The Net Scene

Multiple online consumer panel membership "doesn't affect quality"

2009-06-11T13:21:00.002-04:00

A comprehensive research study by the Online Research Quality Council (ORQC) of the ARF concluded that respondents who are members of multiple panels are not necessarily a threat to data quality. Read more here Research-live.

"Findings of the study into duplication and overlap of online panel members concluded that multiple membership only has an impact on data quality when members take part in the same survey more than once. Duplication rates when combining two panels – a realistic scenario for a survey – ranged from 2% to 19%, with the average “well below 10%”, the study said. However, for surveys taking place in localized markets the rate could be significantly higher.

Further research will look at survey response quality, inter-study comparability and benchmarking. The full industry report, incorporating all the papers, will be published later this year. Committees of the ORQC focusing on industry solutions and metrics will review the results on overlap and duplication in panels to come up with principles, recommendations and guidelines for the industry, the foundation said."

Google's response to the McKinsey report on cloud computing

2009-05-06T01:01:00.004-04:00

Last month McKinsey & Company released a report through the Uptime Institute entitled "Clearing the air on cloud computing." "Clouds already make sense for many small and medium-size businesses, but technical, operational and financial hurdles will need to be overcome before clouds will be used extensively by large public and private enterprises," the report said.

Click here to learn more about cloud computing from Google's POV on the official Google Enterprise blog.

McKinsey report on cloud computing and some search data from Compete on netbooks

2009-04-17T13:43:00.005-04:00

McKinsey: 'Cloud Computing' Overhyped, Still Too Expensive
"Is the whole "cloud computing" craze overhyped? Here's one clue it might be: Lots of companies are boasting about how they're cloud computing players, but there's still no real definition of what cloud computing is. In a new report, "clearing the air on cloud computing," McKinsey deflates some of the claims made about the cloud, saying the buzz is disconnected from reality and the promised cost savings just aren't there yet. But the news isn't all bad for cloud computing players: Startups and small-to-medium sized business can see gains by 'going cloud' that still elude big business." Read more on the Silicon Alley Insider.

Netbooks: Searching along a converging frontier
"Depending on your vantage point, a netbook might look like a small laptop or a large Smartphone. Below chart from Compete shows the top 10 sites that people were directed to after going to a major search engine and looking up a term that included the keyword ‘netbook.’ The sites are ranked by the percentage of all traffic generated by searches including the keyword ‘netbook’ that went to a particular site. So these ‘netbook’ searchers are going to retail and manufacturer sites, but many are visiting third party review sites, blogs and information sites like Wikipedia to learn more about the devices, likely because heavy marketing and media reports on netbooks are a relatively recent phenomenon." Read more on the Compete blog.

Viral videos

2009-04-14T12:43:00.002-04:00

For some of the latest viral videos sponsored by advertisers, check out the Ad Age Viral Video Chart. Hope you enjoy the videos!

Technology news from The New York Times

2009-03-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

Here is a roundup of the latest technology news from The New York Times:

Skype, the Web Phone Giant, Brings Cheap Calls to Cellular
"Skype, the Internet calling service that has more than 400 million users around the world, is aggressively moving onto mobile phones. The company plans to announce that it will make its free software available immediately for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch and, beginning in May, for various BlackBerry phones."

Do-It-Yourself Magazines, Cheaply Slick
"For anyone who has dreamed of creating his own glossy color magazine dedicated to a hobby, the high cost and hassle of printing has loomed as a big barrier. With a new Web service called MagCloud, Hewlett-Packard hopes to make it easier and cheaper to crank out a magazine than running photocopies at the local copy shop."

Is Facebook Growing Up Too Fast?
"Sometime this week, the five-year-old start-up, born in a dorm room at Harvard, expects to register its 200 millionth user."

Video Game Makers Challenged by the Next Wave of Media
"The video game market has expanded greatly, with more women and older gamers playing. People are playing on consoles, computers, cellphones and hand-held gadgets. But a proliferation of free or low-cost games on the Web and for phones limits how much the major game publishers can raise prices. It also diverts attention from the game consoles, like the PlayStation 3 from Sony and the Xbox 360 from Microsoft."

