Transcript The power of being social!

WHAT’S IT WORTH…
ONLINE SURVEY’S
MT320 Research
Who and what to research?
One of the major purposes of marketing research is to identify and understand the tastes, desires, relevant symbol systems,
and decision-making influences of particular consumers and consumer groups (Kozinets, 2002).
The power of being social!
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Companies can benefit from using online media to gain insight into their customers inter-thoughts.
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To make it work companies MUST:
 Accept the loss of control
 Line up executive backing
 Expect pushback from managers
 Start small and focus on measurable objective
 Expand beyond projects
 Stay focused on culture, not technology (Bernoff and Li, 2008)
So Working Online Now Are We?
Online research is best used in markets where the target is hard to recruit, have
low incidences, or to talk about a sensitive topic (Sweet, 2001)

When looking at conducting online surveys one must look at the
methods and appropriateness of each question at hand.

Steps to Follow:

Determine the marketing question before seeking entrée

Review data collection methods, either directly or indirectly

To provide trustworthy interpretation of the data researchers must
follow conventional procedures.
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Ensure that research ethics do not become an issue

Are online forums to be considered a private or public site?

What constituted “informed consent” in cyberspace (Kozinets, 2002)?
What More Can We Do?

In evaluating the presented
materials there is little relevant
research about the “trustworthiness”
of online surveys.

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Many of the articles were quick to
point out the obvious differences, but
lacked substance to the ethically issues
of online surveys/research
Much of the data presents the pro’s
and con’s of using online methods vs.
traditional
Limitations and Beyond…
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The quality of online samples must
receive further attention
Evaluation of B2B relationships with
online surveys
Solutions to increase response rates
A clear ethical methodological
procedure for conducting and
gathering online research must be
developed.
Survey Says…

The growth of the internet in the last decade has forced
businesses and marketing researchers alike to adapt to
the new environment.


If businesses want to reach consumers they have to think
outside of the traditional focus group, or mail in/telephone
survey.
The collection of data from unsuspecting consumers needs
regulation!

The average consumer is not aware that their online activities are
being tracked by companies wanting to understand the online
activities to increase their bottom line!
The Almighty Dollar


Companies are looking for ways to save money on
their marketing research.
The ANSWER: ONLINE RESEARCH
WINNER = BUSINESS
 LOOSER = CONSUMER


According to Cynthia Brockhoff of Greenfield Online (one of
the largest online survey solutions companies) telephone
surveys average about $32 per completed response, where an
online one costs about $12.50 per person(Muldoon, 2005).

With data mining and list purchasing online consumers are
bombarded with attempts to collect data at any cost!
Pop-Up Rebellion

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When ethics fly out the window, Pop-Up’s
happen!
Federal and State regulators are working
on legislature to STOP companies from
illegally obtaining your purchasing
behavior through adware and spyware.

Many search engines now offer pop-up
blockers as well as filters for emails.

Consumer are almost forced to have two emails:
one for junk mail and one for everyday use!
(Kottler, 2005)
Google is KING

Instead of asking a friend about any given product or service consumers
“Google “ it!

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Type in online survey and you get 43,900,000 links for different survey’s.
Type in online survey scams and the results give you 1,100,000 reasons not to
trust the previous sites.
The moral of the story is one bad apple spoiled the bunch!

Online media has many advantages to both the consumer and business.

Scam artists’ posing as online researchers have decreased the trustworthiness of the
medium across the board!
(www.google.com)
References
Bernoff, J., & Li, C. (2008). Harnessing the power of the oh-so-social web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 36–44. Retrieved from the ABI/INFORM Global
database
Deutskens, E., de Ruyter, K., & Wetzels, M. (2006). An assessment of equivalence between online and mail surveys in service research. Journal of Service Research, 8(4),
346–355.Retrieved from the ABI/INFORM Global database
Evans, J. R., & Mather, A. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15(2), 195–219. Retrieved from the ABI/INFORM Global database
Kottler, R. (2005). Eight tips offer best practices for online MR. Marketing News , 39 (6), 24-25. Retrieved from the Business Source Premier database
Kozinets, R. V. (2002). The field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 61–
72. Retrieved from the Business Source Premier database
Muldoon, K. (2005 ). Hot Tip: It's the Research, Stupid. Direct , 17 (5), 36. Retrieved from the Business Source Premier database
Roster, C. A., Rogers, R. D., Albaum, G., & Klein, D. (2004). A comparison of response characteristics from Web and telephone surveys. International Journal of Market
Research, 46, 359–373.Retrieved from the Business Source Premier database
Sweet, C. (2001). Designing and conducting virtual focus groups. Qualitative Market Research, 4(3), 130-135. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.