System manages focus group video clips
New York-based FocusVision Worldwide, Inc. has introduced VideoMarker, a live video content management system for qualitative researchers and their clients. The focus facility-based service allows users to mark, sort, edit and distribute mediarich video clips of focus goup highlights. The service is now rolling out to over 100 U.S. focus facilities, and soon internationally to focus studios worldwide.
After booking the service through the facility, the user marks highlights during the interviews by pushing a button on a small, hand-held wireless marker. At the end of the day, the user is Nven a CDROM with a diNtal video recording of all the sessions with every marked highlight available in a separate file.
Both moderators and clients in the backroom of the facility can mark clips during the session. Users at remote locations equipped with VideoMarker can also mark clips. Clips can be reviewed immediately on a standard VV-mdows PC and sorted for relevance. Then sigNficant clips can be sent via e-mail or integated into multimedia reports and presentations.
Bernett launches enhanced site
Boston-based Bernett Research has enhanced its www.bernett.com site to include: The Bernett Research Exchange, which provides a password-protected workspace for Bemett and client-company representatives working on a specific project; online monitoring of surveys in the field; online RFPs; an archive of past projects; and StrateNc Partner Response, which provides an extranet between survey respondents and the sponsor of the research project.
Test power of messages using MindREAD
Moskowitz Jacobs Inc. (M3I), aWhite Plains, N.Y., research firm, is now offering MindREAD, an online technology that investigates consumer attitude groups in a product/service category and determines how compelling the current messages are in terms of motivating consumers to buy. MindREAD recruits consumer panels througJa the Intemet and reuses panelists in the attitudinal segments for follow-up development work. MindREAD technology is offered through MJI’s syndicated service, but exclusive studies are also available.
Greenfield offers online focus group rooms
Wilton, Conn., research firm Greenfield Online has packaged its FocusChat software as an application service provider (ASP) and is calling the new product FocusChat ASP. The software makes online focus group "rooms" available to moderators anywhere. A potential user can recruit and administer a group by logging into www.focuschatasp.com and setting up an account. Subscribers can purchase all or part Of what they need for the specific research project. Moderators can buy rooms individually or in bulk. Training can be part of the package and technical support is provided. FocusChat ASP is being managed by FieldSource, Greenfield Online’s outsourcing division.
Product helps uncover customer service problems
Crestview Hills, Ky.-based Alliance Research, Inc., the attitudinal research division of Catalina Marketing Corporation, is now offering RED Alert, a research product that combines realtime information with the "voice of the customer" to provide feedback for business management and service recovery solutions. RED Alert joins several of Alliance Research’s proprietary techniques into a custom-designed alert, feedback, and reporting platform. Client-specific studies on customer satisfaction can use the RED Alert capability to digitally record customer explanations of a problem or reasons for dissatisfaction and provide that information in real time so that immediate action can be taken.
The voice of the customer is recorded using Alliance Research’s VOCALS technology to allow clients to hear, learn from, and act to recover a potentially lost customer. RED Alert operates by sending information through e-mail or fax, with alerts summarized on an Alliance Research-hosted reporting Web site to the appropriate client contacts when a negative or problem answer is recorded. The e-mail and faxes provide detail about the response, with a tollfree number to hear the customer’s comments. The reporting Web site, which provides access only for those authorized to use the site, also provides summaries of the total number of interviews, as well as additional detail about customer ratings of a client product or service.
Data Entry 3.0 from SPSS
SPSS has released SPSS Data Entry 3.0, the latest version of its survey design and data collection software. SPSS Data Entry 3.0 features a new architecture which is designed to deliver faster processing times, better Web performance, increased security and multi-platform availability.
Respondents do not need to download a Java applet before filling out either a simple survey or one with sophisticated validation and "skip and fill" rules. Additionally, SPSS Data Entry can now share the workload of large surveys across multiple servers, speeding up processing time and making more efficient use of IT resources. Additional new features of SPSS Data Entry 3.0 include: Improved HTML 52 export capabilities; SSL security for online surveys; and prevention of online ballot stuffing. For more information visit www.spss.com/dataentry.
CRI expands Criterion CyberScreen services
Minneapolis-based Custom Research Inc.(CRI) has introduced two analytical tools to expand its Criterion CyberScreen online concept testing services: CyberScreen with Category Norms, and Criterion CyberCast. Criterion CyberScreen combines online interviewing with concept testing to offer a tool that screens many new product ideas in a monadic test design. Companies can reduce their product development time by testing concepts earlier in development, and only proceeding with the best ideas. CyberScreen is conducted through CRI and Digital Marketing Services via Opinion Place.