Marketing After the Recession

2009-03-23T10:38:00.001-04:00

According to Professor John Quelch, the downturn in economy has likely changed people's buying habits in fundamental ways. In this article, for Harvard Business Online, reprinted on HBS Working Knowledge, he discusses why marketers must start planning today to reach consumers after the recession.

Are CMOs gaining ground in the recession?

2009-03-15T14:09:00.003-04:00

A recent Ad Age article by John Quelch has some good news for marketing heads: Chief marketing officers are holding on to their jobs longer. According to Spencer Stuart's annual survey of CMO tenure at the 100 most advertised brands in the U.S., average time on the job has risen to 28.4 months from 26.8 months in 2007 and 23.2 months in 2006.

In this Ad Age article, Quelch lists the top four issues on which CEOs look to CMOs for guidance. Here is a summary; for details see Ad Age.
- Shifting consumer behavior: The recession has changed consumer attitudes and behaviors and the CEO needs a CMO who understands company's brands, consumers, and their comparative profitability.
- Price positioning: The economic downturn has increased customer price sensitivity. Marketers need to hit key retail price points and revamp their promotion and marketing strategies to maximize price competitiveness.
- Stretching marketing dollars: Recession demands that marketers come up with creative ways of doing more with less.
- Embracing digital: Rather than avoid online advertising, now may be the time for many companies to experiment further and allocate more of their budgets to search advertising, banner advertising or motivating user-generated content.

Wired: "Netbooks prove that we finally know what PCs are actually for: Not all that much"

2009-03-06T10:07:00.003-05:00

This Wired article points out a fact about computers in the most basic way possible. Most people do not need heavy-duty hardware. Read the article on Wired: "The Netbook Effect"

"Netbooks have ended the performance wars. Our most common tasks—email, Web surfing, watching streamed videos—require very little processing power. Only a few people, like graphic designers and hardcore gamers, actually need heavy-duty hardware. For years now, without anyone really noticing, the PC industry has functioned like a car company selling SUVs: It pushed absurdly powerful machines because the profit margins were high, while customers lapped up the fantasy that they could go off-roading, even though they never did. So coders took advantage of that surplus power to write ever-bulkier applications and operating systems."

"Netbooks are evidence that we now know what personal computers are for. Which is to say, a pretty small list of things that are conducted almost entirely online. Netbooks prove that the "cloud" is no longer just hype. It is now reasonable to design computers that outsource the difficult work somewhere else. Netbooks are a classic Christensenian disruptive innovation for the PC industry. "

"How Marketers Get Wikis Wrong"

2009-02-26T20:30:00.002-05:00

A recent video by Advertising Age on wikis.

Marketers have begun to explore wikis as a new approach to product promotion. But, several flaws in marketers' thinking often causes their wikis to fail, says Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia to Ad Age. Wales now has a second site, Wikia.com, which has become a universe of thousands of wikis with more than 500 million page views a month and has growing stable of blue-chip advertisers.

"Web 2.0 tools present a vast array of opportunities—for companies that know how to use them"

2009-02-20T09:46:00.004-05:00

This McKinsey article is a need to read not only for Internet researchers or marketers but for anybody who is interested in looking at the Internet from a new perspective.

"Technologies known collectively as Web 2.0 have spread widely among consumers over the past five years. Social-networking Web sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, now attract more than 100 million visitors a month. As the popularity of Web 2.0 has grown, companies have noted the intense consumer engagement and creativity surrounding these technologies. Many organizations, keen to harness Web 2.0 internally, are experimenting with the tools or deploying them on a trial basis."

In this article, McKinsey provides six management imperatives that determine the outcome of efforts to implement these technologies. "Web 2.0 tools present a vast array of opportunities—for companies that know how to use them."

News stories from the past week

2009-02-15T09:13:00.002-05:00

Here are some interesting industry news that I have selected from the past week.

