••• shopper insights
Alter Agents tool examines grocery shopper triggers
Seeking those who are ‘up for grabs’
Los Angeles research firm Alter Agents has launched its new proprietary syndicated tool, Shopper STAT (Spend, Triggers, Attitudes, Trends). The insight tool is based on continuous sampling of shoppers who bought groceries in the last 24 hours. It was designed to uncover the triggers that drive purchase decisions while com-paring satisfaction and brand loyalty among brands. The research gives retailers shopper insights in the grocery consumer-packaged goods space that represent a shopper’s experience, from digital reviews to purchasing. The tool is comprised of data from interviews of 1,000 shoppers per week. The survey, conducted within 24 hours of purchase, deconstructs what they intended to purchase, what they actually purchased and what happened in be-tween. Clients using the tool can determine how many of their category shoppers are “up for grabs” at the shelf, what triggers can move more people to their brand (as well as what triggers are moving them away) and trends of shopper data over time. Clients access data through an online dashboard that allows for multiple data cuts. The sample size allows for drill-downs to store type (grocery, mass, club, etc.). Demographics and shopper-graphics are also collected to help insights managers parse data into action.
••• data analytics
Google intros suite of marketing analytics products
Aimed at enterprise-class marketers
Google, Mountain View, Calif., has introduced the Google Analytics 360 Suite, a set of integrated data and marketing analytics products designed specifically for the needs of enterprise-class marketers. The suite has six products, four of which are brand new, and two rebranded tools. The new products currently available in limited beta include Google Audience Center 360, a data management platform; Google Optimize 360, a Web site test-ing and personalization product; Google Data Studio 360, a data analysis and visualization product and Google Tag Manager 360, built from the company’s tag management product. The rebranded tools include Google Ana-lytics 360 (formerly known as GA Premium), which analyzes customer data from all touchpoints and integrates with Google’s ad products to drive marketing effectiveness. It will roll out new capabilities throughout the next couple of months as investments continue to grow. Google Attribution 360 (formerly known as Adometry) was rebuilt to help advertisers value marketing investments and allocate budgets. The suite offers integrations with many third-party data providers and platforms. It also plugs into Google AdWords and DoubleClick Digital Mar-keting, Google’s core ad technology, allowing marketers to combine their own data from multiple sources – Web site data, audience data, customer data and more – and use it to make ads more relevant. Google Analytics Premium and Adometry customers will see the products renamed in the coming months, with Google updating them when they’re eligible to join the new betas.
•• brand research
Added Value, ZappiStore launch brand insight solution
What’s your brand’s character?
In Los Angeles, marketing consultancy Added Value and research technology firm ZappiStore have launched SNAPSHOT, a solution designed to provide inspiration and answers to big brand questions for marketers and their agencies. The solution includes three core Added Value insight tools: Cultural Traction, which explores how well a brand is leveraging culture by measuring its VIBE (a quantitative composite metric that shows how vision-ary, inspiring, bold and exciting a brand is perceived); Brand Equity, which uncovers the presence of a brand in the marketplace and the strength of the emotional connection people have with it; and CharacterLab, which ena-bles marketers to test the strength and nature of their brand’s character and guide its development. Snapshot is available on the ZappiStore platform. Sample is provided by Warren, N.J., data collection firm Lightspeed GMI.
••• political research
Nielsen launches Election Central Web site
Tracks earned media, digital audience reach
Nielsen, New York, has launched its first Election Central Web site for media and political influencers. The space on Nielsen.com will be a repository of Nielsen’s political media data, providing the industry with infor-mation on things like individual candidates’ earned media reach, digital audience reach and voter segments from markets within key battleground states. Election Central uses data points from Nielsen Political Solutions, a vari-ety of syndicated and custom products that deliver data across multiple platforms, including television, digital, radio and social media. The site will be routinely updated with new and fresh data sets as the 2016 political races progress.
