Research companies partner to get a read on Facebook’s Fan Pulse
Boston research companies Chadwick Martin Bailey and Brand Networks have introduced Fan Pulse, designed to better understand the needs and expectations of companies’ Facebook Fans by conducting research in Fans’ News Feed. The Fan Pulse methodology is powered by Brand Networks’ Social Survey application for Facebook, allowing surveys to be completed in the News Feed without users having to leave their Profile. Fan Pulse inquires on a variety of topics, such as Facebook usage behaviors; motivations for becoming a Fan or “liking” a page; and general communication preferences (i.e., type, volume, reactions to potential new content ideas/programs/applications, etc.). For more information visit www.cmbinfo.com or www.brandnetworksinc.com.
Scarborough Research launches PRIME Lingo
Scarborough Research, New York, has launched PRIME Lingo, a Web-based software platform designed to deliver data on cross-media consumption; local shopping patterns; consumer lifestyles; sports interest and demographics media; and marketing professionals. PRIME Lingo aims to allow users to profile consumer shopping patterns; monitor consumer behaviors; evaluate pre-calculated mean and median reports; create reach/frequency analyses; analyze newspaper audiences (online, in print and combined print/online audience); examine demographic groups; conduct trade area analysis; rank media outlets by market coverage, demographic reach or the penetration of other consumer targets; examine consumer behaviors; compare and contrast local markets; and develop multimedia plans for specific advertising/marketing targets.
The tool’s interface includes a GO! Guide to help novice users; graphing functions; information-sharing features; 24/7 customer support and training; access to all Scarborough studies and special segmentations; and a Web-based interface with no downloads or software installation required. For more information visit www.myprimelingo.com.
Crowd Science releases a suite of free online research tools
Mountain View, Calif., research company Crowd Science has rolled out nine free online market research tools. The series, Free Market Research Tools, is aimed specifically at small-to-medium Web sites, blogs and other small Web properties that want to better understand their visitors. The first two applets to launch, called WHO and SAT, are intended to provide detailed profiles of the audiences visiting a company’s site and how satisfied they are with the site experience.
WHO is a survey-based online market research tool for sites that want real-time insights into audience demographics, psychographics and other behaviors. SAT is a survey-based online research tool for sites that want to measure and understand site satisfaction. SAT is designed to measure site loyalty, demographics and other behaviors. For more information visit http://crowdscience.com/free_tools; click the GET IT NOW button; and enter invitation code PRNFREE99.
Eye-tracking-plus-qual tool aims to discover what works in an ad
U.K. research company eyetracker has debuted AdSight, an offering intended to tell advertisers which elements of an ad grabbed the reader’s or viewer’s attention and which elements retained it (or failed to retain it). Eyetracker incorporates both qualitative research and eye tracking to draw conclusions regarding the response to the ad and the reasons for the response. An AdSight project can be completed in approximately six-to-seven working days, with central location fieldwork taking place on the fourth or fifth day, followed by a full analysis conducted by advertising planning and research specialists. Analysis includes heat maps, gaze trails and qualitative insights. For more information visit www.eyetracker.co.uk.
GMI releases Interactive service for the U.S.
Bellevue, Wash., research company Global Market Insite Inc. has launched GMI Interactive, a survey-design technology that aims to develop interactive surveys using a suite of creative question formats intended to enhance respondent engagement and therefore increase data quality. The solution streams image and rich-media content to reduce reliance on traditional grid questions and check-box question formats. GMI Interactive also applies a modular approach to survey design to program studies in a matter of hours. For more information visit www.gmi-mr.com.
Arbitron introduces Event Retention Index for sporting broadcasts
Columbia, Md., research company Arbitron Inc.’s Custom Sports Services division has announced the Event Retention Index (ERI), a metric for Portable People Meter Radio Ratings Service subscribers. The ERI is designed to provide more clarity regarding the extent to which audiences stay tuned to sports broadcasts. The ERI estimates the proportion of a station’s audience that stays tuned for the complete quarter-hours during a game relative to the average of the top 20 stations in the same market Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. For example, an ERI of 120 would indicate that listeners are 20 percent more likely to stay tuned for a complete quarter-hour of a game broadcast than the average of the top 20 stations for the aforementioned daypart. For more information visit www.arbitron.com.
