survey magazine top focus group moderators

SURVEYmarket research bulletinMODERATORS Who’s Who in Focus Group Moderating

Survey Magazine selects its honorees for the 2014 Who’s Who in Focus Group Moderating.

MERRILL SHUGOLLPRESIDENT, SHUGOLL RESEARCH

2014MODERATOROF THE YEAR

JUNE 2014

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

About Merrill Shugoll

Merrill is president of Shugoll Research and the found-er of its consulting practice. She has over 30 years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research that helps shape the strategic planning of ma-

professional associations and government agencies.

She is a nationally known qualitative research consul-tant who has conducted thousands of in-person and online qualitative sessions. Merrill is particularly expert in consumer behavior theories and psycholinguistics and employs, when appropriate, advanced projective and ideation techniques to provide her clients with an in-depth understanding of human behavior particularly with regard to new product development, issues man-agement and communications. Merrill’s natural curios-ity and her unconditional positive regard for everyone encourages people to tell her their stories.

Currently she sits on the Board of Directors of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) and is active in the Qualitative Research Con-sultants Association (QRCA). She is a past president of the National Board of Directors of the Marketing Research Association and was awarded the 2013 Honorary Lifetime Membership Award for her contribu-tions to the industry. She is also a past president of the Washington DC Metropolitan Chapter of the American Marketing Association.

About Shugoll Research

Shugoll Research is a third generation closely held

qualitative and quantitative research services to a global roster of clients. Our name has been synony-mous with quality marketing research services for well over 50 years. Our services include study design, data collection (in-person, telephone, online, mail, social media, and mobile), data analysis, report preparation and presentation of insights and actionable recom-mendations to clients. Our facilities include eight top rated focus facilities covering the Washington, DC metropolitan area, a call center and a database of over

-sionals and policy elites.

Qualitative research is more than a science,

it’s an art. When conducted well,

qualitative research yields

a rich tableau of how human beings think, feel, behave and express themselves. I

am passionately qualitative and

proud of it.

“

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004 SURVEY MAGAZINE JUNE 2014

SURVEYCompany Showcase

Consumers are mobile savvy...are you?

25% of panelists attempted to enroll in our panels using their mobile devices

20% of all survey starts were mobile-based

+100% increase over the year before

Still, a high number of online surveys are not optimized for mobile devices.

Why?

(Source: Research Now)

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+ ?%

Mobile is ow

As mobile devices develop an increasingly strong presence in the work and personal lives of survey respondents, there is a need to adapt to that behavior.

1 5in2 5

survey starts andpanel enrollments occur on mobile devices . . . in

Research Now® has implemented a new approach to evaluating the mobile readiness of our clients’ research projects. Our proprietary evaluation model (Mobile Research Score Rating System™), establishes a weighted score based on important criteria to be considered when judging a survey’s mobile-readiness. By enabling our clients the chance to identify whether their re-search is suitable for mobile devices, we can guarantee their projects result in more completes and more accurate data every time.

-ship to market research is similar to the tale of the elephant and the blind men: six blind men, after touching a different part of an elephant, all begin arguing over what an elephant actually is. There are six, very unique alternatives: a pillar, a rope, a tree branch, a fan, a wall, a pipe.

In its early adoption stages, mobile re-search is like this elephant. While no one is arguing over what mobile research is, we are blindly around waiting for someone else to tell us how best to incorporate it. And depending on where you are standing, the challenges to incorporate mobile in your daily research model can look incredibly different than they do from somewhere else.

Should I use in-app or web-based mobile research?

How can I effectively conduct my research with mobile LOI times?

What happens to the library of online survey data I have collected?

These questions, and others like them, are part of the reason why we have seen slow mobile adoption among industry peers. However, the lag between research plans and consumer preferences has big implications. At Research Now, we see that dropout rates on mobile devices and smartphones are about two times higher than those on desktop.

The culprit? Non-mobile-friendly survey design. Industry predictors indicate that the number of survey starts on mobile devices will only continue to rise: we should anticipate dropout rates growing, too, unless we make a change.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

+

+

+

SURVEYCompany Showcase

But it does not have to be this way.

of emails accessed on a mobile device and not designed for mobile get deleted

... only 8% are read

70%

+


2X the number of surveys abandoned on desktops are being quit mid-survey on mobile devices due to non-mobile-friendly survey design.

While the idea of moving online surveys to mobile platforms is

to be a challenge. Trying to force traditional online method-ologies into mobile will not work. You will not be able to run 45-minute LOI projects on mobile. You will not be able to use

online surveys with grids and excessive LOI times lead to sig-If these types

of questions are not effective online, why would we even want to push them into a mobile experience?

In the story of the blind men and the elephant, each man was right. Their elephant was made up of six very different things, depending on their unique point of view. To successfully think

-dress all of the questions and challenges that make the mobile

give up the things that make online research successful to do so, but we do need to give up the online research bad habits we have developed.

MOBILE IS NOT A CATCH 22

Including Flash in your

surveys will automatically

deduct points from your

survey’s Mobile Research

Score. We have a

ready-to-use library

of dynamic survey

enhancements in

HTML5 you can

use instead.

REMOVING THE BLINDFOLDConsumers have spoken though their actions – it is time we listen and respond. Data shows that 49% of consumers open their email on mobile devices, and this number grows every year. This includes the surveys sent to our panelists on be-half of our clients. At the heart of our panel management best practices is the belief that happy panelists remain engaged survey takers.

That is why we engineered a new platform to automatically evaluate if your survey is optimized for panelists who will ultimately attempt to take a survey from their mobile device. By delivering your research in a mode panelists want we can continue to ensure our panels deliver the same high-quality standards you have come to expect. Using our patented Mobile Research Score Rating System™, Research Now evaluates a survey’s compliance with mobile best practices with the following criteria:

“

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Enabling surveys for

mobile results in more

completes.

Scale LengthsLOINumber of Open EndsQuestion TextNumber of Answer ChoicesUse of FlashUse of Rendering of GridsUse of Rich MediaAudio or Video Streaming

Responsive Design

+

+

With mobile research, as with the elephant and the blind men: there is no

should “go mobile” with your research.

for mobile readiness evaluation. A survey’s score can range anywhere from 0 to 10, 10 being perfectly mobile compatible. The Mobile Re-search Score Rating System™ evaluation enables web-based surveys to have a wide range of mobile-acceptable scores—anything from 3 and above.

This solution offers researchers the ability to stand eye-to-eye with the mobile elephant in the room and see it exactly for what it is. Research-

pitfalls in each project. While some tweaks may be needed, -ibility in this scoring system ensures you do not need to go from zero to sixty overnight with your mobile research.

WHY RESEARCH NOW?At Research Now, we have a 15 year heritage of data collection, survey programming and responsible panel management that we are honoring by investing in the future of mobile research.

customers, prospective customers and your competitor’s customers than anyone else in the world. Mobile research enables us capture insights that cannot be captured in any other way.

+


150 times during the day, the

average person will reach for

his or her mobile phone. THE FINAL WORD

Today, mobile market research looks different than

it did even a year ago. Can you imagine the future for mobile? Testing this methodology,

pushing the boundaries with it, and implementing

mobile readiness will help you succeed.

Mobile is Now.

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Contact us today for your custom mobile readiness evaluation.

i n [email protected]

214.365.5000

+

Download our INFOGRAPHIC“A Day in the Life of Mobile”

>

Mobile devices are engrained into our everyday lives: on average, people reach for their mobile phone 150 times every day. Mobile - as one of the most highly technological extensions of ourselves - repre-sents an extremely intimate way of connecting with the minds that matter. It is imperative, therefore, that the

the fact that we know, understand and appreciate the

avenue for survey taking, but it is an activity that happens on the panelists’ terms, not ours.

D E PA R T M E N T S

R e s e a rc h

F E AT U R EFighting the Stigma of Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0With Agile Development. Because Your Success Depends On It.

The Open Ended Possibilities of

Survey Text Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6

Okay Fine, I’ll Go Device Agnostic . . . . . 2 4

S u r v e y To o l s & M e t h o d s

Qualitative Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6

CONTENTS.JUNE, 2014

SURVEYMAGAZINE

Survey Web Round-UpUpdates from our online properties . . . . . . . . 2 2

R e s e a rc h B e s t P a rc t i c e

Survey BuzzHot research topics and news . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6


Consumers Are Mobile Savvy ..

Are You? Mobile Is Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 4

A D V E RT O R I A L

SURVEY2014 Who’s Who:Focus Group Moderating .............................. 56

Page 56S P E C I A L I S S U E

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WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING

04

Focus Group Expert

“

[ Susan specializes in understand-ing behavior and attitudes utilizing custom designed research solu-tions, and has particular expertise in the Consumer Goods, Financial, Health Care and Wellness and Industrial/Manufacturing sectors. ]

“

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SURVEYMAGAZINE

01

Beth Thompson Ph.D.Vice President,CMI Research Services

02

Liz WhiteDirector of ResearchBuzzback

07

Jayce TreibleDirectorNichols Research

08Kendall NashSenior Qualitative ConsultantBurke Inc.

04

Bruce Allen BealPresidentBeal Research Services

03

Lisa FuchsDirector of Community ServicesKL Communications

06

Susan AdelmanPresidentSurvey Service, An ARG Company

10

Susan AbbottPresidentAbbott Research

Rob IlesManaging DirectorStudy Hall Research

05

Gary FriedenPresidentFrieden Qualitative

09

“

“

“

She is co-author of an upcoming book (Paramount Publishing) on how to conduct online qualitative research studies.

The future of delivering actionable

insights is an integrated approach.

Quantitative research answers the

‘how’ and immersing yourself in your

consumers’ world answer’s the ‘why?

“The Dial Guy”When you really need to know what all of your respon-dents think, call Beal

most from your focus group research projects.

Importantly, my work is built on relationships that I build over time with my clients. Relationships are what it is all about.

Truly connects with, and cares about, her participants. In fact, it’s fairly common for participants to hug Kendall when leaving a group because they felt important, cared about, and experienced a reciprocal interaction.

Group interaction with concept elements via a ‘layering on’ discussion whereby additional elements of the consultancy design/plan were introduced.

n the end, with Liz’s skillful probing and ability to modify direc-tion real time as we gained new insights, we discovered that

consumers derive from our new product

-tinct from our original assumption.


WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS JUNE 2014 ISSUE

essentials.SURVEY

www.SurveyMagazine.org

S U R V E Y EVENTS

webinar lineupfor a complete list of webinars, go to surveymagazine.org/webinars

Page 23

SURVEY

tipSURVEY

tip

Look for SURVEY TIPS in our featured articles and briefs throughout the issue. Guaranteed to keep your surveys in tip-top shape.

[email protected]

In this issue

Page 56

In this issue of SURVEY Mag-azine, we’re pleased to fea-ture our 2014 selection of the Who’s Who for Focus Group Moderating. We present a wonderful group this year of Moderators that are using many various approaches to focus group research and this years honorees are doing amazing work.

Be sure to learn more about

is a long standing, award winning and gracious steward of moderating focus groups.

Please join me in congratu-lating Merrill in our 2014 Moterator of the Year award.

Lot’s of great articles this month on Qualitative and Mobile research practices.

We hope you enjoy this issue of SURVEY as much as we’ve enjoyed preparing it for you.

R. Jon Leiman, Editor

R. Jon Leiman

Editor, SURVEY Magazine

SURVEY is a uniquely positioned publishing company that connects with over 110,000 business leaders around the world. We provide Customized Media Solutions for business-to-business (B2B) partners to enhance their content marketing strategies, messaging, and lead generation efforts globally.