••• automotive research
Searchable auto safety application from J.D. Power
Spot trends, develop benchmarks
Westlake Village, Calif., researcher J.D. Power has launched SafetyIQ, a new application to help auto industry professionals analyze vehicle safety data more efficiently. The online application integrates National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data with J.D. Power automotive data, all searchable by vehicle make, model, year, age and component. SafetyIQ is updated daily with the latest data on recalls, technical service bulletins, cus-tomer complaints and investigations. All data is standardized through an interface, allowing auto industry profes-sionals to spot trends, develop benchmarks vs. competitors and prioritize areas of focus. The application also tracks completion and overall recall rates to provide an industry-wide view of vehicle safety-related data.
••• video research
Microsoft debuts video feedback service
Second-by-second responses
Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., has launched Video Pulse, an addition to the Pulse service that allows research-ers, broadcasters and professionals to collect feedback on recorded video on any digital property. The service ties audience reactions to a video timecode, enabling users to rate and provide feedback on video second by second, as well as to playback their and other respondents’ feedback on demand. Some applications of Video Pulse include Ad Testing, which enables market researchers, political campaigns, brands and more to test how potential customers respond to an upcoming ad campaign or other digital content; and Broadcasters, allowing content producers to continuously gauge reaction of their audiences to content, no matter when the video is viewed. At press time, Video Pulse was slated to be generally available to users in April. Select customers will be invited to join the Video Pulse preview program or can express interest via e-mail.
••• DIY research
Toluna adds to QuickSurveys platform
Focuses on consumer attitudes
In Wilton, Conn., researcher Toluna has introduced PowerAttitudes, the latest addition to its QuickSurveys DIY survey platform. The cloud-based, automated research tool enables marketers to generate insights into the con-sumer attitudes that drive usage and purchase behavior across brands, products and stores. Users enter their brand or product name, up to three competitors and product perceptions and 10 key attributes and usage statements. They then select the target who they want to interview and launch their project. Users can access in-sights such as shopping habits by buyer type, guidance on new product development opportunities, effective-ness of overall advertising strategy and more. This product release comes on the heels of an announcement that Toluna received a $10 million investment in the QuickSurveys platform.
••• Briefly
MSW•ARS Research, Lake Success, N.Y., has launched The Brand Strength Monitor, a system that pro-vides access to an independently-validated measure of brand value. Through the system, brand and finance teams can view the current levels and trends for all relevant brands in a category. This data can be further cut by demographics to provide brand strength within population subgroups of interest. Data can be exported to a va-riety of spreadsheet, statistics and finance software for integration into existing corporate reporting systems. The 2016 rollout provides coverage for 37 countries, with additional countries becoming available starting in 2017.
The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y., researcher, has introduced a pre-market sales forecasting ser-vice. The service can be used to assess, diagnose and improve the sales potential of new and revamped prod-ucts and services before they are launched. Jia Guo will lead the company’s efforts. The firm will also offer a concept testing service to work hand-in-hand with the forecasting service. The overall approach will deliver a quantitative pre-market sales forecast, including simulation of multiple launch plans and a source of volume analysis to help marketers evaluate and maximize product potential and marketing ROI among the target popula-tion of interest or specific segments of that population.
Irvine, Calif., firm MFour Mobile Research has launched a public beta for MYResearch, a DIY mobile survey technology that allows researchers to program and field surveys to active consumers on the firm’s mobile panel. It also allows users to design, program and launch their own surveys. Consumers are contacted in real-time by push-notification, eliminating delay times and providing immediate feedback. Users can target demographics, set qualification questions and exact quotas to find hard-to-reach groups, along with reaching consumers in-store as they’re shopping using GPS technology.
Stockholm, Sweden, software provider Cint has launched OpinionAPP, a free native app for the panelists hosted on the firm’s OpinionHUB platform. OpinionAPP offers a branded experience with survey opportunities so panelists can engage with the panels they are a part of. The goal is to offer a better user experience for pan-elists, with an overview of all of their survey panels from one access point, making access to surveys easier, more engaging and “PC-free.” Additionally, they will be able to improve their profiling points, resulting in more and better-matched surveys. For Cint panel partners, the app will be available with no fees and no technical skills required for the implementation. During 2016, Cint plans to improve and expand the app to tie it into the upcom-ing Real Time Insights solution. OpinionApp is available on on iOS and Android.