Ipsos Vantis debuts first syndicated research offering
New York research company Ipsos Vantis has launched Vantis Files, a syndicated research offering designed to monitor competitive and newsworthy products and services across multiple industry sectors. Each test includes market success scores; measurement scorecards; market segment demographics; media and online habits; and the search behaviors of likely buyers, customers and subscribers. Communications message testing includes messaging and buzz power scores and reasons why people will buy.
The service offers reports, insight and strategic analysis based on products and services tested independently each quarter, utilizing Vantis Express for concept and idea testing. Clients can subscribe by sector (technology, services or durable goods) at either an associate or premium membership level and receive reports with testing results and quarterly Webinars addressing industry developments and analysis from Ipsos Vantis. For more information visit www.ipsos.com.
Briefly
Stamford, Conn., research technology company FocusVision has added high-definition videostreaming to its focus group filming services. HD is currently available in 23 facilities across the U.S., U.K. and Spain, and FocusVision plans to expand over the next year. For more information visit www.focusvision.com.
Decision Pilot, a Redwood City, Calif., research company, has debuted a do-it-yourself polling application using predictive statistics techniques to prioritize choices. The tool is intended to simplify the use of the max-diff scaling methodology, which requires individuals to make a sequence of explicit trade-offs. The service also offers real-time results. For more information visit www.decisionpilot.com.
Vancouver, B.C., research company Vision Critical has launched a Web site (www.visioncriticaltechnologies.com) aimed at enhancing its Global Partner Program. The site is designed to allow interested parties to license or adopt Vision Critical’s Sparq technology panel, as well as Vision Critical’s virtual shopping platform and associated custom services.
Kantar Health, New York, has launched its Epi Database EM, a Web-accessible database intended to provide researched, documented and comprehensive epidemiology data for health care commercial planning purposes in Mexico and Turkey. For more information visit www.kantarhealth.com.
New York research company All Global has introduced snapshot, a service designed to provide analyzed responses to industry trends and breaking news within 24 hours, with hourly updates available. For more information visit www.allglobal.com.
Encino, Calif., research company uSamp has rolled out SampleMarket 2.0, the next generation of its panel access platform, designed to offer real-time self-service access to uSamp’s U.S. panel of respondents. In first-quarter 2011, SampleMarket 2.0 will offer full support for mobile devices, allowing users to log in to market research projects via smartphone; check on real-time feasibility and statistics; and stop or start projects remotely. For more information visit www.usamp.com.
Denver, Colo., research company Qualvu has unveiled a do-it-yourself Web-based service intended to allow businesses to engage consumer groups anytime and anywhere to gain customer intelligence via an interactive video platform. Qualvu uses its own technology and processes to review and analyze consumer feedback and create video highlight reels for online reports. For more information visit www.qualvu.com.
London research company Verve has completed a project to integrate online survey scripting software and data analysis software from Paris research company Askia into Verve Engine, the company’s panel and community platform. The integration includes advanced online survey scripting (Flash and multimedia surveys); multimodal interviewing (CATI, CAPI and smartphone mobile); data weighting; and analysis tools. It also designed to allow Verve to offer on-screen dashboard reporting to combine community, sales and other research data into one access point. For more information visit www.haveverve.com.
Survey On The Spot has debuted as a mobile service for restaurants and other businesses to collect customer feedback via iPhone, iPad, iPod or smartphone while guests are on a company’s site. The service aims to capture feedback, guest satisfaction surveys, customer comment cards and other types of surveys and is focused on providing management with immediate feedback, as clients receive an e-mail five seconds after feedback is submitted. For more information visit www.surveyonthespot.com.
Stockholm, Sweden, research company Tobii Technology has created an application market for the sharing of applications that function together with Tobii Eye Trackers. The online portal lists software applications that work either by interacting directly with the eye tracker or by analyzing data collected by using a Tobii Eye Tracker. For more information visit www.tobii.com.
ICM Research, London, has launched its Advisor Panel, a specialist research panel of index funds advisors, financial advisors and paraplanners. For more information visit www.icmresearch.co.uk.
Pulse Group PLC, a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, research company, has established Pulse Foundation, a platform for members of its Planet Pulse research community to pledge their redemption rewards toward a local or international charity of their choice. The platform will be powered by ammado.com. For more information visit www.pulse-foundation.org.
Ci Research, Cheshire, U.K., has launched a company blog at www.marketresearchexpert.co.uk.
Polaris Marketing Research Inc., Atlanta, has redesigned its Web site (www.polarismr.com).