PENNSYLVANIAPO BOX 899, EXTON PA 19341TELEPNONE: +1 484.478.2774


WHO’S WHO 2014FOCUS GROUP MODERATORS

C O L U M N S

CONTENTS.JUNE, 2014

SURVEYMAGAZINE

R e s p o n d e n t - F r i e n d l y S u r v e y s . . .B a c k To T h e F u t u re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6

N E W S

S T E V E M C H U G H , S V P, M I L LWA R D B R O W N

QUALITATIVEsurvey tools

an interview with iModerate’s Managing Partner, Jen Drolet

Research Now Appoints Ed Russo as SVP of Marketing, Americas .............................................. 82.TNS launches quick turnaround tool to identify winning concepts for business growth ......................................................................................... 84

ITWP Acquires Harris Interactive Europe from Nielsen .................................................................... 84

New Study: Hispanic Business Growth and the Mobile Future ...................................................... 85

Millward Brown Acquires EffectiveBrands ..................................................................................... 86

The NPD Group Names George Terhanian Group President And

iModerate Raises the Bar for Market Research with First-Ever Longitudinal Qualitative Product Suite. ......................................................................................... 87

FocusVision acquires Revelation .................................................................................................. 88

Industry Expert Kerklaan Joins SSI as Managing Director .............................................................. 89

Decipher Adds Sample and Panel Management API to Beacon ..................................................... 89


`

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Applications are accepted quarterly. The winter quarter application deadline is October 15.

CONSUMER!CENTRIC.DATA!DRIVEN.AND NOW ONLINE.Integrated Marketing Communications graduate education was founded at Northwestern University. Medill IMC graduates are forward-thinking professionals who are well versed in a consumer-centric, data-driven, integrated approach to marketing communications.

This established and prestigious program is now available in an interactive online format — meaning you can earn your Northwestern University master’s degree from anywhere.

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Are you doing enough to stay ahead in the “Age of the Customer?”

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This Forrester report, In the Age of the Customer, Insight Isn’t Enough, will take you through the six stages of the Real-Time Actionable Insight Delivery (RAID) cycle; helping you know what you can do today to understand your customers, anticipate their behavior, and respond to their needs faster than the competition.

Speed is the differentiator. Download the June 2014 report from Forrester Research, Inc. and start acting at the speed of your customer.


CO-CREATION COMMUNITIES

1 2 3 4

KL COMMUNICATIONS

I have not failed.I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.

Fighting the Stigma of Failurewith Agile Development

By: Kevin P. Lonnie, KL Communicatons

As I grow older, I grapple with the thought of failing. It makes me think twice about stepping outside my comfort zone. Quite frankly, it’s a lot easier to stick to areas of past accomplishments and skills. This is far more comforting than looking like a damn fool trying something new. Still, I realize that growth means stretching my comfort zone, and being willing to fail is part of the energy that fuels personal development.


I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.!omas Edison

MORE >

day job. The traditional role of the research department is to help the organization make better decisions. Mining the opinions of customers, mar-ket research is able to pro-vide objective insight into go/no go decisions, thus helping the organization utilize funds more wisely.

As an extension of this core mission, I’ve always felt that the role of MR is to mitigate risk, thus avoiding costly failures. But what if we turn that notion on its head and say that the role of market research is to fail early and fail often. How counterintui-tive is that?

Let’s look at another potential application of customer insights; let’s say instead of asking customers to react to concepts, we ask them to help develop them from scratch via iterative agile development. In sharp con-trast to MR, the goal of agile development is to fail early and fail often via a collabora-tive, iterative process.

?

Can we as researchers break out of our comfort zone to embrace failure and capture the wisdom of crowds via the agile development process?

getting around the need for perspiration to achieve suc-cess. Taking snapshots of consumer reaction to a concept board via surveys seems like a 19th century approach to a 21st century need. Not only do we need that reaction, but we need to move systematically, inexorably forward toward

iteration.

That said, agile iteration can be seen as a bicycle. What gear are you in? If you remain committed to the same ideation process that historically produces a scant 10% success rate, I would say you are stuck in 1st gear. You can peddle all you want, you’re not going anywhere quickly and you’re just wasting a lot of energy.

Perhaps in the near future, a physicist will write a formula for optimal ideation allocation among all affected cohorts. But for now we will have to follow Thomas Edison’s advice and start eliminating the hundreds of possibilities that don’t work. This may seem discouraging to those in seek of a quick eureka moment, but I can say with near certainty that there is no eureka without the requisite perspiration.

So how do we best move forward on the optimal imple-mentation of agile iteration fueled by customer co-cre-ation? I feel that two key challenges lay ahead:

Fighting the Stigma of Failurewith Agile Development


1Seamlessly integrating the

-ent contributing teams, so that each voice is heard, yet no team dominates.

Turning ideas into reality requires all hands on deck. It’s critical that every affected member of the organization feel that they have skin in the game. It’s not enough to capture customer creativity without a process that allows this infusion of new thinking to develop alongside the traditional ideation incumbents. Let me put it more candidly: If your custom-ers come up with a new product

your team was developing, how much support do you think the customer-led concept will garner? We need to better anticipate the entrenched politics and work to overcome them through inclusion. In addition, we need to ensure that all stakeholders embrace the role of failure in the creative process. Internal teams must be accepting of consumer led concepts, but they must also be willing to acknowledge their own failures, and understand that these failures only help to pave the way for future successes.

To have a great idea, have a lot of them.

Thomas Edison

In summary, a brave new world awaits us caretakers of customer opinions. Rather than use the voice of the customer via reactive surveys or focus groups, we need to unleash this creativity by provid-ing them access to our business challenges. And most importantly, we need to remember that failure is an important part of the iterative agile development process.

The combination of iterative agile development fueled by the un-tapped creativity of core customers can provide the organization with powerful, sustainable ideation. Who knows what may develop.

Kevin Lonnie is CEO and Founder of KL Communications, Inc. KLC creates proprietary online com-munities for a wide range of Fortune 500 Clients. Kevin also helped to pioneer the application of Crowdsourcing in the research industry. KLC’s CrowdWeaving™ module allows enthusiastic brand advocates to become part of the ideation team.

Mr. Lonnie has presented at numerous ARF, AMA, MRA & IIR Conferences over the past three years, focusing on the impact of disruptive tools and their implica-tions for our industry. Kevin is currently Treasurer and Executive Board member of the MRA (Mar-keting Research Association).

2Tapping customer creativity more effectively through addictive gam-

-

Most co-creation efforts are still fairly vanilla (e.g., ranking exer-cises, commenting, etc.), sorely lacking the heightened pressure and drama associated with gam-ing.

Rather than assemble one team for agile iteration, what if it were matched competing teams? Each would have access to the same skill set and resources. And both would be keenly aware of their progress versus the com-peting team. Teams could build off creative iterations to develop robust, winning ideas, and have a great time in the process. In this scenario, ad agency creatives wouldn’t look at customers as their ideation enemy but rather their secret ingredient to an-

door.

Okay Fine, I’ll Go Device Agnostic

Perhaps you’re kicking and screaming, but

design to capitalize on mobile devices.

We refer to this as a “device agnostic” approach, a research design that empowers the consumer to self-select how they respond to a survey. Most conference presentations and industry publications have been telling us to do this for the last two years, but it just seems like such a headache to make the move. Like it or not, consumers are driving us toward a device agnostic approach and it’s time to make the transition.

Brett SimpsonVice President, Sampling Science & Strategy

By:


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I consider this a crossroad for online research analogous to the dilemma faced by landline-only interviewing from six to seven years ago.

Those pesky cell-phone only respondents started to really gain traction and began negatively

-

designs were no longer able to deliver a truly representative sample.

We’re now seeing a similar phenomenon with online research. Those long online surveys designed -

er surveys on mobile devices (i.e. millennial and ethnic). Our research designs and surveys need to be adapted to capture insights from these groups in order to avoid sample representation issues.

Let’s examine some of the reasons for going device agnostic and outline a plan of attack for a smooth transition.

+-crossroad for online research


agnostic approach:

If we’re being honest, it really does take a lot of testing, and iteration to develop a successful device agnostic research design. Despite the effort required, there

Better sample representation.

-tate toward mobile and we expect to see the level of systematic non-coverage bias to grow in non-mobile research designs. Some of our testing demonstrates be-tween 20-25 percent of millennials (those born from 1981-2000) prefer to access surveys via mobile, which means our non-mobile surveys are missing the views of a substantial portion of this audience. Considering that this group is likely more tech savvy and connected with peers, we expect over time to see biased and inaccurate results when they are excluded from our sampling frame.

01


Meeting the consumer (respondent) need.

Cell phone users check their phones every 10 minutes1. Online panel suppliers see between 10 and 40 percent of surveys being accessed on mobile 2. It is clear that respon-dents are primed and ready to take surveys on mobile.

Improved feasibility among key audiences.

Many mobile-reliant audiences are critical for our research - i.e. millennials, Hispanics, and mothers of young children. Increased device

these audiences, which improves sampling feasibility and sustainability.

Keeping pace with the industry.

research guidelines, which recommend designing surveys to be accessible by mobile. While today fewer than 10 percent of surveys are currently

substantially in the next year.

Cost stability.

If you’re not seeing higher sample costs for non-mobile design yet, they are likely around the corner. Non-mobile designs cause a higher degree of panel attrition which leads to higher recruitment costs, ultimately impacting the cost of sample.

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Embrace a shorter survey.

surveys to a reasonable length that works with smaller devices. When we asked respondents directly about survey length, we discovered that the tipping point is the 15 minute mark. This is the point when most smartphone respondents and a substantial portion of those taking surveys on larger devices believe the survey is too lengthy. In addition, we’ve seen this preferred length continues to decrease over time. We have also noticed that a poorly designed 15 minute survey tends to be perceived as a much longer interview.

We tend to see respondent engagement and data quality metrics deteriorate

with longer surveys. See the example below, which compares brand aware-

ness levels with a long survey/many brands versus a short survey/few brands.

Actual awareness of these brands is very high, so we clearly see improvement

in data quality with the simpler design. Respondents are more engaged and

more deliberate with their responses during a more reasonable task.


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It may seem impossible to shorten your current survey to a more reasonable length, but approaching the process from multiple angles will help:Rethink your core needs. Discuss the research with key stakeholders, set survey length goals, and prioritize sections and individual questions in the survey. Classify your current questions as Must Haves, Nice-to-Haves, and Extras to help identify less important content. It’s also helpful to look back at reports, analyses, and investigations from the past year to identify questions that were not utilized.

Analyze to reduce. Do we really need all 50 of those attribute statements? When was the last time marital status was an

your multivariate data analysis text-book and use some fancy -

ous. Leverage factor analysis/correlations to reduce attribute ratings or Bayesian networks to understand relationships and redundancies across the full survey.

Capitalize on existing data sources. Leverage passive and observational data for what it does best (behaviors, for example) and surveys for what they do best (measurement of motivations/attitudes). In the words of Bill Pink, Senior Partner

provided by survey research can now be discerned through

information held by online panels, which includes demograph-

data saves valuable time with the respondent and helps us achieve a more reasonable length for smartphone.

Avoid overlap between programs. Are you capturing the same content in your consumption tracker, equity tracker, communications tracker, and ad hoc studies? We see many situations where the integrity of insights across the full pro-gram is maintained after reducing collection of overlapping data.

Reduce clutter and avoid scene setting. Simplify ques-tion wording and unnecessary intro statements to reduce the word count. Also avoid carrying interviewer instructions into a self-administered survey world. This helps respondents focus on the most important aspects of the question, saves

we’d like you to think about shopping tendencies for your household. Which of the following statements best describes

-onstrates that these changes have minimal impact on results.

We see more and more of our clients moving to a well-designed overall re-search program with shorter, more focused studies (with pos-sible bridging metrics across studies) as opposed to a kitchen sink, long single study approach. The reality is it can also be more cost effective, in addition to delivering better research quality. The key is to design for this type of approach and use bridging measures across the studies to permit analytical needs. Fusion and data imputation approaches can be used if

our analysis goals.

Once you’ve tackled survey length, the next major challenge is to optimize your program for proper display on all major devices. This typically requires an experienced researcher, a good programmer, and possession of half of the most popular devices sold at Best Buy. Our typical optimization approach is to

that a survey optimized for smartphone also works well on the larger screens.

When designing for smartphone, we recommend using the following guidelines – the irony is that most of these suggestions align with the core principles we preach when trying to maximize research quality more generally on any device:

Keep the survey under 15 minutes

Ask the respondent to turn device to landscape mode (design and program with this in mind)

Avoid complex grids, excessive open-ends, and scrolling

Reduce the amount of text in questions and responses

Simplify the number of responses

Reduce the total number of screens

We recently evaluated the impact of these changes. A non-optimized survey that was originally designed for larger devices was tested against a version optimized for smartphone. In addition to a decrease in dropouts and improved respondent engagement and survey quality metrics, the survey length for smart-phone was cut nearly in half (15.4 versus 8.7 minutes).