FTC updates behavioral ad guidelines
"In the US, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a revised report which reinforces the view that companies which track peoples’ online behaviour should follow self-regulatory guidelines to protect user privacy. The FTC began investigating behavioral targeting after the Center for Digital Democracy and the US Public Interest Research Group filed a complaint about the practice in November 2006. In its report, the commission updates concerns about how online advertisers can protect consumer privacy while collecting information about their online activities in order to serve up ads tailored to their interests." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Do we need a new Internet?
"Security and privacy have become so compromised that many experts believe it is time to start over. What a new Internet might look like is still widely debated, but one alternative would, in effect, create a “gated community” where users would give up their anonymity and certain freedoms in return for safety. Today that is already the case for many corporate and government Internet users. As a new and more secure network becomes widely adopted, the current Internet might end up as the bad neighborhood of cyberspace. You would enter at your own risk and keep an eye over your shoulder while you were there." New York Times

Study to shed light on state of play in UK mobile ad industry
"Mobile operators and ad agencies are backing a major new research project into mobile advertising in the UK. The project aims to “document the state of the mobile advertising industry in the UK, identify growth opportunities in the emerging mobile advertising marketplace, and benefit stakeholders, shareholders and consumers worldwide”. It has been commissioned by Every Single One Of Us, a joint initiative backed by mobile operators, ad agencies and brand owners to promote mobile marketing, and has the support of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)." Research Magazine

Market researchers need to develop softer skills
"Market researchers need to listen to consumers rather than focuson "feeding the metrics monster", according to Procter & Gamble's senior researcher Kim Dedeker. Dedeker told an Advertising Research Foundation forum that market researchers need to employ softer skills, such as finding and telling persuasive stories or making greater use of ethnography and online communities." Brand Republic

The future (!) of newspapers

2009-02-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

Don't miss this amazing video (1981 TV Report On Birth Of Internet News)

“Imagine, if you will, sitting down to your morning coffee, turning on your home computer to see the day’s newspaper. Well, it’s not as far-fetched as it may seem.”

SF Examiner: “This is an experiment. We’re trying to figure out what it’s going to mean to us, as editors and reporters and what it means to the home user. And we’re not in it to make money, we’re probably not going to lose a lot but we aren’t going to make much either.”

The Best And Worst Super Bowl Ads

2009-02-02T12:21:00.002-05:00

"With a price tag of up to $100,000 a second, companies that bought ads in Super Bowl XLIII are banking on buzz. NBC sold spots up until the last minute, convincing marketers that even in a harsh economy, Super Bowl ads can help build a brand and drive sales. The network scored several first-time sponsors, including Mars’ Pedigree dog food, Denny’s and Cash4Gold.com. Advertising’s big game will play out over water coolers and across the Internet for days after the Super Bowl."

For an interesting review of the Super Bowl XLIII ads by experts for the Forbes magazine, visit forbes.com

Inauguration 5th Most Watched Online Event Ever

2009-01-31T22:54:00.002-05:00

According to the Internet infrastructure company Akamai Technologies, news web sites saw about 5.4 million visitors per minute, making Obama's taking of his oath of office the fifth biggest web event. Akamai's Net Usage Index for News enables users to monitor global news consumption 24 x 7, seeing in real-time the impact of current events on online media consumption. Here is the 5 most watched online events since Akamai started its tracking (based on total visitors per minute) in August 2005:

1. Nov. 4, 2008 8,572,042 Barack Obama is victorious in historic presidential election
2. June 22, 2006 7,283,584 U.S. eliminated by Ghana in World Cup
3. Mar. 20, 2008 7,008,325 Day One of U.S. College Basketball 2008 Playoffs Coverage
4. Mar. 16, 2006 5,489,918 Day One of U.S. College Basketball 2006 Playoffs Coverage
5. Jan. 20, 2009 5,401.250 Barack Obama's inauguration

Research news

2009-01-30T00:29:00.002-05:00

Here are some interesting news from the industry. Have a great weekend!

