New TiVo division will track DVR users’ ad viewership
Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo Inc. has created TiVo Audience Research and Measurement, a division of the company which will offer data and analysis on DVR viewing of advertising content. The Commercial Viewership Reports will provide an understanding of the types of advertisements that are most successful with consumers in TiVo households. Advertisers will know the viewership and effectiveness of their advertisements by network, genre, day-part, time slot, day of week and commercial pod position.
TiVo’s research will include assessment and analysis of the impact of fast-forwarding, rewinding, replaying, pausing and other behaviors. The reports are based on anonymous, aggregate data collected from all of TiVo’s subscribers across the country, in near real-time, through random analysis of 20,000 of TiVo subscribers per given day. The service delivers data on commercials in any day-part, showing specific viewing patterns and pinpointing specific incidents where viewers showed interaction. The data can be customized at the buyer’s request.
TiVo is working with Nissan, as well as OMD NEXT, a consortium of 14 of Omnicom Media Group’s clients who have dedicated resources this year to test and learn about the relative impact that new and emerging media platforms are having on traditional media/advertising models, and the relative brand value that each medium brings to the overall media mix. NEXT clients include Bank of America, GE, Visa, Discovery Channel, McDonalds and Anheuser-Busch, among others. For more information visit www.tivo.com.
Online panel surveys disabled consumers and their families
Bainbridge, Ga., disability services firm Butler New Media has launched two new online panels for people with disabilities, their family members and other stakeholders. With the name Ability, the panels allow respondents to participate in mystery shopping, market research and other specialized studies. The two panels that people can join are the mystery shopping/evaluation panel and the market research panel. Participants in the mystery shopping panel will have the opportunity to participate in: mystery shopping, product and service evaluations and usability testing. The market research panel is used for surveys, opinion polls, focus groups and other specialized research. For more information visit www.abilitypanel.com.
Service mines consumer comments on blogs, chat rooms
San Francisco research firm MarketTools has debuted Insight Networks, which allows users to capture the universe of voices from a variety of online resources and existing electronic content, interact with social networks and online communities, and synthesize that feedback. By tapping into consumers’ own means of communication, such as blogs, chat rooms, message boards, video and online groups, the product enables companies to listen in to and join the conversations to stay abreast of fast-changing issues, trends and opinions. For more information visit www.markettools.com.
Research Now adds country-specific panels; auto-ownership screener
London-based Research Now has added a number of research-only panels to its European portfolio. The countries include: Portugal (www.opinioesdevalor.com), Greece (www.polytimesgnomes.gr), the Netherlands (www.waardevollemening.nl), Sweden (www. dinasikt.se), Norway (www.verdifullmening.no), Denmark(www.danskemeninger.dk) and Finland (www.mielipidetutkimus.com). In addition, Research Now has also built a bilingual panel in Belgium in both Flemish (www.joumening.be) and French (www.votreopinion.be).
Separately, the firm has added an automotive panel profile screener. The screener, sent to a selection of online consumer panel members, has been designed to be used across European markets (U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain). Panelist car ownership has been broken down across over 500 different models, covering all major brands. The screener also covers topics such as intent to purchase a car, type of car purchased (new, second-hand, company car, etc.), methods of finance and insurance provider. For more information visit www.researchnow.co.uk.
Study of shoppers uses qual/quant approach
Information firm Planet Insights is now offering the Shopper Mindset Study, which draws from shop-along research and provides both quantitative and qualitative data on shopping trip behavior. The study uses online survey resources and software analysis tools from BIGresearch. The study is fielded to over 5,000 shoppers on a semi-annual basis, resulting in hundreds of respondents for many types of shopping trips, enabling marketers to keep tabs on changing consumer mindsets. For more information visit www.planetinsights.com.
New panel products from Vision Critical
Vancouver research firm Vision Critical has released a panel management system, Panel+. It includes DataONE, which captures and stores every data point, allowing researchers to simultaneously analyze across multiple surveys including segmented sampling using any data point from any survey. Also, the DataPLAY function contains full functionality for multidimensional crosstabulations, with the ability to alter variables and question transformation. For more information visit www.visioncritical.com.
