••• social media research
Sift through social media data with Scraawl
Can analyze structured, unstructured data
Rockville, Md., technology company Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) has released Scraawl v2.0, a cloud-based so-cial media and open-source data analytics tool that gives brands and agencies a solution to listen, search, ex-tract and analyze social media conversations to gain insights. Scraawl aims to enable brands to derive actionable insights by analyzing structured and unstructured data associated with social media posts. With the release of Scraawl 2.0, Scraawl users will now have access to a set of analytics that leverage advanced machine learning, natural language processing and big-data algorithms. Built on IAI’s analytics-as-a-service framework, Scraawl’s analytics include influence discovery, community detection, sentiment analysis, topic modeling, image analytics, social network graphs and bot detection. By using a series of geo-spatial, social network and content-based fil-ters to eliminate or focus on social bots, topics, media postings, influencers, or communities of interest, Scraawl enables brands and agencies to sift through billions of posts from social media feeds, such as Twitter, Insta-gram, Tumblr, YouTube and RSS feeds, and engage with desired audiences to promote their brands or manage their reputation. Scraawl offers a free version for personal use. Brands and agencies can upgrade to profession-al, premium or enterprise plans depending on their needs. For brands and enterprises interested in integrating Scraawl’s analytics with their proprietary data sets and data feeds, and maintaining the installation behind their corporate firewall, Scraawl 2.0 also offers an option for an on-premise install. Scraawl has partnered with Echo Analytics Group, a social analysis firm, to provide Scraawl training and consulting services.
••• new product research
Ipsos tool taps sensory dimensions
Identify barriers and opportunities
Ipsos ProductQuest, New York, has launched Sense*Suite, which uses product deprivation, role-playing, 3-D stimulus and other qualitative approaches, along with scaled responses, to address clients’ product development challenges. Solutions within the suite include: Product*Sense, which identifies the sensory dimensions that consumers want; Sensory Stations, which evaluate sensorial product features and potential package designs; rapid prototyping, which iteratively evaluates potential prototypes; sensory lab. which evaluates prototypes in a lab environment, including drivers of appeal, potential barriers and improvement opportunities; and Censydi-am*Sense, which uncovers the emotional drivers of a product experience.
••• retail research
Space-planning application from Nielsen
Cloud-based approach
Nielsen, New York, has launched its Assortment and Space Optimization (ASO) solution for assortment and space planning and execution. The ASO cloud-based application incorporates data with space-aware analytics and in-forms planograms that ensure each product within a category is allocated the space needed to maximize its performance within physical and supply chain constraints. Newly-introduced functionality is designed to allow manufacturers to create assortments with the confidence that both retail supply and demand are optimized simultaneously; collaborate in an integrated platform with streamlined processes to save time and hassle; access “always on” performance analytics to inform adjustments with real-time impacts on business; know the efficiency and effectiveness of assortment plans before execution; and develop analytics-informed category review stories to justify products on the shelf and negotiate wins with retail partners.
••• brand research
Understand the strength of your branding
Part of Toluna Automated Insights suite
Researcher Toluna, Wilton, Conn., has launched PowerConcept, the latest addition to its Automated Insights suite available within the QuickSurveys platform that helps users to understand the overall strength of their branding, product or advertising concepts. PowerConcept enables users to understand the overall strength of their branding, product or advertising concepts. Working within QuickSurveys Automated Insights users can select a concept product or service category; add up to eight concepts, which can be images, video or copy; create the survey using a wizard; target their audience in real-time using the Toluna community of 10+ million (in most of Toluna’s 59 markets). PowerConcept then builds the survey in real time, with a full reporting suite available offer-ing a read-to-share infoboard of directional insights; a comprehensive PowerPoint deck of customizable slides; and a TolunaAnalytics dashboard for data visualization and analysis capabilities.
••• online research
Ascribe, Google Consumer Surveys partner for platform
Analyze survey, verbatim data
Cincinnati-based text analytics solutions firm Ascribe has launched Ascribe Surveys, an online survey platform coupled with consumer sampling powered by Google Consumer Surveys. The platform is integrated with Ascribe Intelligence Suite and provides researchers with analysis of surveys and verbatim data. Ascribe’s analytics technologies will partner with Google Consumer Surveys technology and sample base to enable market researchers to: reach large consumer samples and capture their feedback; mine and visualize structured and unstructured data; analyze consumer sentiment and compare across subsegments of the sample; and deliver actionable in-sights and improved customer experience.
••• Briefly
Researchscape International, a Bradenton, Fla., research consultancy, has launched a new survey data-cleansing service that aims to improve the quality of survey results by removing extraneous and potentially spammy responses.
Researcher Ipsos, New York, has launched the YCCI-Ipsos Think Tank, a new behavioral economics think tank with the Yale School of Management and Yale Center for Customer Insights (YCCI), as well as insights leaders from ConAgra Foods, Mars, Merck, Pfizer and SC Johnson. The think tank will develop and conduct research and experiments on the practical application of behavioral economics principles in key areas of consumer marketing.
New Orleans-based audience platform Lucid has introduced The Fulcrum Exchange Quality and Composition Program or Fulcrum Quality, a quality assurance and measurement program for market research sample. The program allows researchers to deliver more accurate insights by testing multiple characteristics of over 40 major sample panels. The program was created in partnership with Chuck Miller of digital agency DM2.
Doyle Research Associates, Chicago, has released A Researcher’s Guide to Using Mobile Qualitative: Where Qualitative Meets Technology to Harness Opportunity, a nine-page e-book that can be downloaded for free from the firm’s Web site.
