to placements• Homework

– Photo or video tasks– Shopping tasks

• Breakout groups• Dyads or triads• Precursor to Quant• Consumer behavior• Problem solving• Employee groups• Mix segments• Physicians and Insurance companies

Creative Uses of online Qual

Advantages to Relationship, Revenue and Margin• Standard Practice is qualitative before quantitative to gain insights for questionnaire design behavior or as a stand alone.

• In the past there was a lag as well as uncertainty if your project required follow up qual dues to some anomaly in data or outstanding issue.

• Demonstrate how your organization thinks and it’s ability to add value

• Follow on Qualitative• provide additional insight into quantitative results• add value• Provide option to do follow on qual with proposal• incremental revenue• Additional benefits• Respondents higher on learning curve for iterations of concept• Support quant results with verbatim which describe logic• Support analysis with verbatim which makes results real with example

• All you have to do is ask

• Opt in question for possible qual at end of survey• “from time to time we conduct follow up OBB with participants would you be willing to participate next

Tuesday…”• reduces recruiting costs to only reminder calls/ emails • increases turnaround time from survey data collection to actual group results

You want Qual with that?

Communities

• An interactive channel to communicate, connect and develop relationships with your customers.

• The ability to network with like-minded individuals instantaneously from anywhere on the globe

• Give your organization a unique competitive advantage.

• Imagine being able to ask your target audience a question whenever you want and receive feedback almost instantly

Create

• Customize the interface with your design, colors, fonts and logos.

• Synthesize Web 2.0 technologies and utilize the benefits of user generated content.

• Take advantage of our existing research tools that have more than 20 years of development time, testing and experience behind them.

Ask

• A research opportunities module presents selected users with the chance to participate in online qualitative studies or online surveys.

• Bulletin Board Focus Groups are designed specifically for online market research. Participants are free to login at their own convenience and spend time providing thoughtful input.

• A complement to face-to-face methods, Online Focus Groups allow you to expand your research potential without losing the human touch

• With a custom software team survey capabilities no limitation. • Can provide a customized survey environment and reporting in real-time.• Take advantage of polling, mobile survey and iMarkIt type opportunities.

Capture

• Pinpoint key community members and engage them in meaningful conversation to reveal the information you need to make business decisions.

• Easily identify target groups through customized respondent profiles.

• Allow respondents to upload images and galleries for ethnographic research.

• View videos in various categories by embedding links uploaded to YouTube or Google Video galleries.

Report

• An active community can create vast amounts of information, and our project managers are available to help you sort the data.

• Set up scheduled delivery of reports in a variety of available formats.

• View word frequencies from forums and BLOGs in word clouds or tree maps.

• Get access to report reads graphs from the auxiliary research applications

Take Action

• Elevate your brand through an increased sense of ownership and evaluate how the customer experience is impacting your corporate image.

• Get the information you need from your customers and take action immediately.

Thank You!