Remark Classic OMR gets an update
Scanning software maker Remark Products, Malvern, Pa., has updated its Remark Classic OMR, a Windows software package for scanning pre-printed forms using traditional OMR scanners offered through manufacturers such as NCS Pearson. Enhancements include Self Score support for NCS scanners, Questionmark export, a new grade and print mode, and a variety of new reports with options for question weighting, benchmarks, learning objectives, crosstabulations and greater customization. Please see www.gravic.com.
Test, screen new product concepts online
Cincinnati-based Marketing Research Services Inc. has added two online concept testing functions, ConScan and ConSelect, to its PRISM system for product development. ConScan online concept screening is designed to help clients at the concept ideation phase of product development where consumer needs have been identified and initial concept solutions are being evaluated. ConScan screens those ideas to help clients determine which initial concepts offer the most potential and should be developed into full concepts and moved forward into the concept testing phase.
Once potentially successful concepts have been identified, ConSelect online concept testing helps clients determine which of those are the strongest in terms of purchase intent, likes and dislikes and expected purchase frequency.
ConScan uses a primarily sequential monadic screening technique so consumers can evaluate up to five potential concepts in one survey. At this stage, concepts are brief, usually three to four sentences with a price and a visual. ConSelect uses a primarily monadic testing technique, where consumers evaluate only one concept at a time. Concepts are more detailed and the focus shifts from screening to fine-tuning and optimizing the concept message and positioning using the ConSelect solution. For more information visit www.prism.mrsi.com/conselect.html.
2006 Estimates and 2011 Projections available
The Demographic Data Center is offering its 2006 Estimates and 2011 Projections product, which provides basic demographic variables for the U.S. population and for five-year projections of population trends. The 2006 Estimates fill in the gap since the 2000 Census and the 2011 Projections build on these data, projecting where population trends are heading in the next five years.
Variables include total population, population change, total households, race, age, gender, household income, owners vs. renters, and more. The data from Estimates and Projections is available in five geographies: states, counties, tracts, block groups and zip codes. Users can also run a radius around a latitude/longitude point. For more information visit www.usa-demographics.com/estimates/estimates.htm.
Changes to Synovate Oncology Monitor
Synovate Healthcare announced changes to the European arm of its Global Tandem Oncology Monitor. From August, the European Tandem Oncology Monitor now reports patient demographics and market shares on a monthly basis. In addition, it now offers immediate access to monthly data online using mrTables, part of the SPSS Dimensions software. The Monitor also incorporates EphMRA’s Anatomical Therapeutic Classification system to offer further flexibility in segmentation analysis within the oncology market. For more information visit www.synovate.com/healthcare.
GIS book, GeoCollector series, and data projections from ESRI
Redlands, Calif.-based ESRI has released its 2006 demographic data estimates and 2011 projections and made them available as downloadable reports and maps from Business Analyst Online, ESRI’s on-demand reporting and mapping service. The 2006/2011 data is available in more than 50 reports and maps such as the demographic and income profile, market profile, and age by race profile. For more information visit www.esri.com/bao.
Separately, ESRI Press has released A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems, a guide to the language of geographic information system (GIS) technology. The book (288 pages, $24.95) is available at online retailers and at bookstores or can be purchased at www.esri.com/esripress.
ESRI has also released the GeoCollector series, a field data collection solution that merges ESRI’s mobile GIS software with global positioning system (GPS) technology from Trimble, a provider of positioning solutions. GeoCollector includes a handheld computer with integrated GPS receiver from the current Trimble GeoExplorer series and ESRI’s ArcPad. To meet the full range of field data collection requirements, the device is available in three accuracy options: subfoot, submeter, and one- to three-meter. The GeoCollector series also includes Trimble’s GPScorrect for ArcPad, which collects and manages the GPS data necessary for differential correction during data collection. In addition, Trimble’s GPS Analyst for ArcGIS Desktop is available as an add-on to enable the direct transfer of data from GeoCollector and to perform differential correction inside ArcGIS Desktop. For more information visit www.esri.com/geocollector.