Insight at the heart of new WPP
"Global communications group WPP is planning to move away from its role as a traditional media and advertising supplier, to concentrate on becoming a more insight-led organisation, says CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. Sorrell says this change of direction will move the company away from the business models of rivals such as Omnicom, IPG and Publicis, towards those created by Nielsen, IPSOS, GfK and even Thomson-Reuters and Bloomberg." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Facebook launches polling ads
"Advertisers seeking to crack the code on reaching Facebook's growing audience have a new weapon in their arsenal: polls. CareerBuilder is the first advertiser to test a new ad format on the popular social network." AdWeek

Maverick CMOs try going without TV
"As the upfronts loom, many big brands—like General Motors and Citibank, for instance—are slashing their spending on television advertising out of necessity. But another factor to consider is the maverick CMO who is willing to spend a lot less on TV advertising or cut it out entirely." BrandWeek

Ex-ComScore execs bring analytics platform out of beta
"A new website audience profiling tool developed by two former ComScore executives moved out of beta today to challenge for supremacy in the online analytics space. The Crowd Science Demographics platform relies on website owners tagging pages of their site so that visitors can be randomly selected to take part in surveys. Questions cover basic demographics through to information on product usage and attitudes, and these are tailored to the particular focus of site or a given section within it." Research Magazine

"Online video of inauguration sets records"

2009-01-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

According to an article in today's New York Times, millions across the country helped set records for Internet traffic on Tuesday as they watched online video of the inauguration ceremonies. "The overwhelming demand meant that some Web sites and data networks had trouble keeping up, forcing many people to turn to less cutting-edge forms of media. Internet traffic in the United States hit a record peak at the start of President Obama’s speech as people watched, read about and commented on the inauguration, according to Bill Woodcock, the research director at the Packet Clearing House, a nonprofit organization that analyzes online traffic. The figures surpassed even the high figures on the day President Obama was elected."

CNN teams with Facebook for Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

Research highlights

2009-01-19T10:56:00.002-05:00

More users have 1-hour-plus daily Web habit
"The number of adults who log more than one hour a day on the Web increased from 43% in 2007 to 48% in 2008, according to a Gallup poll. The survey also showed major boosts in this level of usage among those who make less than $30,000; unmarried people; 18-to-29-year-olds; and those with a post-graduate education" Adweek

Pre-Shop Customer Reviews Important to Online Customers
Nielsen Online, studying the holiday mindset of the U.S. online shopper, found that customer reviews are an important research tool for online consumers. 71 percent of online shoppers agreed that consumer reviews make them more comfortable that they are buying the right product. 81 percent have read product or retailer reviews by other customers when doing their holiday shopping this year. 63 percent of online shoppers indicated that it was important to have multiple reviews for each product, 14 percent looked for reviews from an established source, and just three percent sought out reviews by people they knew personally.

News No Longer Newspaper's Forte
According to the Pew Research Center, the Internet has now surpassed all other media except television as an outlet for national and international news. Currently, 40% of the survey respondents say they get most of their news about national and international issues from the internet, up from just 24% in September 2007. For the first time in a Pew survey, more people say they rely mostly on the internet for news than cite newspapers. Television continues to be cited most frequently as a main source for national and international news.

More industry highlights

2009-01-14T14:27:00.002-05:00

Wal-Mart CEO Sees 'Fundamental Change' in Consumer Habits (Video)
"Consumers, particularly younger ones, who are seriously cutting back spending during the current economic downturn may be establishing new patterns of frugality that will live on after the recovery. That was one of the concerns of Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, who yesterday kicked off the National Retail Federation's annual convention in Manhattan. His candid comments come just weeks before he is scheduled to step down as CEO" Advertising Age

Lines Between Media Channels Increasingly Blurred
"From 2006 to 2008, the share of U.S. consumers using shopping Web sites doubled from 17% to 35%, according to a study released Monday. More revealing, perhaps, is that 44% of those online shopping consumers reported reading consumer reviews and comments found on the sites. This demonstrates that such e-commerce sites have transformed into virtual social gathering places and information destinations." Online Media Daily