+++++++


Other tips for a smooth transition:Implement device detection technology. The ability to identify device type, size, make, and model is critical with a device agnostic approach. This allows us to monitor the composition of devices being used for a given survey and customize the experience based on the device. If you’re seeing too much variation in the device composi-tion, this information can be used to establish mobile limits or quotas.

Prepare for a different mobile contribution by vendor. Differences in recruitment approach, incentive struc-tures, panel management practices, and types of studies deployed to the panel have created a unique environ-ment for each online sample vendor. Thus, we need to be prepared to potentially see a current range of 5 to 30 percent depending upon the supplier.

Anticipate demographic differences by device. Smart-phones skew younger and ethnic. Tablets skew older and

be expected. This is important to note when analyzing results by device, since demographic differences will be baked into the results.

Parallel testing is recommended. Considering the amount of change we’ve discussed here, we often recommend a period of parallel testing in order to understand the collective impact of adding new devices and altering the survey. This testing phase allows us to generate a transition plan and create appropriate bridge or data calibrations to ensure trends are maintained.

As the latest in the long line of researchers suggesting you go to a device agnostic approach, I wish you good luck. This is an interesting time of change for all of us. Think differently and push the limits of your current ap-proach. Test new designs and I’m sure you’ll discover something interesting that works for your program and consumers whose opinions we value.

About the Author:

Brett Simpson is Vice President, Sampling Science & Strategy at Millward Brown, where he focuses on research sampling design and best practices including mobile research. A seasoned methodologist and statistician, Brett spent 8 years at MRSI (now ORC International) before joining Millward Brown in 2013.

AUTHOR

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Cover all your target population with SSI QuickThoughtsTM mobile sample and data collection. To view a demo of our SSI QuickThoughtsTM solution or our webinar on designing mobile-friendly surveys, visit www.surveysampling.com.

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Big Data is getting bigger. The Information Age is chugging on, creating vast swathes of rich data on all facets of private and business life. In its wake, the world is coming to terms with what this means in terms of potential and practicality. This new world offers so much opportunity, in theory.

Many marketing decisions require complex decision making processes which incorporate many data points from various sources. Depending on the type of decision you need to make, some statistical techniques are more useful than others.

Business-to-business research is different from consumer research. That may seem like an obvious point to make, but because consumer research is the predominant research type, many researchers go through their entire careers without doing much if any business-to-business (B2B) research.

© 2014 Research Now. All rights reserved.

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To Catch A Thief: Fighting Respondent Fraud Combining the Power of Predictive Analytics and Survey Data

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Catherine Frye – Business Analytics Solutions Manager, IBM Joseph Mahoney – Client Technical Professional, Business Analytics, IBM


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Use word cloud technology

Establish categories

The majority of survey

questions are close-ended

and quantitative. These

types of questions provide

clear cut, structured data

that is easily analyzed.

0102


MORE >

Text Analysis

The Open-Ended Possibilities

of Survey

Review

Make correlations

Summarize your results

Surveys are powerful research tools for collecting feedback. When crafted correctly, they illuminate

respondents that would not be discovered otherwise.

Whether your organization uses surveys to measure customer satisfaction, gauge employee engagement or conduct training and development assessments, including open-ended questions will add an important dimension to your data.

0304

05

However, if you want a more comprehen-sive understanding of what your respondents are thinking, pepper your survey with open-ended questions and make sure you have the right text analysis technology in place to decode your feedback. Qualitative data offers rich insights into the

rating scales can measure the intensity of respondents’ feelings, there is no replacement for collecting their verbatim opinions. Open-ended questions provide context for respon-dents’ answers to close-ended questions, anecdotes for better understanding motiva-tions, and the depth needed to gain the most complete picture possible. With open-ended questions, you can ask respondents to clarify, elaborate or make a suggestion. They act as color commentary to enrich your survey game plan.

The hardest part about including open-ended questions in your survey is analyzing respons-es. Unlike close-ended questions, it’s doubtful that any two open-ended responses will be exactly the same. That’s why you need a text analysis plan in place to make sense of your data. Here is how it’s done:

Use word cloud technology The best way to begin your text analysis is by using word cloud technology. The technology sifts through responses and creates a visual representation of the most frequently used words or phrases. The larger the font of the word in your cloud, the more relevant it is to your data. Once you’ve seen which words pop up the most, you can start to make categories to group responses and analyze trends.

Establish categories The next step in analyzing your open-ended responses is creating categories. Use your word cloud for insights into the range of thoughts and feelings articulated by your respondents. For example, if you asked customers how they think your organization can improve its

-est, create categories for those words. Once you begin to read

appropriate categories. If any of

category, put them in both.

As you begin to inspect responses more closely, you will

categories. If responses used similar words to describe

if the reverse is true, you can combine categories.

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02

01

Text Analysis

The Open-Ended Possibilities

of Survey


END

Make correlationsNow it’s time to examine the text within the framework of your overall sur-vey. Start to couple open-ended responses with corresponding close-ended responses to draw conclusions about why respondents gave the answers that they did. If you used an open-ended question as an avenue for respondents to

is a clear winner. You should also cross tabulate your data by demographic to see if any patterns emerge. Find out if certain groups within your sample tended to answer open-ended questions in the same way.

Summarize your resultsAfter you analyze your results,

include any quotes from the text that were especially illustrative of your conclusions.

Open-ended questions can help your organization uncover a wealth of insights. However, in order to derive value from your responses,

it may seem like an overwhelming task, but the right technology can put you on the path to success.

About Cvent Web Surveys:

Cvent is an industry leader in Enterprise Feedback Management and works with organizations around the globe to help them collect feedback from their various constituents – i.e. custom-ers, employees, partners, etc. With Cvent’s web survey software, organizations can streamline the way they collect feedback and timely business intelligence. Profes-sionals use Cvent’s web sur-vey software to test markets, qualify leads, measure pro-gram effectiveness, enhance company culture and gauge stakeholder opinions. The web survey solution provides organizations with survey management, data collec-tion and the reporting tools needed to get the most out of the organization’s budget and staff.

For more information on survey best practices, visit Cvent Web Surveys.

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As the research industry adapts to survey re-spondent’s increasing preference to complete surveys via mobile devices, our interviews are

survey, 50% of panelists said that anything beyond ten minutes is too long on smartphone and 70% claimed that 15 minutes is their maximum threshold. Time has always been a precious commodity for our respondents, this isn’t some new fashion trend. So a question to ask ourselves is how survey lengths ballooned prior to the mobile era.

For all the positive effects online (PC) interview-ing provided us compared to its main prede-cessor (telephone interviewing)—visual versus

cetera-- a key regressive effect was that it in-directly encouraged the use of longer surveys. In the days of telephone Random Digit Dialing, the difference between a 15 and 30 minute

survey, depending on sample size and produc-tion incidence, meant hundreds or thousands of additional interviewer, supervisor, and phone connection hours (sometimes meaning there

study at the time you wanted to). With online it simply means sending out more sample in-vites. But more importantly, the cost impact of that 15 minute addition on telephone was over ten times that of the same 15 minute addition online*. Talk about ‘supersize me’, why in the world wouldn’t I want to collect 100% more information if it only cost me about 10% more to get it? That’s like paying a few dimes more for a case of 24 versus a 12-pack. But we increasingly forgot about the person taking the survey—in these situations we’re asking them to drink the entire case, now, without spilling or cheating.

Respondent-Friendly Surveys…Back to the Future

Steve McHughSVP, Centers of Research Expertise Millward Brown

MORE >

MAY 2014 SURVEY MAGAZINE 033

Aside from the cost and capacity factors, re-spondent tolerance levels were far more obvious with phone interviewing. Telephone interviewers had to beg respondents to stay on for ‘just a

I started my career as a telephone interviewer. Later in my career, I insisted that my clients listen

of interviewing on their study. The client could easily hear the frustration from the respondent and feel the tension from the interviewer. In the majority of situations, the client would remove some questions they previously felt critical to include, and/or re-word some for ease of clarity. That same type of questionnaire pre-test simply did not exist online, and respondent tolerance levels could only be detected with sophisticated analytics.

Not all longer surveys are necessarily ‘bad’.

points tend to be long and repetitive brand and attribute lists), all contribute to overall respon-dent engagement. But, more times than not, online data quality issues were blamed on ‘bad respondents’ rather than bad surveys. The best

way to prevent bad behavior is not to encourage it with poor design. Design your study to go onto smartphone regardless of whether it actually will or not, that will be the best approach for all online surveys. Then go through your survey yourself, through the eyes of a respondent rather than just that of a researcher. Go through it on various devices—smartphones, tablets and PC’s. If you wouldn’t complete the survey, most respondents wouldn’t either.

As we boldly venture into the world of mobile data collection with caution appropriate for any methodology or industry evolution, we can take comfort in the fact that we will be thinking of our respondents more. This may have been a seren-dipitous or unintentionally forced event. Regard-less of how we got here, any turn that better allows our industries’ most precious resource—our consumers and respondents—to take our surveys when they want, where they want, on devices they prefer, in a manageable size, is a step in the right direction.

*Based on N=2600, with 30% incidence

Talk about ‘supersize me’, why in the world wouldn’t I want to collect 100% more information if it only cost me about 10% more to get it?“ “

This summer iModerate launched the QualTracker,

solutions that combines iModerate’s proprietary

cognitive framework, individual online

conversations, and cutting-edge text analytics.

and data in a scalable way, we wanted to learn more. We recently asked iModerate’s Managing Partner, Jen

What was the genesis for the QualTracker?

Our conversations have historically been integrated into surveys to help provide clarity around potential quantitative ambiguity. While most clients love the contextual insight qualitative approaches provide, they generally default to larger scale quant studies because there is comfort in numbers. Having seen the success of our conversations in teasing out the story contained in a quantitative survey, we often contemplated what the implications of scaling our qualitative conversations would be.

What would we be able to accomplish and solve for clients that wasn’t previously possible by conduct-ing hundreds of structured, consistent conversa-tions month over month? Could you actually predict the direction a metric was going to go in advance of that happening by simply asking people the right way? Could you tease out unmet needs that didn’t otherwise present themselves in a data set? Overall it was a pretty simple hypothesis really that just kept percolating to the point that we said, let’s test it and see.

What can a qualitative tracker accomplish for clients that other methods, both qual and quant, cannot?

Traditional qualitative methods, both online -

tative methods scale well but generally don’t

that ever so critical contextual relevancy. From a quantitative approach we might learn that someone will buy something but we frequently don’t actually know why. And that same issue arises when we step out of the ad-hoc space and look at longitudi-

Metrics move over time and while we see the change, we aren’t sure what’s driving it. Enter the world of longitudinal qualitative, where you see those trends and changes happening, and also know why. It’s context and scale, and with the addition of text analytics, it’s data and the story.

QUALITATIVEsurvey tools

an interview with iModerate’s Managing Partner, Jen Drolet

01

+

02Jen DroletManaging Partner, iModerate


END

04Can you tell me a little more about the role do text analytics play in analyzing the conversations?

Text analytics are a key part of what makes this approach possible. Analyz-ing large amounts of qualitative data is

type of researcher bias. Text analytics allow our team to see through the data independent of any preconceived as-sumptions.

Additionally, text analytics illustrates correlations between like concepts that might not have been otherwise evident. For example, we’ve been doing our own

in an effort to garner more insight behind that KPI. When running our conversations through our text analytics tool, “neighbor-hood” and “local” come up in the context of and relationship to the economy and

This insight helped us uncover the power

condition of the economy. 05

>

+

Given all the data in the world, is there really a need for this kind of approach?

Absolutely. Most data is void of context. Context is critically important in understanding what drives the numbers. As I mentioned, we’ve set up our own

proxy for many of the challenges that our clients face. Our insights have proven that context tells a much more robust story than a simple metric. Metrics can trend upwards or down but without digging deeper

to accurately forecast what is going to happen. There is great potential in marrying our tracker outcomes to more quantitative data sets as well.

What types of business questions lend themselves to a QualTracker?

