••• mobile research
DataSpring adds Korea coverage
PanelNow mobile app
Japan-based panel and survey software firm dataSpring has added Korea to its list of mobile panels with the launch of PanelNow, a new mobile survey app. Researchers can run surveys in a mobile-optimized platform with features such as in-app survey notification and device-blocking capability. Panelists can answer surveys on-the-go and in-the-moment on their smartphone or tablet at a time and place convenient for them. New users need to complete a short profiling survey before they can participate in research projects and earn points via the mobile app or the PanelNow Web site. The mobile research panel in Korea currently has over 1,000 active panelists. More are set to launch within the year. The PanelNow app is available for Android and iOS phones and tablets.
••• food research
Cargill opens food innovation centers
Locations in Minneapolis, Shanghai
Cargill, Minneapolis, opened two food innovation centers in November and December which focus on improving and investing in the future of food to meet shifting consumer expectations. The Minneapolis Research and Development Center in Plymouth, Minn., is a 100,000-square-foot facility that includes molecular biology labs, analytical and materials research laboratories, test kitchens and a pilot production plant. The center is home to about 200 scientists working on projects from improving food safety to developing new food ingredients that meet consumer expectations for simple, nutritious options. The Cargill ONE Innovation Center in Shanghai is a 22,000-square-foot facility with a sensory lab, demonstration kitchen and capabilities for dairy, beverage, bakery, convenience food and culinary applications. More than 25 scientists on-site will create innovative menu solutions that combine consumer insights, trend forecasts and culinary expertise to serve as the incubator for future tastes. The location will also be used as a platform to educate the public on nutrition and food safety. These two new centers join regional food research and innovation centers in Campinas, Brazil; Vilvoorde, Belgium; Beijing; and Wichita, Kan.
••• behavioral research
Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science launches
Will partner with Kantar
Marketing communications company Ogilvy & Mather, New York, has launched the Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science, which will focus on establishing a new system to define how audiences think, feel and behave to improve marketing and communications effectiveness. Christopher Graves assumes the role of president and founder of the new organization. As part of its work, the center will tap a fast-growing body of research to help clients identify the levers most likely to shift behaviors and change attitudes. To do this, Graves and the team have created a new navigation tool called AMOS, named in honor of one of the founding fathers of behavioral economics, Amos Tversky. Additionally, the center will partner with other organizations such as research firm Kantar to create new cognitive insights and with WPP Government to help in large-scale population behavior change for quality of life improvement.
••• mobile research
New mobile app from Confirmit
Works online or offline
Oslo, Norway-based software firm Confirmit has launched Confirmit AskMe, a mobile survey app that allows participants to respond to surveys online or offline. The app can be used for any type of feedback program and by any respondent, including those with limited connectivity or those who need to complete surveys over a period of time. Multimedia feedback can be captured and stored offline and synchronized when connectivity improves. As well as aiming to increase response rates through flexible access, organizations can brand the Confirmit AskMe app to suit their own look and feel. In addition, no extra design or integration work is required as Confirmit AskMe is designed to work with organizations’ existing Confirmit Horizons environment. Confirmit AskMe is available now on Android and iOS and can be distributed at no cost by Confirmit customers on App Store or Google Play.
••• Briefly
Chicago-based researcher IRI has launched its next-generation targeting solution, IRI Verified Audiences, which uses frequent-shopper program loyalty data to enable targeted campaigns based on actual purchase behavior.
Marketing software company Bridg, Los Angeles, has launched a new marketing platform that allows brick-and-mortar restaurants and retailers to identify and connect with individual customers online. The platform enables restaurant and retail marketers to identify individual customers, segment their buying patterns and deliver personalized advertising messages across social media, Web and mobile channels.
Canada-based Provalis Research has released QDA Miner Lite 2.0, an upgraded version of the qualitative analysis freeware QDA Miner Lite, developed to include some of the new features added to the full version of QDA Miner.
Retail technology company Cloverleaf, New York, has launched shelfPoint, a shelf solution with built-in emotional artificial intelligence capabilities that allows brands and retailers to capture customer engagement and sentiment data at the moment of purchase decision.
n Chicago-based company Civis Analytics has released Civis Research, a research application that helps companies better understand their brand health through the use of surveys. The application offers customized templates and the ability to filter survey audiences by demographics and geography. The company says it is starting with templates for brand health and will add more in the future.
Leveraging its weekly, store-level enabled point-of-sale data from U.S. brands and retailers, Port Washington, N.Y., information company The NPD Group has introduced its Price and Promotion Management Service. The subscription-based, category-wide service is a suite of scenario planning and simulation tools designed to help manufacturers and retailers make price and promotion decisions with more speed and accuracy.