Key Advertising Groups to Develop Privacy Guidelines for Online Behavioral Advertising Data Use and Collection
"Four marketing and advertising industry associations today announced that they are working together to develop enhanced self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising in order to address privacy concerns and to increase consumers' trust and confidence in how online information is gathered and used. The associations are the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB), a leading organization dedicated to advancing marketplace trust, is also part of the effort." BusinessWire

Survey: 45% of top U.K. marketers to cut ad spend this year
"Some 45% of U.K. marketers surveyed intend to cut their ad spending this year, while 20% plan to increase their budgets and the remaining 35% plan to keep spending levels flat, according to a survey of 250 major marketers in the U.K. by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising." Advertising Age

Industry news headlines

2009-01-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

Meet the "New Info Shoppers"
"Political consultant and trendwatcher Mark Penn has identified a burgeoning consumer segment -- the "new info shopper." His research found that 92% of respondents trusted information gleaned from online searches as opposed to in-store sales pitches. While consumers have traditionally researched major purchases like homes and cars via the Web, the interactive marketplace is creating new categories of information-driven purchasing. The the new info shoppers just can't buy anything unless they first look it up online and get the lowdown." Wall Street Journal

10 things you need to know about mobile
"The much-touted location-based services (LBS) that marketers dream of leveraging for laser-geo-targeted promotions have not found their own way yet. A small percentage of U.S. phones have GPS built in, and while many more will come to market this year, carriers can't figure out how to price and promote them." Online Media Daily

Mobile video use up 14%, but numbers are still small
"Only 5% of the wireless subscribers in the U.S. access video content in a given month, but the 10.3 million who do represent a 14% gain from 2007, according to the Nielsen Co., which cited the growth of Internet-friendly handsets as the major driver of video viewing." MediaWeek

Web analytics market set to defy recession
"In the US, a survey conducted by the Web Analytics Association (WAA) has found that more than 96% of respondents plan to increase or maintain current spending on web analytics during the year. While the survey of more than 650 marketing and analytics professionals highlighted that more than 40% of respondents see funding as their biggest challenge, WAA says that the investment outlook is positive." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Mid-week news update

2009-01-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

Marketer survey offers New Year cheer for MR
"Use of research will not decrease in 2009, say Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) members. A survey of marketing executives offers some New Year cheer for researchers – 78% say their use of market research will either stay the same or increase in 2009." Research Magazine

Economy weighs heavily on marketing execs for 2009
"Marketing executives are tired of buzzwords such as Web 2.0, blogs and social networking. They're more concerned about credit availability, housing markets, alternative energy and the trade deficit, according to a new study of top-level marketers." Advertising Age

Ad shops eye web space
"Firms Customize Digital Marketplaces to Stay in the Game. Madison Avenue took a back seat as technology companies created the tools to buy advertising space online. Now, major ad holding companies are developing their own systems." Wall Street Journal

Launch of ‘Digital Home Observatory’
"Competitive and market intelligence firm Strategy Analytics has launched a user experience research capability, which will explore purchase motivations, product satisfaction and barriers to the use and consumption of digital media." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

MRA predicts key legal issues for MR in 2009
"Auto-dialling of cellphones and online behavioral tracking are among the key areas raising legislative and regulatory concern for the research profession in 2009, according to a new forecast by the US-based Marketing Research Association (MRA)." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Obama urged to overhaul consumer privacy law
'Privacy campaigners are calling for the Obama administration to introduce a comprehensive consumer privacy law that would cover behavioural ad targeting and online data collection." Research Magazine

IMRO membership

2009-01-05T13:56:00.002-05:00

Joining the Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO) is easy. For non-MRA members, an application can be found on both the IMRO and MRA websites. Note that IMRO membership is one of the optional benefits of a MRA membership- the IMRO benefit must be selected during the MRA membership registration process. MRA members can join IMRO by either contacting the MRA via phone or email and asking to have IMRO added to their membership. If you have questions regarding membership or need assistance, contact the MRA.

Broadband

2008-12-30T09:08:00.003-05:00

Two interesting news articles from the WSJ and NYT today.