-

approach. How is a particular audience navigating the path to purchase? How are they consuming content and why? In today’s world behaviors can shift on a dime with the introduction of new products and tech-nology. Staying in tune with an audience can prevent the negative consequences of being out of touch with a critical customer segment.

Understanding the competition is another well-suited application of the approach which can be accom-plished by engaging regularly with the competition’s customer base. Doing so can prevent you from being blindsided and help ensure you stay ahead of the pack.

hypothesizing why the number is trending, you can actually forecast what’s going to happen and formulate a strategy in advance.

03

>

LONGITUDINAL

Traditional qualitative methods,

don’t scale well.

““

SURVEY

tipSURVEY

tipAs more is learned in future years, perhaps neuromarketing research can evolve into a

this paper as descriptors for the person who conducts a qualitative project, regardless of project type.

While this article will primarily discuss in-person qualitative, most of the analytical concepts apply equally to online methods. Decisions at every step in planning, executing, and interpreting

reliability, and relevance of the ultimate analysis.

In recent years, data-collection methods have expanded from in-person focus group discus-sions, depth interviews, and observation to include online chats, bulletin board forums, online communities, and Web monitoring.

Some researchers would also include neuromarketing research (physiological measures of human reactions) as a part of the qualitative domain.

Neuromarketing Research

Much has been written about how to conduct qualitative research (that is, the techniques of moderating and interviewing), but com-paratively little has been published about the far more important task of analysis and reporting. The purpose of this primer is to share some basic ideas on how to achieve the greatest learning and the most profound insights from qualitative research.

interviews (such as focus groups, depth interviews, and ethnography or observation) to explore a topic.


MORE >

Qualitative AnalyticsBy: Jerry W. !omas, President, Decision Analyst

A Time & A Place

Qualitative research techniques are completely interactive, and that allows us to attack problems with thousands of variables, whereas most quantitative research is limited to fewer than 200 variables. Qualitative research is recommended…

research only when and where it is appropriate.

When you need to understand human motives. Qualitative can answer the

-sumers and business-to-business).

human motives

When you are studying intricate systems or processes. For example, what are all of the steps and actions,

involved in buying a new car?

systems or processes

When you are planning large-scale quantitative research and need to understand the consumer’s language, perceptions, issues, and range of answer choices to help design the questionnaire.

largescale

When marketing issues are especially complicated and confusing. The interactive nature of qualitative allows the moderator-analyst to navigate through very complex issues.

interactive nature

When sample sizes are very limited. If you cannot talk to large numbers of people, then get as much information

from each individual as possible.

sample sizes


MORE >

Not All Respondents Are Equal

respondents are chosen. Respondents are not equal in analytical value. Some are articulate, some are not. Some are knowledgeable, some are not. Some are aware of their own motives, while others are not. Some recruiting guidelines:

Try to make the sample as representative as possible of category users, including heavy users. Heavy users tend to know much more than light users or nonusers.

Don’t include so many screening hurdles that you end up with a very low-incidence and non-repre-sentative sample. Who cares what .005% of the target audience thinks?

Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Dallas. Choose markets based on target-market considerations, not

Consider screening the sample in some way to ensure that respondents can communicate, but beware of introducing bias. I once discovered that cowboys in the panhandle of Texas who dip snuff do so to avoid talking, so screening for good communicators would have destroyed the greatest single learning from the groups. In general, you will learn more from better communicators than poor communicators.

The moderator should also be the analyst. Sitting eyeball to eyeball with respondents gives the moderator information and clues that are not visible from behind a one-way mirror. A good moderator will begin to make inferences as the qualitative research unfolds, and will test those inferences in subtle ways (by taking the opposite point of view, for example, to test how strongly people feel on an issue). It’s not always possible for the moderator to be the analyst, but at a minimum, the moderator should have inputs to the analytic process.

Eyeball To Eyeball

Free The Moderator

Planning for the actual conduct of the qualitative research is a crucial step. Much of the analytical potential is deter-mined at this stage. The moderator and the client must invest substantial time in sharing information and ideas to ensure the research objectives are correct and precise. This up front planning should involve all of the key stakeholders in the client company. It’s essential that the moderator understands the situation, the background, the issues, the politics, and the risks related to the project.

It’s also essential that the client gives the moderator the freedom to de-sign the interview guide to achieve the objectives. Some clients like to dictate exactly what questions will be asked in what order, subverting group dynamics and discussion into a moderator-led

which greatly diminishes the reliability and analytic value of the groups. The

reveal patterns, issues, and motiva-

tions that mere questions would never uncover. Let the moderator design the guide; give the moderator the freedom to maneuver, to deviate from the guide, depending on events in the session.

It’s critically important that the cli-ent and the moderator build trust and

qualitative research can be conducted in an emotionally relaxed environment. A stressed or distrustful client creates a stressed moderator, who creates stressed respondents, and that inhibits the group discussion.

It’s generally best to limit the number of

The greater the number of observers, the less anyone in the backroom will see or hear. With a large number of ob-servers, the backroom clown or come-dian will have an audience to entertain. The greater the number of observers, the greater will be the stresses on mod-erator and respondents.

Qualitative Analytics


MORE >

The philosophy and style of the mod-erator are key determinants of analyti-cal outcomes. The ideal moderator is soft, low-key, nonthreatening, warm, accepting, and quiet. The goal is to let respondents tell their stories with minimal interference and bias from the moderator. Most questions

moderator mean less bias. A great moderator can guide a group discus-sion with very few words.

The goal of the moderator is to make respondents the center of attention. The moderator should be

to make respondents feel totally ac-

and competent. Moderators must downplay their own importance by the way they dress, how they act, and what they say. Even if an expert on the topic, good moderators will typically act as though they know nothing.

Moderators must be open to and accepting of all answers and information, and must not take any-thing for granted, or jump to con-clusions, or carelessly assume that something is true before vindicated

absolutely essential. If a moderator is highly opinionated on a subject, that moderator should not be permitted to conduct qualitative research on that subject. If a client is highly opinion-ated on a topic, that client should not

-tive research plan or the interpretation of results.

As the qualitative research progresses, some of the most important dimensions involved in analytics are:

Searching For Black Holes

Unconscious Motives

Symbolism

Psychological Projection

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Language

Metaphors

Omissions

Slips of the Tongue

Emotions

Intuition

Observation

Unconscious MotivesWhile we all like to think of ourselves as logical and rational, the truth is we are

not fully aware of and don’t fully understand. These unconscious factors include our fears, sublimated sexual drives, anxieties, status needs, dependencies on others, and dominance aspirations. The moderator-analyst searches for these underlying motives like an astronomer looks for black holes—inferring their pres-ence by studying what is happening around the edges and by measuring their

SymbolismAs moderators study the transcripts or videos, they are sensitive to the func-

prevents sunburn, hides nakedness), but it can also express symbolic values,

and the analyst must fully understand both. Much of modern marketing is based on understanding and exploiting products’ symbolic values.

Psychological ProjectionOften we see in others what we cannot see in ourselves, or refuse to admit about ourselves. The person who accuses others of gossip mongering is most likely the gossip. Good moderators incorporate projective techniques into the interview-

motives. For example, the moderator might encourage respondents to talk about their friends or neighbors, or about imaginary people or situations. The moderator might use pictures, collages, or inkblots as stimuli, or ask respondents to engage in role-playing, draw pictures, or make up stories.

LanguageThe analyst pays close attention to each respondent’s exact words and phrases, in much the same way as a lawyer or a detective. The details of language reveal a lot about a respondent’s motives, aspirations, emotions, behavior, biases, and

like to go to work or doesn’t like his or her job? Or, does it mean that respondent feels guilty about leaving the children at home?

MetaphorsWe use many different metaphors as we talk. For example, when talking about

suggests that love is sudden, unplanned, accidental, uncontrollable, and possibly dangerous. Nicely, since love is an accident, perhaps we don’t have to accept responsibility for our behavior either.

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Searching For Black Holes


OmissionsThe analyst is not only analyzing what was said, but is trying to identify and understand what was not said. These omissions can be clues that lead to new hypotheses and new understanding.

Slips of the Tongue

deeper feelings, issues, or prejudices. For example, if a re-

EmotionsWhen respondents suddenly burst out in laughter, the analyst circles back to review what triggered the outburst, and looks for the underlying causes. Often laughter is a way of dealing with stress or taboos. What were the stresses or taboos that led to the laughter, and how do these relate to the product or service under study? Tears also tell a story. Many years ago, while conducting a series of focus groups on jewelry, I was startled by female respon-dents starting to cry soon after each discussion would begin. As the groups unfolded, it became obvious that jewelry is more than

his woman.

Intuition

How do these respondents make the moderator feel? Are they be-ing open and honest, or are they hiding the truth? Are the respon-dents aware of their motivations, or are they deluding themselves?

these kinds of learning can only come from actually conducting the focus groups or depth interviews. That’s why it’s so important that the moderator also be the analyst.

Observation

but the ocean we all swim in is our culture. Often we are unaware of exactly what we are doing and why—because we have never known anything else. A little observation can go a long way.

A study of residents at a large real-estate development in a Central American country illustrates the point. Telephone interviews from the U.S. indicated that the country was very safe and that no one felt security was an issue. When the moderator arrived to person-ally observe the apartment complex and interview residents, he was shocked to discover that the complex was surrounded by rows of military-type razor wire with guards posted at entrances. Respondents in the country had adjusted to living in a highly inse-cure environment, and they considered the situation as normal.

Observing people in their homes, or while they are shopping in a store, can raise new questions and lead to new understanding. Observation does not have to be in person.

With digital cameras ubiquitous in many countries, respondents can be asked to submit photos of their refrigerators, their bath-rooms, their garages, their neighborhoods, or their friends. These photos can lead to new questions and new insights.

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There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to analyze qualitative data. True, software that purports to analyze qualitative data is available, but its val-ue tends to be limited. No software can take the place of an observant, analytical human mind. Analysis involves listening to tapes, watching videos, and reading transcripts of respondents’ verbatim statements. Respondents’ answers are often confusing, inconsistent, entangled, and complicated. The analyst spends many days poring over videos or transcripts again and again, striving to understand what it all means. Instant analysis is no analysis at all.

As moderators read transcripts and watch videos, they are search-ing for clues, like a detective at a murder scene. Or, like an archeolo-

these hypotheses (i.e., all the clues and artifacts) are logically grouped, the analyst reviews them multiple times, looking for relationships and linkages among the hypotheses and thinking deeply about what the hypotheses mean.

Clues And Artifacts

Through a deliberate process of inductive reasoning, the analyst arrives at a set of conclusions based on the hypotheses. The last step is developing the marketing recommendations based on the hypotheses and conclusions, as well as on the industry, category, and brand knowledge of the moderator-analyst.

The last step > RECOMMENDATIONS


Conclusions

END

Dog And Pony Show

In the hands of a good moderator-analyst, qualitative re-search is one of the most powerful analytical tools available to researchers and marketers, but the full value of the analysis is often lost—even in the best of written reports. Bring the

stakeholders at the same time in the same room, so that questions can be answered, ambiguities can be resolved, and marketing implications can be discussed.

The goal is for all stakeholders to leave the room with the same understanding of the results. It’s a way to help stakeholders achieve consensus and agree on next steps,

hypotheses.

The ultimate value of qualitative research is determined by the quality of the analysis. Get more from your qualitative research by working with moderators who understand the power of qualitative analytics.

Qualitative Analytics

By: Jerry W. !omas, President, Decision Analyst

WHO’S WHO 2014FOCUS GROUP MODERATORS

MERRILL SHUGOLLPresident

SHUGOLL RESEARCH


AB OUT MERRILL SHUGOLL

LOCATION Bethesda, MD

CONTACT(301) 656 - 0310

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHUGOLL RESEARCHwww.ShugollResearch.com

Merrill Shugoll is President of Shugoll Re-

service research division and currently leads the company’s qualitative practice.

Mrs. Shugoll began her career in marketing re-search shortly after graduating with a language degree from American University. Marketing research was the perfect career choice for someone with her natural curiosity. Her un-conditional positive regard for everyone makes it easy for people talk to her about anything. And her interest in discovering and analyzing how diverse people think and feel provides the type of daily challenge she craves. Simply put, Merrill chose a career in marketing research because she couldn’t imagine herself enjoying anything more.

