MarketTools Blog

It seems that the area of mobile market research is continuing to heat up as more progressive, forward-looking clients are showing greater levels of interest, and an ever-expanding array of vendors are now offering mobile research solutions.  Many in the research industry are focused on “figuring out” mobile.  There is also a lot of buzz in the industry – ranging from formal presentations at conferences to informal chat taking place in social media. 

It’s hard to ignore the potential of mobile as a new research platform in both the US and abroad although many questions continue to exist.  The biggest question in my mind is whether mobile is a viable research platform with staying power or if it is just a new toy for researchers.  Mobile might be bright, shiny and fun to play with for awhile, but it may eventually get discarded as the next “big thing” comes along.  Time will tell if this will be the case, but it’s hard to ignore the mobile opportunity and one thing is for sure – this is a very dynamic space that is rapidly changing and evolving.

MarketTools started getting involved with mobile technologies in 2007.  A few progressive clients leveraged our SMS survey tools but, honestly, we were ahead of the curve.  A lot has changed in the interim with smart phone penetration continuing to grow, mobile technology rapidly improving, and new products being launched (the iPhone is a great example).  Here are some of the ways we see that elements of mobile technology are enriching research projects: 

•  Mobile texting to increase responses and their timeliness:  this has improved the validity of diary studies.  
• Inbound surveys based on short codes:  using short codes to access the survey ensures that the respondent has, indeed, seen the advertisement or coupon under review.  
•  Collecting ethnographic information via mobile device:  this method of collection from the respondent, and the device itself, reduces fatigue and increases accuracy and richness. 

In its very early stages, mobile was one more technology platform to consider, like the original movement from paper surveys to online surveys.  What has been interesting in recent discussions about mobile is how the technology is viewed as a methodology on its own.  The idea of “mobile research” is taking a new turn with the widespread availability of smart phones in the developed world.  Collecting data through these new tools expands the type and richness of data available.  At its core, mobile is the most immediate tool for answering questions, be those questions posted in a survey, through a forum or in a diary study.

In both 2010 and 2011, analysts declared “the year of mobile” was upon us; one analyst opined that it is more likely to be the decade of mobile.  Many of our clients have become increasingly interested in mobile research.  Some have concrete plans for surveying emerging markets, some have a growing desire to investigate the options.  The mobile journey will be different for every market research organization.  But it’s likely that in 10 years, those in the research industry will have finished the journey and will look back to wonder what the fuss was all about.