"Internet Providers Move to Shape Broadband Push" (The Wall Street Journal) "President-elect Barack Obama's call to improve the nation's broadband infrastructure has cable and phone company lobbyists maneuvering to get a leg up. Policies under serious consideration are corporate tax credits to build new wireless or landline infrastructure, government-backed broadband "bonds" and grants to companies or local governments, legislative aides and lobbyists close to the process say. There also is strong agreement that low-income consumers need to be encouraged to sign up for broadband -for example, through vouchers to purchase computers or discounts on monthly service. Public-interest groups are clamoring for conditions to be imposed on carriers that receive tax credits, such as pledges not to degrade any Internet traffic, a principle referred to as "net neutrality."

"Internet Use Grows At Meetings, As Do Challenges" (The New York Times): "The advent of cheap, user-friendly —but bandwidth-heavy— streaming video technology changed the status quo drastically. Demand at hotels and convention centers has spiked, as businesses add videoconferencing to their meetings and guests download media. Adding to the logjam, hotel managers are moving toward Web-based tools for managing back-of-the-house departments, using more bandwidth, too. Nick Price, CIO and CTO for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, said that bandwidth has been doubling year over year."

Caught on Camera

2008-12-25T15:33:00.002-05:00

Check out this CNN video on 2008's some of the most memorable iReports.

Best technology stories of the year

2008-12-23T06:46:00.002-05:00

Here is another top 10 list. Last week, PC World published IDG News Service's top technology stories for 2008 (not in order of importance). It includes some big mergers (and attempts), important news from the industry, and some new and innovative technology products brought to market this year. Other interesting picks for the top stories of the year are the use of technology during the elections and the impacts of the recession on corporate IT budgets and the tech industry overall. I am sure you have read and heard a lot about these news over the past year, but you can visit the link above for a quick recap.

- Recession Pulls the Plug on Tech
- HP Gobbles up EDS
- Microsoft Chases Yahoo
- Open Office XML Scores Controversial Victory
- Android and the Opening of the Mobile World
- Format Wars Revisited: Blu-Ray Beats HD DVD
- McColo, King of Spam, Falls and the Fight Goes On
- XP is Dead, Long Live XP
- Politics 2.0: Obama Taps Tech to Clinch Victory
- The End of an Era: Gates Retires

IAB's biggest interactive news of 2008

2008-12-19T07:48:00.001-05:00

Most will agree that the most important news in the year 2008 were the credit crunch and economic downturn that has dominated the news, a presidential election driven in part by the Internet and social networking, the rise of social networks as an interactive platform and the growth of mobile media. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released the most important interactive stories and events of 2008, based on the clicks of the readers of its daily newsletter, IAB SmartBrief. Here is the top 10 list:
- Twitter 101 (The Washington Post, 5/1)
- Blogging yet? Don't bother (Wired, 10/20)
- Mary Meeker on the state of the Internet (The New York Times, 11/5)
- Letterman's McCain tirade get 3.5M hits on YouTube (Advertising Age, 9/30)
- Experts weigh in on SEO myths (iMedia Connection, 6/30)
- Panel: The future of widgets (ClickZ, 3/24)
- Click rate for fake ad soars (Philly.com, 6/7)
- Newspapers are troubled, but online aggregators are flourishing (Reuters, 8/28)
- Research points to value of online display ads (The Wall Street Journal, 9/19)
- BusinessWeek's "25 Most Influential People on the Web" (BusinessWeek, 9/29)

Updates from MRA

2008-12-17T23:09:00.002-05:00

Marketing Research Association (MRA) Launches Internal Review Program
MRA has created and launched a research company review program designed for providing transparency in online research. The MRA Review Program will vet and standardize online sample providers, it will create a clear understanding of panel supplier practices as they relate to data quality. Click here to access the MRA Review Program.