Today, Mrs. Shugoll is a widely respected marketing researcher with extensive experi-ence conducting qualitative and quantitative research that helps to shape the strategic plan-

-nizations, trade and professional associations

and government agencies. She is a nationally known moderator who has conducted over 5,000 in-person and online qualitative sessions Mrs. Shugoll is particularly expert in consumer behavior theories and psycholinguistics and employs, when appropriate, state-of-the-art projective and ideation techniques to provide clients with an in-depth understanding of hu-man behavior particularly with regard to new product development, issues management and communications.

Prior to joining Shugoll Research, Mrs. Shugoll spent nearly a decade as the Senior Executive

Washington, D.C.

““

TOP MODERATOR

INDUSTRY BOARDS:

currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) and is active in the Qualitative Research Consultants As-sociation (QRCA).

Merrill is a past president of the National Board of Directors of the Marketing Research Association and past president of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Chapter of the American Marketing Association when she founded that Chapter’s Health Care Division.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONIn 2013, Merrill received the Honorary Lifetime Membership Award for Outstand-ing Service to the Marketing Research Association and the Marketing Research Profession. In addition, Merrill is the 1991 recipient of the prestigious Frank H. Weitzel Award for her dedication of cor-porate resources to the American Cancer Society’s research needs.

Merrill is particularly expert in consumer behavior theories and psycholinguistics and employs, when appropriate, advanced projective and ideation techniques to provide her clients with an in-depth understanding of human behavior particularly with regard to new product development, issues management and communications.

Title: President

SHUGOLL RESEARCH7475 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 200Bethesda, Maryland [email protected]

When conducted well, qualitative research yields a rich tableau of how human beings think, feel, behave and express themselves. I am passionately qualitative and proud of it.

KENDALL NASHSenior Qualitative Consultant

BURKE INC.


AB OUT KENDALL NASH

LOCATION Cincinnati, OH

CONTACT800.688.2674 TM

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BURKE INC.www.Burke.com

Over the course of her career, Kendall has con-ducted hundreds of in-person groups, IDIs, online bulletin boards/digital diaries and a host of other qualitative research techniques. Her range is so broad that one might think there couldn’t pos-sibly be any depth to it, but there is. A lot. In fact, Kendall is currently the president of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) and the instructor of Burke Institute: Next Generation Quali-tative Tools course; she’s truly passionate about sharing with other Qualitative Research Consul-tants and educating the industry.

What makes Kendall so unique is her ability to cross all platforms used in qualitative research. She is right at home in face-to-face qualitative research situations, but also has the technological savvy to develop and implement cutting edge techniques (her most recent foray into Google Glass as a perfect example). Kendall doesn’t fall prey to a

uses her breadth of knowledge as a toolkit for se-lecting the ideal technique for every research need.

Kendall’s clients really value the fact that she prefers to bring them along whenever possible, to maximize the return on their research dollars. This may translate into focused, intentional backroom activities for processing learning as it’s unveiled in

the Research, appropriately weaving clients into the dialogue when attending in-context (ethno-graphic) research, and actively engaging with the client team before and after the research to make sure objectives are clear and meaningful for the organization. Other feedback about Kendall has included comments about how she…

Has a relatable, approachable moderating style that allows consumers to open up and provide authentic insights.

Has an uncanny ability to create an organic conversation with consumers that always ultimately answers the key objectives of the research.

Is able to adjust her moderating style depend-ing on the population segment she’s talking

individual that call for changes in approach to garner the richest possible learning from them.

Truly connects with, and cares about, her participants. In fact, it’s fairly common for par-ticipants to hug Kendall when leaving a group because they felt important, cared about, and experienced a reciprocal interaction.

BURKE INC.500 West 7th Street, Cincinnati, OH [email protected]

CASE STUDY

““

TOP MODERATOR

What was the strategy behind the session?The client was interested in better understanding their teen consumers – their motivations, interests, priorities, desires for an in-store convenience store ex-perience, as well as preferences for frozen treat products and their promotions. Hallmarks of Millenials are independent ideas and an ability to create ideas and solutions when given a voice to do so. However, it’s also a tricky target to really immerse in unless you have an approachable style and strategically design the research to feel collaborative and engaging. The research design implemented was an app-enabled online bulletin board to engage with this teen target in an effort to get to know them, virtually tag-along with them as they went to the convenience store, and have them co-create with us regarding promotional ideas that would resonate with their demographic.

What techniques did they employ?The research leveraged several creative

consumers. The range of activities allowed teens of very different person-alities to express themselves in unique ways. Projective techniques, digital col-

to mirror familiar behaviors of social media platforms. Kendall used a mix of individual and group activities to draw out the preferences of the teens, as well as engage them with each other to really trigger creative thinking.

The teens felt they got to know Kendall well through the weekend

and beyond in providing images, videos, and thoughtful answers to primary and follow-up questions.

What tools did they use?Utilized multiple touch points (social media, smartphone app, and virtual research platform) for collecting holistic learning.

Title: Senior Qualitative Consultant

JAYCE TREIBLEDirector of Research Design &Analysis

NICHOLS RESEARCH INC.


AB OUT JAYCE TREIBLE

LOCATION Fremont, CA

CONTACT(408) 774-1630 TM

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NICHOLS RESEARCHwww.Nicholsresearch.com

Jayce is one of the ‘New Generation’ moderators, one of the few still in his 20s, who excels in usabil-ity, tech and moderating ‘digital natives’.

He began his moderating career, right out of col-lege, at C2 Research in Sacramento and was men-tored by a seasoned moderator for a few years before accepting a position at Nichols Research. He has excellent rapport with clients and respon-dents and is adept with social media, mobile and most other tech applications. He is skilled at uncovering rich data and recognizing what is most valuable when reporting results that answer the given research objectives and more. To enhance his current skills, he became a member of QRCA in 2013 and attended the annual conference in October.

CASE STUDYClient Research Topic: Emerging TechnologyMethodology: 6 Focus Groups (3 emerging technologies – each group focused on only one technology. 2 sessions per technology)Research Objective:

areas where users may utilize 3 different emerging technologies and understand how the technology will improve their experience.[Retail, Education, Healthcare, Environmental, Travel]

Techniques Used:Mind Mapping: the clients came to him thinking this project would be as simple as explaining the emerging technology and asking people how they would use it. Jayce certainly didn’t want them to walk away with just use cases; he wanted them to walk away with an understanding of the context behind why users would use the technology in

-derstand the role technology played in each of the participants’ life.

Jayce used a mind mapping exercise asking

This allowed him to gain insight into how partici-pants view technology and what/how it connects to their everyday life.

participants’ technology impact to the use cases

connections between the ways participants would use the technology and their technical prowess (i.e. use cases which were more helpful to some

NICHOLS RESEARCH INC.39141 Civic Center Drive, Ste 425, Fremont, CA [email protected]

CASE STUDY (Continued)

““

TOP MODERATOR

Storytelling: continuing the effort of providing context to each and every use -

throughout each and every 2 hour group, however, to understand the most

This storytelling allowed the clients to not only gain insight into how the partici-pant would use the technology but also:

Uncover areas of application they may have overlooked outside the im-mediate use case scenario.Compare to other groups to identify any cross use of the 3 technologies.

Surprise: In the end, the focus groups produced 228 unique use cases across all 3 technologies. However, the real surprise was the unaided connection partici-pants made between the 3 technolo-gies. Even prior to being exposed to the other 2 technologies, participants were designing scenarios and combining use cases to uncover unmet needs where technology could help.

These scenarios often times employed the current technology topic as well as the other 2 (mind you, on an unaided basis before they had been made aware of the other 2 technologies being tested).

This ease of connection between the 3 technologies resulted in the client shifting their thinking from designing 3 complete-ly separate products to designing 3 different products but with the capabilities of communication and integration across multiple platforms with each other. This will result in a new

multiple fronts.

Title: Director of Research Design and Analysis

SUSAN ADELMANPresident

ADELMAN RESEARCH GROUP


AB OUT SUSAN ADELMAN

LOCATION Buffalo, NY

CONTACT800.507.7969 TM

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADELMAN RESEARCHwww.SurveyService.com

Susan specializes in understanding behavior and attitudes utilizing custom designed research solu-tions, and has particular expertise in the Consumer Goods, Financial, Health Care and Wellness and Industrial/Manufacturing sectors.

She has worked extensively in the areas of Brand Image, Concept and Product Development, Needs Analysis, Ideation Facilitation, Ethnographies, and Name and Logo Testing utilizing internal and exter-nal ideation sessions and creative problem solving expertise.

Susan has facilitated hundreds of Focus Groups, IDI’s, Triads and Dyads utilizing traditional as well as emerging qualitative and quantitative method-ologies.

-tion at the Expert Level through the Marketing Research Association, is a member of QRCA, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association, and has had extensive training in idea generation, facilitation and creative problem solving.

She has studied at the Center For Studies In Cre-ativity, and The Center For Team Performance at The University of Buffalo School of Management.

CASE STUDYOur client is an educational products company who was in the process of developing a supple-mental online math program for middle school students and needed to gain a better understand-ing of reactions to the product concept and the program itself, to test the usability of the program and the viability of the product.

The target audiences for this product included 6th and 7th grade students, their parents, and middle school math teachers. With this in mind we need-ed to design a methodology to allow exposure and reactions to the concept itself for each segment individually, and provide a real world experience for product usage in a natural setting. We also wanted unbiased feedback regarding individual experi-ences with the program, and wanted the student experience to be different and unique from their parents.

ADELMAN RESEARCH GROUP1911 Sheridan DriveBuffalo, NY [email protected]

CASE STUDY (Continued)

TOP MODERATOR

Strategy/Techniques/Tools UsedThe strategy developed for the students and parents was multi-faceted and included the following >> Students and Parents:Phase I: Participation in a Pre-Product Exposure Concept Test Focus Group

We conducted focus groups with 6th grade and 7th grade students individually to assure an understanding of the any potential differences in attitudes and experiences between these grade levels. Focus groups were also conducted with the parents by grade level.To assure unbiased concept evaluations the students and parents com-pleted a booklet with rating questions followed by discussion regarding the elements of the product concept.

Outcome of Concept Testing:While there were graphic elements of

being too juvenile and needed to be changed, the overall reaction to the product concept was one of excitement and anticipation of having a program like this available with overall positive intent to purchase.

Unimagined insight – The most important insight gleaned from this research in addition to the need for a an educational pro-gram like this, was the unimagined difference between the positive reactions to the concept compared to the dissatisfaction with the product and change in intent to use or purchase after product us-

gap between the concept and actual product.

Title: President

Phase II: Completion of a Homework Assignment Including Use of the Online Prototype Program and an Online Experiential Survey.

Phase III: Participation in a Post Use Focus GroupThe students and parents participated in a post use focus groups to dis-cuss their experiences with the prototype program and intent to purchase following actual product usage.

KATHY A. FLAMENTSenior Analyst/Moderator

CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE LLC.


AB OUT KATHY A. FLAMENT

LOCATION Bolingbrook, IL

CONTACT630 412 8989

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT CUSTOMER LIFECYCLEwww.customerlifecycle.us

Kathy is a qualitative advocate and practitioner with Customer Lifecycle, LLC. She is a well-recognized expert in qualitative data collection, disruptive thinking, and research design. She has held leadership positions with the NAHB Research Center and Flament Associates, LLC. She holds an MBA in marketing research from Northeastern University and a BA in foreign languages from

the Burke Institute in Advanced Moderating. With over 25 years of experience in conducting qualita-tive research and analysis, Kathy has successfully assisted well over 100 clients in understanding their customers thinking and behavior, both in-person and online. Many times, Kathy’s work kicks off a project with an exploration of topics that are subsequently measured using quantitative tools.

Kathy consults with clients on research designs and analyses that make products and services more meaningful. She focuses on ensuring cus-tomer loyalty all along the lifecycle by uncovering customers’ awareness, needs and aspirations for now and for the future. In addition, she assists clients in new product development, ad concepts, and messaging.

Kathy has assisted small-and medium-sized busi-nesses as well as global, Fortune 100 companies. Kathy’s experience includes B2B and B2C clients

services, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, public outreach and advocacy, residential construction, and heavy manufacturing. Kathy brings agility in pulling solutions from one industry to another and creative thinking to generate wide ranges of solu-tions.