TNS expands travelers panel
London research firm TNS has launched its Travellers’ Panel, an online sub-panel of its 6thdimension panel which provides access to 500,000 international respondents across six European countries (the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain). Sub-samples of respondents from a range of different market segments can be identified, including long-haul vacationers and business travelers. These can be matched against preferred vacation destination, type of vacation and accommodation, allowing bespoke sampling of specific holiday travelers to inform business and communications strategies. For more information visit www.tns-global.com.
PVR renovates test kitchen facilities
PVR Research, Duluth, Ga., has completed a renovation of its research center, including a remodel of its commercial test kitchen facilities. The kitchen renovation consists of a new, large walk-in freezer and refrigerator unit, more counter space and new equipment that can be disconnected and reconfigured to accommodate individual research needs. PVR’s remodeled test kitchen includes a new commercial range, eight standard ovens and a commercial Vulcan convection oven, 18 microwaves, a 75 lb. fryer, a commercial griddle and an ice machine. For more information visit www.pvr-research.com.
Briefly
Newark, N.J.-based InterClipper is now offering DVD Clipper, which lets users mark focus group clips on facility DVDs for free. Users can decide later which clips they want to export and pay to unlock just the DVDs that have the clips they need. For more information visit www.interclipper.com.
New York research firm Advanced Focus has opened Advanced Focus - The Facility on Park Avenue in Manhattan. It has four suites, each offering surround sound. Two LCD TVs for video playback are mounted in all four respondent rooms. Each viewing room has individual A/C control, staged seating, wireless Internet and an attached client lounge equipped with closed-circuit television, a computer, printer and Internet access. For more information visit www.advancedfocus.com.
New York research firm Ipsos Insight has unveiled its Innotrack tool, which measures how well a new product has performed in the market - domestic or global - versus expectations. Innotrack is designed to shed light on why products perform the way they do by identifying consumer motivations and deterrents to trial and repeat. For more information visit www.ipsosinsight.com/products/innotrack.aspx.
Diagnostics Plus, a State College, Pa., research firm, announced an expanded service to the college and university market. The service, called Resource Priorities and Performance Research, engages multiple stakeholder groups at a college or university (administrative leadership, academic deans and directors, staff, students and others) to help them make facilities management decisions. For more information visit www.diagnosticsplus.com.
Synovate Healthcare has launched online physician panels in China, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and India. For more information visit www.synovate.com.
TNS Ireland has expanded its FMCG consumer-tracking Worldpanel service to 1,350 households in the Republic of Ireland and intends to increase it to 3,000 by August 2008. For more information visit www.tns-global.com.
Schlesinger Associates has opened a new qualitative research facility in Phoenix. Located on East Camelback Road, across for the Biltmore Fashion Park, the facility has four focus group suites equipped with high-definition monitors, wireless Internet, digital recording and marking, videostreaming and videoconferencing. For more information visit www.schlesingerassociates.com.
San Francisco research firm Zoomerang has launched its Customer Satisfaction Resource Center at www.customersatisfactionresource.com. Visitors to the free site can access survey templates, best practices in creating effective customer satisfaction surveys, and research and analysis of customer satisfaction.
New York-based Gazelle Global Research Services LLC has launched a new business unit, Gazelle Globalization Group (g3), to provide language solutions to firms with ongoing multilingual and international communication concerns. Areas of focus include market research, financial, medical, health care, pharmaceutical, legal, travel and tourism, information technology and government sectors. For more information visit www.g3translate.com.
G & S Research, Carmel, Ind., has established G & S Discovery, a new division focusing on the life science research supply marketplace. For more information visit www.gs-research.com.
New York research firm Medefield reported in late June that its online physician respondent community had grown by 25 percent to over 400,000 physicians worldwide in the past 12 months. For more information visit www.medefield.com.
Simmons Online, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is now linking custom online research with its National Consumer Study (NCS), allowing clients to access proprietary data along with more than 50,000 additional data variables within the NCS. For more information visit www.smrb.com.
Netherlands-based research firm the SKIM Group has supported the initiative to launch a Web site devoted to conjoint analysis. The site, www.conjointpage.com, contains links to commercial and academic sources and specialist agencies, articles and papers, research associations, conferences, conjoint software, books, universities, a forum and other conjoint-related sites.