GutCheck, a Denver-based research solutions firm, and New York researcher Millward Brown have launched Pre-LinkNow, a new qualitative solution developed to optimize ad creative by helping marketers better under-stand ad performance. Pre-LinkNow pairs Millward Brown’s Link copy testing solution framework with GutCheck’s methodology, allowing clients to incorporate consumer feedback throughout the creative process. It also pro-vides a common language and framework across both quantitative and qualitative research. Pre-LinkNow is currently available and over time will be available across 26 countries.
The Dieringer Research Group Inc., a Milwaukee research agency, has released 6 Steps for Launching CX In-sights, a 15-page e-book that can be downloaded for free from the firm’s Web site.
thedrg.com
In New York, advisory services firm Insight Industry has launched its new Web site.
Milwaukee research firm Market Probe has introduced a new customer experience management (CEM) framework to help businesses define customers’ stages of product ownership or service relationship, with the goal of earning customers’ advocacy and loyalty. Market Probe offers technology-enabled solutions to implement this new framework or migrate current CEM programs into it.
Research Now, Plano, Texas, has revealed new sourcing partners, enabling new panel capacity for 2016. The company signed 19 new “by-invitation-only” (e-Rewards) panel partners in recent months, increasing its new panelist enrollment capacity across North America, EMEA and APAC. In addition, the firm has launched a new panel management platform that has improved its ability to support and engage panel members. Although early in its deployment, the new platform has been used to launch panels in four new countries and delivers improved member engagement, audience reach and study feasibility. The new partners join the company’s existing e-Rewards Partner base, for a total of more than 60 strategic panel partners sourcing panelists into Research Now’s global panels. The industries represented by the new panel partners include automotive, casual dining, entertainment, retail and travel.
Irvine, Calif., firm MFour Mobile Research has voter-matched its all-mobile U.S. panel, which delivers politi-cal insights and information on the beliefs and attitudes that shape U.S. voter behavior. In addition to demo-graphic points, the panel provides information on voter identification number, registration status, party affiliation and more.
GfK MRI, New York, has partnered with data management platforms (DMPs) to launch 23 online advertising targets that bring insights to political ad campaigns. The segments integrate voter registration records with data from GfK MRI’s database on consumer attitudes and behaviors, derived from its Survey of the American Con-sumer. The targets include “super” voters (those most likely to vote), as well as those moderately and slightly likely to vote, based on their voting records. Other targets include registered voters, swing voters by party, as well as undecideds, voters by ideologies and engaged voters. Onboarded by Oracle’s Datalogix, the targets can be accessed now via BlueKai, with other DMPs to be added in the near future.
Plano, Texas, firm Research Now has launched a new in-app media measurement solution that enables brands to measure the performance of advertising campaigns across desktops, tablets and mobile devices, with the ability to connect to a single individual. The new in-app solution is the newest addition to the ADimension suite of products for ad and audience measurement offered by Research Now, allowing brands to gain access to exposure identification through device IDs and determine the effectiveness of a campaign’s performance across multiple publishers and ad networks at scale. The full media measurement solution is available in the U.S. and U.K.
U.K. video ad tech company Unruly has introduced Unruly Pulse, a new dashboard that uses consumer re-sponses to show marketers which emotions drive engagement across different demos, events, territories and product verticals. Advertisers can also analyze individual ads and compare their overall performance in their sector. The dashboard is currently available in beta in Future Video Labs across the U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Nordics and Southeast Asia.
Culver City, Calif., research solutions firm dataSpring has launched a new Web site.
San Diego software firm Salford Systems has released version 8 of its Salford Predictive Modeler program. Enhancements include faster processing, better use of RAM to run larger analytical problems, more exploratory data analysis tools and new loss functions for TreeNet Gradient Boosting to support more accurate models.