Kathy has been a guest lecturer at Boston Uni-versity, a speaker at the New England chapter of the Marketing Research Association and the International Builders’ Show. Kathy has also been invited to participate in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Enterprise Forum. Kathy facili-tated meetings of boards of directors for the Steel Framing Alliance and annual members’ meetings of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association.

CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE, LLC.319 N. Weber Road, #360, Bolingbrook, IL 60490

““

TOP MODERATOR

Kathy has a knack for taking on the impossible and making sense of the chaotic.

Most recently, she completed an assignment for a client in a very specialized industry that has limited sample pool. With her charm and wits she accom-plished a virtual census of all available repondents deploying telephone in-depth interviews. Where needed, she got creative in terms of methodology in order to boost sample size. What is notable about that is that she handled respondent surprises without missing a beat.

UNCANNYShe has an uncanny ability to cut to the chase when it comes time to analyze,

-ings of the research.

Time and time again our clients have commented on the exceptional quality of the reports and the deep insights they have gained from conducting the qualitative research.

Clients have recognized and honored her as being one of the best moderators they have had the privilege of working with. Her mind processes information in unique ways, and our

Title: Senior Analyst/Moderator

ROB ILESManaging Director

STUDY HALL RESEARCH


AB OUT ROB ILES

LOCATION Tampa, FL

CONTACT(813) 849-4255

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT STUDY HALL RESEARCHwww.studyhallresearch.com

Rob has an extremely in-depth knowledge of Restaurant, Retail, and Healthcare verticals. Back-ground in advertising and brand strategies as well as research. Rob is a career moderator and has conducted upwards of 4K qualitative encounters in his career.

CASE STUDY #1A global retailer needing to dimensionalize a spe-

The key strategy for this research was as follows: Recruit and interview customers across a range of key shopper segments for a series of in-depth in-home ethnographic interviews. BUT…base these interviews on ‘real time and real place’ details for each customer, interviewing them at the times they are most engaged with the brand.

What techniques did they employ?For recruitment, an online outreach survey using the client’s extensive customer segmentation database in key research markets. The screening

and engagement behaviors (when the shopper is most engaged, the media they use for engage-ment, etc.) In all research markets, response rates

hands’ voluntarily for research. And these were, by

CASE STUDY #2A global restaurant brand in need of a foundation for its futurebrand

What was the strategy behind the research?The client had retained the services of a noted restaurant design and experience consultancy, and rough conceptual ideas had been developed.

But Rob realized early on that traditional ‘concept evaluation’ qualitative research would not likely

From Rob’s extensive experience with restau-rant guests, we knew that asking for a review of conceptual ideas would provide analysis of those

introduction of additional ideas from the guests themselves.So we had to structure the qualitative groups in segments.

The key strategy for this research was as follows: Recruit a range of guest segments (current brand users, lapsed users, non-aware non-averse non-users) for a series of ‘Cre-valuation’ groups that combined creative idea generation from partici-pants as well as concept evaluation.

STUDY HALL RESEARCH1120 E Kennedy Blvd Suite 230 Tampa, FL [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

CASE STUDY #2 (Continued)For recruitment, screening criteria included general restaurant cat-egory use behaviors, but also brand use or non-use, and category acceptance/aversion screens.

Because of the nature of the client, a ‘food use’ screen was also

food within their consideration set. (The client brand has a

category users who were non-averse to menu offerings).

A Cre-Valuation Approach

were given nothing more than a simple white-card concept statement. The statement had been written to deliberately avoid any overt design or experience cues.

Groups were then divided into teams and given time, materials (visuals, etc.) and other tools—and asked to ‘create the concept’ on key dimensions: food, atmosphere, service, bar, and others. A ‘gloves off’ approach was used.

Group interaction with concept elements via a ‘layering on’ discussion whereby additional elements of the consultancy design/plan were introduced.

Then - and only then - was the client brand introduced.

the use of a traditional facility approach, thus ensuring con-tinued use and support of this longstanding and valued part of the qualitative industry.

Title: Managing Director

LIZ WHITEDirector of Research

BUZZBACK


AB OUT LIZ WHITE

LOCATION New York, NY

CONTACT646-519-8010

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUZZBACKwww.Buzzback.com

Liz has been with BuzzBack Market Research (the supplier we used for the qualitative work outlined below) for over 9 years. During this time she has designed and implemented hundreds of qualitative projects and specializes in designing and con-ducting qualitative research primarily for the food and beverage, beauty and personal care indus-tries. More importantly, over the past 3 years she has been instrumental in developing BuzzBack’s proprietary online qualitative platform. This platform features proprietary projective and enabling tech-niques derived from traditional qualitative research and adapted to online forums and communities.

Liz is well versed in qualitative methodologies such as traditional focus groups, online groups, forums and IDI’s. Most importantly for us, she is an ef-fective moderator and a strategic partner, deftly guiding decision-making in innovation.

As illustrated in the example below, she has an

and deliver true insights. Her vast experience with qualitative methods and BuzzBack’s unique projec-tive and enabling techniques results in uncovering

behaviors. She is able to engage and include all respondents regardless of whether the research is conducted in person and/or online and keep the interaction going. She also knows the categories

she specializes in very well and is able to connect with and interview highly specialized targets (e.g., key Mom segments, endurance athletes, category early adopters, etc.).

She is smart and articulate, able to explain compli-cated concepts in simple terms and change direc-

Liz also is always on top of what’s new in the industry regularly attending qualitative seminars like RIVA and qualitative conferences and events.

CASE STUDYA Buzzback client was developing an innova-

beyond consumer expectations for our existing -

signed help us resolve an unanticipated disconnect between the product experience and communica-

We chose to utilize BuzzBack’s proprietary online -

nous forum that allowed us to reach respondents

usage and enable them to iterate/collaborate based on what we leaned originally and how we adapted the thinkingwhen optimizing communi-cations language and aligning that with product experiences.

BUZZBACK1500 Broadway, Suite 505, New York, NY [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

CASE STUDY (Continued)The study that Liz designed used a number of projective tech-niques, asking respondents to imagine others in a variety of situa-tions and project how they would react and what they would think and do. These techniques were employed to help respondents disassociate from the topic and the product experience and to un-

and the communication. Image-based enabling techniques were also used as catalysts to thinking and articulation to dig deeper into needs and belief and to gauge consumer language around category needs and product experiences.

Tell A Friend - Find an ImageLiz used some traditional qualitative techniques such

drag and drop along with BuzzBack’s proprietary projective and enabling techniques such as Thought Bubble and eCollage. These techniques were select-ed to tap into emotions and dormant associations as well as to obtain consumer language and language patterns to aid with communication optimization.

In the end, with Liz’s skillful probing and ability to modify direction real time as we gained new insights,

from our original assumption.

Once we realized this, Liz was able to guide the respondents

that fully captured the essence of the product experience. We are currently launching this product to overwhelmingly positive reactions from both retailers and consumers and anticipate a highly successful introduction.

Title: Director of Research

BRUCE ALLEN BEALPresident

BEAL RESEARCH SERVICES


AB OUT BRUCE ALLEN BEAL

LOCATION Chicago, IL

CONTACT(773) 857-2660

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEAL RESEARCHwww.BealResearch.com

Beal uses a mixed qual-quant methodology with perception dials. He does a lot of preperation work to understand how to uniquely engage with respondents in target segments long before conducting research. We used several different facilities, but the key component was the moderator.

Case StudyInsights: Beal’s probing questions of group participants, relying

-ponent of a marketing plan.

Doing his homework and highly engaging with us before the groups, he understood where our concerns were and seized upon an unplanned opportunity to follow up with respondents to gather insights that gave us the perspective we needed.

His presence in the room broke down barriers and, we deter-mined after the fact from customer feedback, provided an excep-tionally enjoyable and valuable experience to our own customers.

to thank us for valuing their feedback.

BEAL RESEARCH SERVICES625 W Barry Ave,Chicago, IL [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

“The Dial Guy”When you really need to know what all of your respondents think,

focus group research projects.

Since 2000, Bruce Alan Beal has helped researchers use audi-ence response systems to hold mixed-methodology focus group projects. He has used his Qual/Quant research methodology in Product Design, Marketing, Jury and Political research projects.

Diversity of Experience

Bruce has a unique blend in-depth education and diversity of experience in mixed-methodology re-search designs. His dial groups and mixed-method-ology projects are the best in the business.

Bruce has held research in : nearly all 50 US States, 9 countries in Europe, Asia, N. & S. America, and Austra-lia. Bruce utilizes several languages including: French, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Korean, Swedish, English, German and Portuguese.

Over the past decade, his client’s research groups have had 3 to 100 respondents, been 30 minutes, to 8 hours long, run 1/2 day, to one week and covered an extraordinary range of topics.

Title: President

LISA FUCHSDirector of Community Services

KL COMMUNICATIONS


AB OUT LISA FUCHS

LOCATION Red Bank, NJ

CONTACT(732) 224-9991

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT KL COMMUNICATIONSwww.KLCommunications.com

Lisa, Director of Community Research Services for KL Communications, is also known as an ideation specialist.

She started out as a news & sports reporter for a high circu-lation newspaper, and incorporates her unique interviewing and research skills into her work as an online qualitative re-searcher. She has been spearheading KL Communications’ online qual projects – most notably CrowdWeaving ideation studies - for over 5 years. She has moderated online ethnog-raphies and ideation studies within the education, transpor-tation, CPG, and media industries, among other verticals.

KL COMMUNICATIONS50 English Plaza, Suite 6B Red Bank, NJ [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

CASE STUDY

As head moderator for KL Communications, Lisa strives to make a personal connection with every single participant and uses that approach to start a meaningful conversation that uncovers hidden insights, rather than simply having a question-and-answer session.

Journalistic Style

Her journalistic style helps to create a feedback loop that engages clients as well as consumers, enhancing the research experience and allowing

feedback.

She aims to get to the bottom of the

understand their behaviors, wants and needs.

She then weaves these stories into her overall insights to add perspective, and help the client truly understand the voice of the consumer.

Title: Director of Community Services

SUSAN ABBOTTCustomer Insight Consultant

ABBOTT RESEARCH


AB OUT SUSAN ABB OT T

LOCATION Toronto, ON

CONTACT416-481-7409

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT ABBOTT RESEARCHwww.AbbottResearch.com

Susan Abbott is a specialist in customer insight and creative problem solving.

Prior to forming Abbott Research & Consult-ing in 2001, Susan led the marketing-re-

She is also a former vice-president of the TD Bank Financial Group, one of North America’s

held diverse general management positions.

Susan has been a qualitative research consultant for 13 years, following a successful

She holds the MRIA’s CMRP research desig-nation, as well as having extensive training as a moderator, and in related disciplines such

as creative problem solving and facilitation. Considered a leader by her peers, she was twice elected to the board of QRCA. She is a frequent conference speaker on top-ics related to qualitative research, customer experience and customer innovation.

Think Global QualitativeSusan is the co-founder of Think Global Qualitative, a global alliance of senior qualita-tive specialists. Through this alliance, we can provide clients with expert coverage of any major global market.

ABBOTT RESEARCH + CONUSLTING18 Banff Road, Toronto, ON Canada M4S [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

CASE STUDY

Susan conducted a multi-part study with dog owners in Canada to identify opportunities for category innova-

a second phase was also conducted online – a one week discussion forum where all the dog owners in

themes.

DATA . DATA . DATA .

of data, taking us into the lives of the own-ers. 80 photographs and 46 video clips were generated by the 12 owners in the study.

She is co-author of an upcoming book (Paramount Publishing) on how to conduct online qualitative research studies.

A number of potential areas for category innovation -

ogy aided communication, travel accessories, unmet needs in training, as well as a general opportunity to improve the design aesthetics of many established product categories (e.g. cages, barriers, clothing).

Title: Customer Insight Consultant

The insights Beth was able to uncover from the patients paved the way for co-creation of concepts and messag-

behavior.

BETH THOMPSON Ph.D.Vice President, Qualitative Research Services

CMI RESEARCH


AB OUT BETH THOMPSON, Ph.D.

