I walk into the big supermarket looking for what will be my grand dinner: a can of tuna, some vegetables and some cookies. I wish Google Maps would guide me through the aisles. With all the market research technology available today, I know that this is technically possible for Google, although it may not have commercial appeal at the moment.
Another possibility would be a supermarket app. If it existed, it is unlikely that I would be willing to download it and start fighting with the lack of space on my phone. So even though we are quite advanced in the 21st century, I do the same thing my grandfather would do: ask someone.
Technology is a fundamental part of our lives. However, human involvement is a key issue that determines when and how technology can be helpful. In our field, market research technology has been available for quite some time, and has benefited from many developments in hardware, software and connectivity.
Today it is possible to send a pollster out into the street with what a few years ago would have been considered an advanced computer, which is small enough to fit in his hand.
Using this device (a smartphone that can cost less than US$80), the interviewer can apply a complex questionnaire, record the interview in audio and capture the geographic coordinates of the site where the interview was conducted.
When you get home, interviews are automatically uploaded, so the status is available in a short time. Quality control and supervision can be carried out the very next day.
When using technology for market research we must consider kuwait phone number human aspect, a great example in Latin America is the so-called: CAPI (Computer Aided Personal Interviews).
3 aspects to consider in projects with technology for market research
Trust in market research technology . When conducting paper-based surveys , there is physical evidence of each interview, which is handled following historical conventions. In the digital world , there is no such evidence . So trusting that capture and transmission work as expected is a major barrier to overcome. This is especially true given the fact that most of the time your star interviewers are people in the older age ranges, who have not grown up using smartphones . To mitigate this barrier, it is critical to provide timely feedback so that the interviewer is aware that his or her work is being recorded appropriately. The number of completed interviews should be available to the interviewer the next day so that he or she can compare it to the count he or she keeps manually. One important event is when the counts do not match, which is usually caused by misuse of the device or errors in manual counting. In such cases, it is advisable to use references within the interviewing team : there are likely to be people who have exact matches, which is evidence that the record is working well, and the number of interviews completed is not the same as the number of interviews completed. At the same time, the causes of the mismatch for the specific interviewer must be explored in depth , in order to avoid a snowball effect. On the other hand, feedback on the recordings must be given in the initial days , whether positive or corrective. This sends the message of “we are listening to you,” which is an important part of positive reinforcement, and also an antidote to cheating.
Security Issues . It is true that in Latin America, even a low-end smartphone is a coveted target for thieves. This is a relevant issue, which sometimes limits the feasibility of using technology for market research . There are things that can be done to minimize this risk. One of them is to use small devices , which includes the use of smartphones instead of tablets. Another is to avoid the use of devices with an elegant appearance and/or attractive brands . responsibility for the device on the part of the surveyor. This leads to defining that being honest and trustworthy is a vital trait , so that we can ensure that the devices are subject only to external threats, and not to any caused by actions or omissions of our team.