Service nets feedback on interactive ads
Vancouver-based research firm Advertain.com has created a new online research service so advertisers can get feedback about their interactive ads, known as advertainments, from Internet consumers in any demographic, sociographic or geographic location. Advertain.com has built a database of more than 30,000 consumers who represent the 62 PRIZM Lifestyles Segmentation Clusters. In addition to commissioning their own studies, marketers can also search Advertain’s database of consumer responses to see which ads work with which groups and why. Advertisers can also test-market media buys. Advertain.com also can create customized research reports based on industry advertainments, such as movies, automobiles and beverages, matched against the PRIZM Clusters.
ClinTrials offers Web delivery of clinical trials
Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based ClinTrials Research Inc. has launched CTRansmit Web for information delivery in clinical trials. CTRansmit Web is a Web-based data delivery system to collect and distribute, in a secure manner, clinical trial information to authorized users (sponsors, investigative sites, etc.). CTRansmit Web provides information about trial progress in real time through on-line project tracking with reports focused on enrollment, site visits and query status. The system also provides key project information with access to the study protocol, data management guidelines, monitoring plans and project team contacts. Custom reports and other custom features can be developed to a sponsor’s specifications.
Three new products from SPSS
SPSS Inc., Chicago, has introduced Quancept CATI 7.7, the latest version of its computer-assisted telephone interviewing software. When coupled with the Quancept Telephony System (QTS), an automated predictive dialer, Quancept CATI enables market researchers to share telephone interview projects across two automated dialers. This increases from 96 to 192 the number of interviewers who can work on a single project.
In addition to the new sharing features, Quancept CATI serves as a telephone interviewing tool, taking a phone survey project from designing questions to tracking call status to integrating with data analysis software.
Quancept CATI and QTS combine to offer market researchers a fully integrated predictive telephone dialing and interviewing system. The predictive dialer calculates the appropriate number of calls to make, thereby reducing interviewer downtime. And since QTS automatically dials the numbers, detects the call result and assigns connected calls to interviewers, it greatly increases survey productivity. QTS and Quancept CATI allow interviewers and supervisors to concentrate on successfully administering the Survey instead of making phone calls.
SPSS is also now shipping Data Entry 2.0. SPSS Data Entry includes everything needed to build custom online or paper survey forms, enter data and check for accuracy through the use of rules. It uses a drag-and-drop graphical interface for survey-building and is designed to make defining variables and questions easier. Additionally, its ability to create rules - such as validation, skip & fill or checking - helps ensure that data are clean and useful. Once created, questionnaires can be completed on-screen, on-line in a browser (in conjunction with SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server) or printed out and filled in by hand. Data entered into the forms, labels and dictionary are immediately ready for analysis using SPSS Base, SPSS’ data analysis software.
Additionally, SPSS Data Entry provides documentation, a tutorial and a Question Library to help customers new to data collection get up to speed on survey research fundamentals.
SPSS has also introduced DecisionTime Server time-series forecasting software. DecisionTime Server is designed to help users increase their productivity by working with large datasets more efficiently. DecisionTime Server uses the SPSS Distributed Analysis Architecture (DAA), which minimizes the use of computing and network resources and maximizes performance by eliminating the need to copy and convert the data used in analysis. Instead, data stay on the server, which saves time, allows administrators to maintain a high level of data security and reduces network traffic. DecisionTime Server also eliminates file size limitations, permits simultaneous multi-user access and facilitates data access from many sources. The end result is that enterprises, especially those with huge amounts of centralized data, can create better time-series forecasts quickly and securely.
Team Navigation builds on focus group findings
Doyle Research Associates, Inc. (DRA), a Chicago qualitative research firm, has introduced a new research tool called Team Navigation, a halfday, post-research convergence process designed to help companies create workable business strategies and move towards next steps. Team Navigation is a formal, three-step process that includes everyone on the client team who has attended the research groups. The first step puts the observers to work during the groups, identifying key themes and common denominators. The next step involves the actual Team Navigation session where a DRA facilitator leads the client team in grouping and prioritizing the insights and generating ways to tackle any problems that have surfaced
Usability lab now more usable
San Francisco-based Modalis Research Technologies has expanded international compatibilities for its proprietary interface test equipment, the Socratic Usability Lab. The lab is portable and designed to be used in a variety of facility and on-site test environments. Any focus group facility room or spare office can be turned into a usability test site within a few hours. The lab can now be shipped anywhere in the world for on-site testing. The new lab configuration allows it to be used with VHS, NTSC or PAL video formats and is built to be compatible with both U.S. and European power standards.
New Vegas research facility
MRCFocus and MRCPhone, Las Vegas, have combined into a 20,000-sq.-ft, facility called the MRCGroup Research Institute. The facility includes three large focus group rooms, chat monitors, a 48-seat movie theater, dial technology, videoconferencing and more.
Service tracks e-tail transactions
Transactional Data Solutions (TDS), Purchase, N.Y., has launched RETAIL TICKER, a new transactional market research service on the Web. TDS, a MasterCard company, is making its product available on its Web site at www.tds-mastercard.com. RETAIL TICKER provides an aggregate view, looking at a random sample of the retail and e-tail transactions of up to 550,000 cardholders. TDS offers free on-line tracking of clicks-versus-bricks shopping patterns - as measured by total sales volume and volume of transactions. TDS research looks at 34 shopping clusters (demographic groups, such as Cool-shop-a-Lots, based on buying profiles) across 40 retail categories (apparel, books, office supplies, etc.). TDS provides this data while maintaining strict privacy guidelines. The firm’s research methods have been audited and approved by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the independent accounting firm.
Cardiff updates formsprocessing products
Cardiff Software, Vista, Calif., has released upgrades of its eForms products, HTML+Forms and PDF+Forms. PDF+Forms and HTML+Forms are standards-based eForm products that are used to implement Web-based data collection and processing, and to eliminate corporate paper forms. PDF+Forms v2.0 was co-developed with Adobe Systems and allows users to convert forms to a digital format, while maintaining the same look and feel as paper-based forms. This release adds a number of features including: point & Click form design; simplified form creation; support for digital signatures; form routing; support for Dynamic HTML.