LOCATION Atlanta, GA

CONTACT770-936-0714

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUTCMI RESEARCHwww.CMIResearch.com

Who is Beth Thompson?Beth Thompson is a leader in qualitative research with over 20 years of experience successfully conducting both domestic and international projects for Fortune 500 clients. Her experience spans both traditional as well as digital mediums and she excels at selecting the precise qualitative methodology or tools to best meet the unique business objectives of her clients. Beth has moderated thousands of interviews and focus groups over her career and is known for her ability to tell a story through the insights she has garnered.

CASE STUDYA major pharmaceutical company entered the US prescription weight loss market with a new drug. Because of the complexity of the choices faced by consumers when deciding

whether and how to lose weight, the client partnered with CMI to conduct a Patient Pathway study.

In the face of very personal and complex subject matter, CMI employed an integrated quantitative and qualitative approach. The quantitative study outlined the key steps in the pathway and uncovered the areas of intervention. The qualitative study deepened the insights at the triggers and touchpoints

deeper emotional elements.

CMI RESEARCH2299 Perimeter Park Drive Atlanta, GA [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

CASE STUDY (Continued)How Beth Thompson did it.Employing online bulletin boards with patients, Beth was able to take the previously developed insights to the next level. She moderated three separate online boards, one for each of the three segments

period of two weeks. Beth designed a highly im-mersive, ethnographic approach that included video diaries, photos, and projective exercises designed to dive deep into the psychological and emotional aspects of weight loss.

For example, one of the exercises involved using the visual of an obstacle course as a metaphor for the barriers standing in the way of patients’ weight loss attempts. This revealed that the barriers to weight loss include both internal factors, like their own self-esteem, and external variables, such as how society perceives them and their weight loss journey. As a result, these insights informed our client’s strategy on how to move patients further along the path to prescription therapy by including language that resonates with patient perceptions as well as societal views in a particular segment.

The future of delivering actionable insights is an integrated approach. Quantitative research answers the ‘how’ and immersing yourself in your consumers’ world answer’s the ‘why?’

The why uncovered the deeply held beliefs, motivations -

ings of the integrated study, the brand team was able to gain a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the patient experience allowing them to craft strategies that

Title: Vice President, Qualitative Research Services

GARY FRIEDENPresident

FRIEDEN QUALITATIVE SERVICES


AB OUT GARY FRIEDEN

LOCATION Sherman Oaks, CA

CONTACT(818) 789-6894

TMTO LEARN MORE ABOUT FRIEDEN QUALITATIVEwww.GaryFrieden.com

Located in Sherman Oaks, California, I mod-erate focus groups both locally and nation-ally. I am a Qualitative Research Consultant as well, recommending the design that I feel would be best for your research needs. This also includes moderating ONLINE FOCUS GROUPS WITH WEBCAMS, saving travel

cities can simultaneously participate in the same focus group. Of course, I conduct IN-PERSON focus groups as well, traveling wherever necessary.

Analytical Reports can be provided as an option, should you desire additional depth. Speaking of depth, my one-on-one interviews really get at the heart of the matter, going far beyond surface responses.

My style is quite unique -- developed and honed over the years, my philosophy and

method of conducting focus groups is what makes the Frieden difference. Respondents are never bored, and, in fact, look forward to

clients are often on the edge of their seats while viewing the sessions, anxious to see

style should help your company to realize your goal.

FRIEDEN QUALITATIVE SERVICES2299 Perimeter Park Drive Sherman Oaks, CA [email protected]

““

TOP MODERATOR

Importantly, my work is built on relationships that I build over time with my clients. Relationships are what it is all about. I want you to succeed, and I will work my hardest to ensure that result. Client service is key to building those relationships -- being approachable, being there for you when needed.

I’ve known Gary for more than 25 years and he is hands down one of the classic, and best moderators in the industry. His range of product and category knowl-edge is deep and varied given his experiences over these years. He is well-schooled in his art and clients absolutely adore him and his style.

Gary’s style makes people feel comfortable sharing their deepest emotions and opinions, and as a conse-quence he is able to elicit insights that most modera-tors can only touch the surface of in their interactions.

John Iacoviello , LEK Consulting

This is the magic ingredient upon which I pride myself and from which

Importantly, my work is built on relationships that I build over time with my clients. Relationships are what it’s all about. I want you to succeed, and I will work my hardest to ensure that result.

Title: President

SURVEYNews

Research Now Appoints Ed Russo as SVP of Marketing, Americas

Former SVP at uSamp and Sr. Director at Hilton Hotels Corp. to Oversee Americas Marketing Function

PLANO, Texas – June 3, 2014 – Research Now, the global leader in permission-based, digital data collection, announced the appointment of Ed Russo to Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Americas. As-suming his new position, Russo will play an integral role in the planning, organizing and management of all marketing functions in the Americas.

Russo brings with him nearly 15 years of brand management and marketing experi-ence in the market research industry, as well as the hospitality industry. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at uSamp, where he launched the brand and created the overall marketing strategy for its offerings worldwide.

Previous to this, Russo served in multiple -

tions Analyst, and then as Senior Director of Brand Management – for Hilton Hotels Corp., where he helped launch the luxury brand

of hotels based on the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. Russo started his professional career on Wall Street as an analyst at stock brokerage and asset man-

J.B. Hanauer & Co.

In his new role, Russo will report to Manag-ing Director of Americas John Rothwell, who

-en track record in successfully launching two corporate brands and delivering the brand promise will be transformative for Research Now as we continue to build upon a consis-tent brand execution and marketing message for our clients. I am pleased to welcome his

Russo graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree

the company’s global headquarters in Plano, Texas.

About Research NowResearch Now, the leading digital data col-lection provider, powers market research

insights. We enable companies to listen to and interact with the world’s consumers and business professionals through online panels, as well as mobile, digital and social media technologies. Our team operates in

the market research industry’s leader in client satisfaction. We foster a socially responsible culture by empowering our employees to give

-tion with us, visit www.researchnow.com.


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Millward Brown Acquires EffectiveBrandsCombines Leading Global Marketing Strategy Consulting Firm with Millward Brown Optimor to form Millward Brown Vermeer.

PAGE 087

Market Research BulletinTop source for market research news, research topics, research methods, research studies, research papers and the resources driving market research best practices.

FocusVision acquires RevelationQualitative research technology takes a leap forward as FocusVision Worldwide buys Revelation.

TNS launches quick turnaround tool to identify winning concepts for business growth

Global research consultant, TNS, has launched an ‘ex-press’ concept screening tool that allows businesses to determine in as little as 24 hours whether a new product idea will drive top-line busi-ness growth.

eValuate express will be launched in the US, UK, China, Germany, Aus-tralia and The Netherlands in July, and rolled out to over 20 markets before the end of the year. In as little as 24 hours, it can assess whether an innovation has the potential to attract new customers, or whether it risks ‘cannibalising’ other products from the existing franchise or client portfolio.

With so many new product failures, companies should be questioning whether current systems are ap-proaching this vital phase of the in-novation process correctly. Compa-nies must determine which concepts are best placed to drive growth before huge budgets are dedicated to R&D, product and packaging development and marketing cam-paigns. eValuate express enables companies to do so because it measures the incremental growth the concepts will deliver rather than other outdated measures.

Also, unlike traditional screening tools, which give equal weight to ev-ery respondent, this approach looks at consumer behaviour at an indi-vidual level – for example, whether someone has a high or low probabil-ity of purchasing the new product.

This allows a much more accurate prediction of the ‘expected value’ that each customer will provide.

tool, Concept eValuate, brands

faster turnaround time of just 24 hours. Organisations today are under increased pressure to drive growth from innovation and get new products to market quicker while reducing failure rates simultane-ously. eValuate express provides the growth insight they need with the turnaround time they require.

David Soulsby, Global Director, In-novation and Product Development,

‘green light’ involves committing

development, so concept screening is a critical phase in the innovation process. However, decisions at this stage often have to be made quickly to drive speed to market.

concepts with the highest trial potential. However, this approach

these ideas don’t always provide the best growth opportunity – due to the value-destroying menace of

helps to identify and prioritise those concepts that will deliver growth for your company. And it provides results in as little as 24 hours after commissioning a study to help you

TNS launches quick turnaround tool to identify winning concepts for business growth

New express tool

helps improve

speed to market

for successful

innovation.

ITWP Acquires Harris Interactive Europe from Nielsen

ITWP Acquisitions Lim-ited, the parent com-pany of Toluna, a leading digital market research and technology com-pany, today announces the acquisition of Harris Interactive SAS in France, Harris Interactive AG in Germany and Harris Inter-active UK (Harris Interac-tive Europe) from Nielsen. Frédéric-Charles Petit is CEO of ITWP, and will oversee both Toluna, and Harris Interactive Europe. Petit is Toluna’s founder and CEO.

This acquisition expands ITWP’s existing footprint in the digital market re-search industry, as ITWP has been the sole share-holder of Toluna since 2011. Harris Interactive Europe blends sector expertise with award-win-ning research designs to deliver tailored solutions to clients seeking strate-gic input. Toluna operates the world’s largest global social voting community, and couples this global respondent access with transformative data col-lection, reporting and visualisation products.

Europe, Harris Interac-tive, is a well-respected provider of digital market research services with cutting-edge method-ologies, and Toluna is revolutionising market research through a com-bination of world-class technology, innovative

approaches and seam-less real-time access to millions of consumers. Leaders in their own right, there are opportunities for both companies to enhance current offer-ings to clients. ITWP will continue to invest in the growth and success of both Toluna and Harris Interactive Europe, which will operate as separate entities servicing their

Nielsen has owned Harris Interactive Europe since February 2014. As part of the purchase by ITWP, Nielsen will become a minority shareholder in ITWP, and has separately entered into a mutual strategic cooperation agreement encompassing access to Toluna global panel, as well as, its world-class technology.

to have found the right home for Harris Interac-tive Europe within our strategic partner, ITWP, which through Toluna, will give us the ability to collaborate on market research technologies as

Itzhak Fisher – EVP of Global Business Develop-

Harris Interactive and Toluna have been col-laborators and custom-ers of one another for many years and we look forward to our continued


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Social Lens Research con-ducted an in-depth study for Mobile Future to under-stand whether high mobile adoption among Hispanics translates into increased us-age for business. The focus of the Hispanic Business Growth and the Mobile Fu-

mobile is having on Hispanic-owned business growth and productivity.

In partnership with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and La-tinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media (LATISM), the study surveyed 513 Hispanic small business owners.The study demonstrates the multitude of ways that Hispanic business owners are turning to mobile to grow and manage their businesses with great results.Key Findings:

Growth: Mobile usage is translating into business growth (62%) with new clients and more sales. Many participants reported over 20% growth from using mobile technology.

Productivity: Most Hispanic businesses save at least one hour a day due to mobile usage (83%), a majority save

(39%) or 4+ hours a day (15%).

helping Hispanic businesses respond to customers faster (67%) and reach more cus-tomers via mobile optimized listings (38%) and a mobile friendly site (37%).

Key Business Activities: Most businesses use mobile apps to post on social media (82%), calendar (81%) and take notes (71%). Many also use mobile for more com-plex tasks, such as bank-ing (55%), content creation (51%), purchases (32%) and expense tracking (29%).

Day without Mobile: Most said a day without mobile would impact their business (94%) and nearly 53% said

-

Future Impact: A majority of businesses expect increased

future, with 52% expecting a

Additional Mobile Resources Needed: Most Hispanic busi-nesses want additional tools and resources (82%). Mobile marketing know-how (53%) and more useful business apps (43%) top the list of de-sired tools. Many even want to learn to code mobile apps themselves (38%) .

New Study: Hispanic Business Growth and the Mobile Future

MAY 2014 SURVEY MAGAZINE 069

(Infographic)

Award WinnerAlso Awarded Honorable Mention for ‘Best Use of Feedback Solutions’

Customer Excellence Award and an honorable mention in a second category – Best Use of Feedback Solutions – for its commitment to exceptional customer experience. The accolades demonstrate SSI’s long-term commitment to delivering the best customer experience possible.

tracking studies of over a million people in 20 countries.