Two new services are offered through CRI’s analytical partner, FYI Worldwide LLC, a forecasting, modeling, and analytical services firm. Criterion CyberScreen with Category Norms provides quintile comparisons of research measures across many categories - for example, consumer package goods, financial, and electronic durables - allowing clients to evaluate their concepts relative to others. CRI’s second product offering, Criterion CyberCast, provides first-year forecast volume for online concept testing data.
New IVR software from TeleSage
TeleSage, Inc., Seattle, has introduced its new SmartQuest interactive voice response software which is designed to help companies automate market research functions. The software provides and captures spoken or numeric information, using a company’s computer and telephone lines. The software can run up to 99 surveys simultaneously, in any language, and the system can branch to different questions, surveys or telephone numbers based on callers’ responses. It automatically scores surveys as they are completed and stores all results in Microsoft Access or other standard databases, offering real-time results.
Package simplifies data collection
Data Entry Systems, Inc., a Huntsville, Ala., data collection firm, has released a product and service package designed to help simplify market research data collection. The firm’s Scriptwriter device allows users to fill out their field survey forms as they normally do. While the form is being filled out, Scriptwriter converts written characters and other data to electronic format. This data can then be uploaded to a host system and software packages such as SPSS or any statistics or analysis software (including a spreadsheet) immediately. Scriptwriter gives researchers access to their data and reduces errors from re-keying.
Online tech omnibus from DRI
Digital Research, Inc., Kennebunk, Maine, has launched Intertrak, a monthly online omnibus conducted among 2,500 of the firm’s Consumer Technology Panel. The samples are representative of the Internet population and are weighted for region, age and gender. Demographics are also tracked each month, including geographic region, household make-up, income, education, employment status, and ethnicity. Clients provide their proprietary questions and receive responses in less than two weeks.
Technique puts cameras in respondents’ hands
Chicago-based consulting firm World-Link Group is now offering Photo-Ethnography, a qualitative research technique in which respondents use a 35-mm camera over a three-week period to document and observe their lives. The approach asks respondents to address a question such as "How does your pet affect your life?" The question is directly related to a client’s strategic/marketing issue and is phrased in easy-to-understand consumer terms. Respondents spend several weeks exploring the question and taking photos that express their behavior, attitudes, and emotion. Photo-Ethnography is used with adults, teens, and pre-teens. Customized methodologies have been developed for the latter two audiences.
Youth trend-tracker enhances site
San Diego-based Lreport.com, a youth trend tracking Web site, has enhanced its site, adding Hotlists, which provide a quick take on new things trendsetters are doing, buying or coveting; more visuals; and an advanced query function, which allows users to input a word, brand, trend, etc., into a search that is linked to every part of the site, including the National Data, L7, National Trends, and Editorial Gallery sections. The data features interviews with 1,800 young adults aged 14-30 and monthly updates based on feedback from the firm’s Urban Pioneer network of trendsetters, and quantitative research.
Pre-test promotional concepts online
Ryan Research & Marketing Insights, Westport, Conn., has launched ConsumerPOV, a new proprietary research tool, in conjunction with PDI (Promotion Decisions Inc.) and Knowledge Networks. ConsumerPOV is an online approach that identifies the diagnostics of a promotional concept before it goes to market. Its measures include: consumer interest in overall concept; interest in participating and/or redeeming; uniqueness; comprehension; fit with brand or category; reasons for likes/dislikes; and category and/or brand
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Las Vegas research firm the MRC Group is now offering hand-held computers for on-site data collection projects such as customer satisfaction ratings, customer profiles, and gathering competitive information.
Adapt Inc., a Minnetonka, Minn., data processing firm, has purchased a Bantec S-150 scanner, doubling its scanning capacity and giving the firm the capability to scan over 15,000 documents per hour.
ESRI, Redlands, Calif., is offering ArcView Business Analyst 1.1a, its desktop GIS solution for business that combines the functionality of ESRI’s ArcView GIS with data analysis tools and a catalog of year-2000 business, demographic, and household data for the U.S.
MarketResearch.com has entered into agreements with 25 additional business intelligence publishers to expand the number of research reports available at www.marketresearch.com., including publishers such as: Asian Information Resources Ltd., Babcox Research, Buzzback.com, The Consumer Electronics Association (EBmin), Espicom Business Intelligence, Forrester Research Inc., Rich’s Business Directories Inc., Standard & Poor’s DRI, Supermarket Strategic Alert, Zona Research. EyeTmcldng.com, the Web site testing division of EyeTracldng, Inc. (ETI), has developed ETI WebCheck, a new Web site evaluation service. The service provides objective data and allows clients to test and assess new and old homepage designs. Services include research design, binocular eyetracking, live Web streaming of eyetracking sessions, quesrionnaire design, facility rental.