Cincinnati ad targeting and measurement firm Nielsen Catalina Solutions and New York media company Time Inc. have developed a new method of cross-platform advertising measurement that measures the quantifia-ble in-store sales impact of campaigns across print, digital and TV. The methodology reconciles different me-dium-specific measurement models and the effect of a secondary (or pass-along) magazine audience to create a method for measuring cross-platform sales impact.
Nielsen, New York, has launched Nielsen Digital Audio Ratings, a new solution to measure over-the-air radio listening across mobile apps and Web players, regardless of ad model and device – smartphones, tablets and computers. The service allows users to assess the value of digital inventory and clarify return on digital invest-ments while aligning with established broadcast and digital currencies. Nielsen Digital Audio Ratings is a com-ponent of Nielsen’s Total Audience, an initiative that provides metrics across all linear and digital platforms. The service, which is currently collecting data on more than 2,500 station streams across all 48 personal people meter (PPM) markets, measures the extension of broadcast radio to streaming environments. Initially, it will report the listening of digital streams of AM/FM radio stations and e-radio stations in the 48 PPM markets. Measurement for custom-curated and on-demand audio, including podcasts, is currently in development.
Pittsburgh-based data analysis software provider Rhiza has introduced Rhiza for Ad Sales, a programmatic sales acceleration solution for local television. The solution generates relevant target information and an opti-mized media recommendation using ratings data from Nielsen or comScore. Rhiza’s data tools find an advertis-er’s best target customers and connect them with the ad inventory most likely to move them to purchase. Rhiza for Ad Sales is available now for the automotive and political advertising markets and will be available in the coming weeks for dining, consumer technology, retail, health care, local services, telecommunication, entertain-ment and more.
New York-based media investment firm GroupM has launched LIVE Panel, a new consumer and media in-sight solution allowing its agencies to more efficiently develop targeted media plans so advertisers can more effectively reach their audiences and measure outcomes. The new platform connects with multiple data sources across London-based researcher Kantar’s data and research assets and integrates with the planning tools of GroupM’s media agencies to accelerate the time from insight to planning to implementation. LIVE Panel is launching with a global hub survey generating media knowledge on 30 media and 40 touchpoints including con-sumers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In London, research agency Harris Interactive UK has launched Harris 24, a new research service that can de-liver 1,000 to 2,000 consumer responses in less than 24 hours in the U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Spain and Ita-ly. The service allows users to ask up to 25 consumer questions via Harris’ online research panels or their own e-mail sample and receive resulting data on the same day, with Harris providing a full insight analysis of the findings within two to three days. Users can target up to three broad demographics out of a total of 11 options through Harris panels. The types of studies suited to a Harris 24 approach include concept/communications testing, pricing and promotions testing, gaining opinion on hot topics, PR-focused surveys, customer satisfac-tion and more.
Nielsen, New York, has reported that it plans to expand its digital advertising measurement solution, Digital Ad Ratings. The firm says by the end of 2016, Digital Ad Ratings, including mobile measurement, will be availa-ble in 25 markets globally. Over the course of the year, the firm will launch Digital Ad Ratings measurement in eight new markets, including Poland, Turkey, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Ireland and New Zealand. Digital Ad Ratings mobile campaign measurement recently launched in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, India and Mexico and will become available in Japan within the coming week. The contin-ued expansion also advances Nielsen’s Total Audience initiative, providing total ad measurement through the integration of Digital Ad Ratings data and television ratings. A total audience view of advertising already exists in the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, the Philippines and Thailand and will be available in Indonesia and Malaysia within the next three months.
Adobe, San Jose, Calif., has introduced the Adobe Marketing Cloud Device Co-op, a network that will ena-ble brands to work together to better identify consumers across digital touchpoints while ensuring privacy and transparency. The Co-op will allow participating brands to recognize their consumers so they can deliver more personalized experiences across devices and apps at a large scale. It will also enable member brands to provide their consumers with a more consistent content experience as they migrate across devices by establishing links between a group of devices used by unknown consumers or households. With this capability, marketers will be able to better understand and respond to consumer behaviors across devices, leading to more accurate Web site engagement metrics, more personalized content and more targeted advertising experiences across search, display and social.