SSI generates as it works in true partnership with its

Europe and senior vice president of professional services.

project to deliver highly customized, engaging and insight-ful questionnaires and data sets, spanning many coun-tries, languages and categories while exceeding industry

The project kicked off in early 2013 and covers three busi-ness groups at a large international electronics manufac-turer. In total, it includes 12 categories, each divided into multiple product and country combinations.

READ MORE >> www.MarketResearchBulletin.com

Millward Brown, a global leader in brand, media and commu-nications research, announced it has acquired EffectiveBrands

one of the world’s leading global marketing strategy consult-

combine EffectiveBrands with Millward Brown Optimor, its strategy consulting unit, to form Millward Brown Vermeer. Mill-ward Brown Vermeer will work with the world’s leading CMOs

strategy to drive brand-led busi-ness growth.

investors demand increased transparency and value from companies, business leaders face unprecedented complexity

-

the formation of Millward Brown Vermeer, we are strengthening and expanding our offer to help organizations answer the key questions that unleash brand-led business growth and ensure that the resulting strategies are implemented effectively around the world. We very much wel-come the EffectiveBrands team

EffectiveBrands was founded in 2001 by Marc de Swaan Arons and Frank van den Driest. The

65 employees, bring extensive brand marketing experience to client engagements. Effective-Brands’ Marketing2020 study is recognized as the most global and comprehensive CMO re-search program ever conducted and helps global CMOs align marketing strategy, structure,

and capability with business growth.

Brown Vermeer brings together a unique combination of talent, experience and locations to offer

end global marketing strategy

on driving brand-led business

forces with Millward Brown Op-timor to create a unique offer for

Millward Brown Vermeer will be led by an executive board, including Mario Simon, cur-rently president and global chair of Millward Brown Optimor, as CEO; van den Driest as chief

Swaan Arons as the company’s CMO.

excited to be bringing together, in an unprecedented way, the power of strategy consulting and marketing practitioner ex-pertise to create a ‘whole-brain’

In addition to the Marketing2020 study, Millward Brown Vermeer’s thought leadership includes the BrandZ™ brand valuation data-base, which powers the annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking, along with studies for the Chinese and Latin American markets. Mill-ward Brown Vermeer will serve

New York, London, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Cape Town, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney.

Millward Brown Acquires EffectiveBrandsCombines Leading Global Marketing Strategy Consulting Firm with Millward Brown Optimor to form Millward Brown Vermeer.


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The NPD Group, Inc., a global information company, has named George Terhanian Group President and

in Port Washington and will report to Randy Smith, Group President, Product Management & Develop-ment.

In his new role, Terhanian will have responsibility for the global Research Sciences, Panel Management, and Analytics & Modeling functions of NPD. The role

focus on analytics-based solutions and continued in-novation in consumer panel research.

Most recently, George Terhanian was Chief Strategy

Toluna, a leading panel management company. Prior to joining Toluna, he spent nearly 14 years at Harris Interactive in leadership positions including President, Global Solutions; President, Global Internet Research; and President, Harris Interactive Europe. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of both the Advertis-ing Research Foundation (ARF) and the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO).

research industry and possesses extensive manage-ment experience, especially with regard to consumer panels, as well as outstanding credentials in statistical

a critical role as we continue to transform our busi-ness, addressing an expanding array of client needs

Terhanian holds a Ph.D. from the University of Penn-sylvania and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard, and is the author of numerous, published research articles. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Haverford College. He resides in New York City.


iModerate Raises the Bar for Market Research with First-Ever Longitudinal Qualitative Product Suite.

Consumers Over Time.

iModerate, the leading qualitative

suite of longitudinal qualitative solutions that combines iModer-ate’s proprietary cognitive frame-work and individual conversations with cutting-edge text analytics to bridge the gap between traditional trackers and the context produced from consumer dialogue.

The solutions, titled Audience Tracker, KPI Tracker, and Competi-tive Tracker, allow clients to engage consumers more with topical consistency so they can be more proactive, identify new opportuni-

and strategies, and stay ahead of the competition.

Audience Tracker: Gives clients the ability to go further than just market and behavioral data and es-tablish consumer intimacy in order to stay on top of their audiences’ changing desires, attitudes and behaviors. KPI Tracker: Allows clients to better understand the drivers behind key performance indicator

movement and shed light on what to improve and what to replicate to proactively impact the numbers. Competitive Tracker: Helps clients gauge consumers’ percep-tion of and relationship with their competition and attachment to their offerings, ensuring they know where they stand, how to react and how to move forward.

providing research at scale, but consumers are less patient and responsive than they used to be, resulting in fatigue and less in-depth insights. Traditional qualita-tive methods are great at providing insight depth, but don’t scale. Our new portfolio addresses these de-

stream of consumer dialogue that is then examined using cutting-edge text analytics and human expertise to help clients get out of their reactive rut and discover

said Jen Drolet, iModerate’s Man-

bring this new approach to market at a time when the market most

The two businesses will merge to become one com-pany.The Revelation Next mobile and web qualitative research apps will be incorporated in the FocusVision product suite.Clients will be able to integrate use of the Revelation Next app with their live facility-based and webcam qualitative research.Steve August, Revelation’s founder becomes Chief

Revelation today announces that it has been acquired by FocusVision, the leading global provider of technology solutions to the qualitative market research industry. Rev-elation Next will become a product of FocusVision, joining the company’s suite of live video streaming and real time online digital qualitative research products.

FocusVision provides research facility video streaming, webcam focus groups, ethnography streaming and mobile device usability studies. FocusVision will now offer Rev-elation Next, the iOS and Android app, which facilitates in-the-moment digital qualitative research. FocusVision will be the only qualitative research technology company able to support qualitative research conducted; in-person, online, mobile, in real-time, and in over 50 countries worldwide.

our business. Before making this acquisition, we evaluat-ed the different qualitative research platforms and selected Revelation because of its cutting edge design, unique activity-based approach and ability to support a myriad of qualitative methods including bulletin boards, mobile

diaries, projective and innovation exercises. Revelation has been at the forefront of innovation in technology for quali-tative research. Together we are setting a new standard in qualitative insights technology, allowing us to continue to innovate, to support our global customers and to drive our

supports our vision of driving innovation in the indus-try. Qualitative research has seen an explosion of new technology over the last ten years, but researchers have needed to go to separate providers for both face-to-face and digital methods. Through joining forces, we are able to provide all-encompassing qualitative research support by combining the technology of Revelation Next with the

About RevelationFounded in 2007 by Steve August, Revelation creates technology which enables digital qualitative research. Our mobile app, Revelation Next, is used by the world’s top marketing and research agencies, and consumer goods companies to get unprecedented access to the behaviors, responses and motivations of their consumers ‘in the moment’. With headquarters in Portland, Oregon, our fast-growing company of 20+ people supports online qualitative research studies across the globe.

About FocusVisionFocusVision is the leading global provider of technology solutions to the qualitative market research industry. Our services allow research professionals to engage with re-spondents in any place, at any time. FocusVision has 120

and Singapore.

FocusVision acquires Revelation

as FocusVision Worldwide buys Revelation.


Marlies Kerklaan, a 20-year specialist in marketing re-

Director for the Benelux region.

In her new position, Kerklaan is responsible for all sales and operations for SSI in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and will work with SSIers to oversee the interests of clients and partners across a variety of indus-tries, such as banking, healthcare, marketing, advertising, information technology and consumer products.

Prior to joining SSI, Kerklaan was a business manager at Blauw Research, leading the team responsible for all branding-related studies. She managed both team and client relationships, and was in charge of business devel-opment. Kerklaan lead the team to develop surveys and new research techniques. Amongst her key achievements at Blauw was the introduction of qualitative techniques in online questionnaires, providing clients a deeper under-standing of the market and target audiences.

team. Besides her impressive background in market re-search, she is in the unique position of sharing her experi-

look forward to working with Marlies to strengthen SSI’s position as the market research solutions leader in the

From 1994 to 2004, Kerklaan worked for Heliview Mar-ketingservice in Breda, the Netherlands. While there she designed and conducted numerous qualitative and quan-titative research studies, specializing in customer relation surveys.

Kerklaan earned a master’s degree in economical psychol-ogy and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Katho-lieke Universiteit in Tilburg, the Netherlands.

SSI is the premier global provider of sampling, data collection and data analytic solutions for consumer and business-to-business survey research, reaching respon-dents in 86 countries via Internet, telephone, mobile/wireless and mixed-access offerings. SSI staff operates

-naire design consultation, programming and hosting, online custom reporting and data processing. SSI’s 3,300 employees serve more than 3,000 clients worldwide. Visit SSI at www.surveysampling.com.

Industry Expert Kerklaan Joins SSI as Managing Director

New API seamlessly allows data from any sample source, including proprietary databases and community panels, to

-tion of customer data.

Decipher, a comprehensive market research services

programming interface (API) into its market research and reporting platform, Beacon. This new API means that Beacon users can now easily integrate existing data on panelists from customer databases, communities or other custom panel sources. It allows Beacon to pull in this data

of the survey.

The new Sample and Panel API, coupled with Beacon’s existing Data API, allows users to freely exchange data between customer databases and surveys. That is, customer data can be fed into surveys and survey data in return can be retrieved and appended to the customer or panel database.

for those companies who manage their own community

data, is now easily accessible in surveys and reporting for a more holistic view of the respondent. Additionally, custom-er and panelist data can be further enriched by appending

As a robust Research Hub, Beacon serves as a central lo-cation where users can view all their research initiatives in a single location. Beacon is Decipher’s survey and reporting software suite that features an easy-to-navigate, user-friendly interface and a whole suite of custom survey tools for authoring and deploying professional online surveys.

About DecipherA marketing research services provider, Decipher spe-cializes in online survey programming, sampling, data collection and data reporting. Utilizing proprietary Web-based applications, Decipher integrates state-of-the-art technology with traditional research techniques. Decipher is all about uncovering opportunities in whatever territory is explored with clients. As a true partner, Decipher isn’t interested in just data, but also about what that data repre-sents for each client. The company focuses on technology and research systems that bring data to life, and in doing so, helps reveal how even seemingly small discoveries can yield meaningful insights.

Decipher Adds Sample and Panel Management API to Beacon

Address: P.O. Box 4689, Greenwich, CT 06831Telephone: 1-203-618-1811Email: [email protected]: www.civi.com/marketingresearch

Civicom Marketing Research Services

SSI - Survey Sampling International

Address: 6 Research Drive, Shelton, CT 06824Telephone: (203)567-7200Email: [email protected]: www.surveysampling.com

Precision Opinion

Address: 101 Convention Center Dr., LV, NV 89109Telephone: 702-483-4000Email: [email protected]: www.PrecisionOpinion.com

B2B International

Address: 707 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY 10604Telephone: +1 914-761-1909Email: [email protected]: www.b2binternationalusa.com

uSamp

Address: 16501 Ventura Blvd, Suite 300 Encino, CA, 91436Telephone: 877-217-9800Email: [email protected]: www.usamp.com

Toluna

Address: 21 River Road Wilton, CT 06897 Telephone: +1 203 834 8585Email: [email protected]: www.toluna-group.com

FEATURED SUPPLIERS


Address: Qualtrics 2250 N. University Ave. Provo, UT 84604Telephone: 1-800-340-9194Email: [email protected]: www.qualtrics.com

Qualtrics

Nuance Coding

Address: 520 Avenue H East, Arlington, TX 76011-3100Telephone: 1-817-640-6170Email: [email protected]: www.nuancecoding.com

AG3 Consulting

Address: Av.Desembargador, Brasil CEP 88040-400 Telephone: 55 48 32665927Email: [email protected]: www.ag3consulting.com

YouGov

Address: 111 W. 24th Street, New York, NY 10011Telephone: +44 (0)20 7012 6000Email: [email protected]: www.yougov.com

Burke Institute

Address: 500 West 7th Street Cincinnati, OH 45203Telephone: 800.543.8635 Email: [email protected] Web: www.burkeinstitute.com

Burke, Inc.

Address: 500 West 7th Street Cincinnati, OH 45203 Telephone: 800.688.2674Email: [email protected]: www.burke.com

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Find Your Next Research PartnerFROM ANYWHERE.

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Market Research DirectoryThe Market Research Directory (www.MarketResearchDirectory.org) connects marketing research buyers and suppliers through online

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