California-based researcher Trusted Talent has launched the Trusted Talent Recruiting Hub specifically for the market research industry. The hub allows research professionals to post profiles and résumés for hiring companies to access. Additionally, hiring companies can use a matching algorithm that identifies and ranks talent for each position.
Digital advertising agency NMPi, London, has launched a new analytics service that will deliver a range of be-spoke analytics solutions across four areas: Web analytics, tag management, attribution and consultancy.
Australia-based marketing firm Shopping Links has introduced Managed Collaborations, a service that adds personalized and fully managed campaigns to its self-service digital platform, assisting social media agencies and brands with finding the best influencers to develop effective collaboration ideas. The service can also curate invitation lists for influencer events.
Cupertino, Calif., firm SiteFocus Inc. has made available Communications in Focus (CIF), a cloud-based analytics platform that democratizes unstructured data analytics by eliminating traditional prerequisites, enabling data scientists, business users and end users to benefit from self-service analytics.
EBay, San Jose, Calif., and Australian retailer Myer have joined forces to develop and launch a virtual reality (VR) department store. Throughout the VR experience, Australian customers can browse Myer products, select and add them to their cart using eBay Sight Search. The Virtual Reality Department Store connects to the existing eBay.com.au API and allows Myer’s product range, pricing and stock information to be updated in real-time.
Research agency BrainJuicer, London, has launched System1 Politics, which uses the firm’s behavioral science-based Fame, Feeling and Fluency model to improve the prediction of election outcomes.
Shelton, Conn., researcher SSI has teamed with Topbonus, airberlin’s frequent flyer program, to provide a new rewards program called Meinungsmeile or Opinion Mile. The program allows loyalty members to earn Topbonus award miles for flights and other benefits by participating in surveys and sharing opinions. The program will also allow SSI’s Germany-, Austria- and Switzerland-based panel members to provide clients with more access to consumer and business travelers’ opinions.
Warren, N.J., researcher Lightspeed has introduced 10 new research capabilities in Australia, including Light-speed AdTracking, Bulletin Boards, Business Matters, CATI, Facial Coding, Metering, Mobile Audience, Social, Video Appends and Youth Matters.
Netherlands-based researcher Nebu has released Nebu Data Hub, a centralized data management solution that collects and processes data from multiple sources. The firm has also launched a new Web site and brand identi-ty.
Chicago-based market research crowdfunding start-up Collaborata has moved out of beta. The online market-place brings together buyers and sellers to crowdfund research projects. It was founded by Jimmy Zollo, who was most recently at tech start-up Grubhub, and Peter Zollo, founder and former CEO of youth research firm TRU. Ben Diedrich will head up global sales for the firm.
Researcher MARU/VCR&C, San Francisco, has launched the Qualitative Insights Center of Excellence, a new research group that uses a range of online technologies in developing insight into consumer behavior. The team is headed by Senior Vice President Tommy Stinson. MARU/VCR&C Qualitative Insights is designed as a standalone research offering and an enhancement to a quantitative research program. It is available globally in Asia, Europe and Latin and North America.
Shelton, Conn., researcher SSI has launched a new rewards program, Opinion Check-In, with IHG Rewards Club. The program allows members who join Opinion Check-In to earn points by participating in surveys and sharing their opinions. The Opinion Check-In program will also help grow SSI’s worldwide panel and give clients more access to consumer and business travelers’ opinions.
Nashville, Tenn., firm 20|20 Research has launched Velocity, a new research solution that provides quick-turn studies, delivering results in seven days.
Warren, N.J., researcher Lightspeed has introduced Survey Health Score (SHS), a capture of panelists’ feed-back and satisfaction levels post-survey that provides clients with feedback of respondent experience. SHS helps analyze and benchmark survey design techniques, length of interview effects and the influence of devices.
Nielsen, New York, has made its Digital Content Ratings available in full syndication for clients. Nielsen’s Digital Content Ratings provides daily measurement of audiences across digital content types including video and text, with metrics fully comparable to television.
Salt Lake City customer experience software firm MaritzCX has made available a new CXFuel framework that provides a developer portal that allows users to access their customer experience data through APIs, as well as an Integrations Hub with pre-built connectors for popular enterprise systems, including Adobe Analytics Con-nector; Marketo Connector; Oracle Sales Cloud Connector; Salesforce Connector; and Tableau Connector.
ThinkNow Research, Burbank, Calif., has launched the Minority Business Owner (B2B) Panel in the U.S. The panel will provide insights to help brands create better messaging and design more relevant product and service offerings for minority businesses. The company will continue its panel expansion by launching new panels in Latin American countries.
Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) has launched The Thinking House, a consumer research and market insight center in Dublin that will provide global trends, research, consumer insights and industry innovations to Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry. It will be managed by Helen King, director of consumer insight and a team of 11 professionals.
Germany-based eye-tracking technology firm SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) has launched the SMI Digital Classroom, a new framework for educational researchers that collects eye-tracking and behavioral data from up to 40 students simultaneously. The solution is aimed at researchers in educational and learning sciences, psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience.
Nielsen, New York, said that it will provide all electronic measurement for its local television ratings across all designated market areas by mid-2017. The firm will incorporate Return Path Data from set-top boxes and other electronic measurement into local services, including the TV markets currently measured by paper TV diaries. Nielsen aims to retire paper TV diaries by early 2018.