Marketing Research Association to Close Professional Researcher Certification Open Enrollment December 31, 2008
MRA will close Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) open enrollment on December 31, 2008. The unveiling of Certification 2.0, the second generation of the prestigious program, was introduced July 1, 2008. PRC's main goal is to encourage high standards within the marketing research profession, to raise competency, establish an objective measure of an individual's knowledge and proficiency and to encourage professional development.

Marketing Research Association Releases Special Edition of Alert! Magazine
MRA has released a special edition of Alert! Magazine dedicate to addressing the issue of quality in online research. The question of data quality with online research has been challenged over the years. Early in 2007 MRA began discussing the various options for resolving the viability issue. It was concluded that online research when done well and applied appropriately was a solid and effective research method.

More from the industry

2008-12-16T07:55:00.001-05:00

Text message marketing to increase
"Nearly 60% of U.S. mobile subscribers use text-messaging on a regular basis, with 16% recalling some form of advertising while texting, according to new research by Nielsen Mobile. Given the growing popularity of text messaging, Nielsen says cell users can expect to see more short-code marketing. So far, marketers have used text messaging in various ways ranging from conveying basic information to rewards programming to couponing, according to Nielsen." Online Media Daily

13.5 billion Web videos viewed in October
"In October alone, 13.5 billion Internet videos were viewed, a 45% increase over the same month in 2007, according to comScore's Video Metrix. Google, with its YouTube, had the most views, followed by Fox Interactive's MySpace, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Viacom Digital." MarketingVOX

More users embracing new technology in developing world
"Media hardware such as DVD players and gaming consoles is more heavily used by people in Western countries, while newer technology such as video-enabled handsets is being embraced in developing countries, especially those in Asia, according to the biannual Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey." The Hollywood Reporter

Recession can be catalyst for growth
"Interpublic research group Magna released a report Friday suggesting steps that marketers can take to propel growth during the recession, including making more cross-platform deals and looking for opportunities to drive down rates. It also advised that marketers seek to build awareness while blocking competitors in the process." Marketing Daily

Industry news headlines

2008-12-14T21:34:00.005-05:00

QA's crime cutting research wins industry award
"QA Research's qualitative study designed to cut crime levels through interaction with former offenders scooped the top prize for public policy research at the Research Awards. This year's Research Awards, hosted by the Market Research Society in London, saw the debut of the New Consumer Insights category. The winners were Vodafone and Mesh Planning for developing a new product to tackle the challenges of an increasingly fragmented media." Brand Republic

Mediaplex Launches Ad Targeting Tools
"Ad technology firm Mediaplex has released Dynamic Behavioral Targeting, a suite of products enabling advertisers to differentiate and segment customers from prospects based on their prior activity, and serve the most appropriate message. The system allows marketers to define their own optimization criteria and then measure and evaluate the performance of the creative element to automatically serve up the best performing ads." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Tesco predicted to become world's second largest retailer
"Tesco is set to overtake Carrefour in global turnover rankings within the next five years, making it the world's second largest retailer after Wal-Mart. The latest data from food and grocery research firm IGD predicts that Tesco will grow at a faster pace than French retailer Carrefour, with forecasts suggesting a growth rate of 11% for Tesco between 2007 and 2012, compared to 7% for Carrefour." Brand Republic

AHAA Forms Online Measurement Task Force
"In the US, members of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) have formed a committee, AHAA Online Measurement Task Force, to lead an initiative designed to deliver more precise online Hispanic market research data." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Grant to Fund Virtual World Research
"In Singapore, market research firm The Kalypso Agency has been awarded funding to analyse online virtual worlds, as part of a 5-year $500m incentive programme to transform ideas into ‘breakthrough’ products. Kalypso aims to combine actual behavioral data with marketing metrics to help businesses evaluate their investment in virtual worlds." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

German agencies told to provide callback number
"Research associations in Germany have introduced a guideline stating that research agencies should provide phone survey participants with a callback number. It is hoped the move will help legitimate survey firms to differentiate themselves from sales and marketing callers operating under the guise of research." Research-live.com

TNS buys remainder of Brazil's InterScience
"TNS, now part of WPP Group's Kantar, has acquired the remaining 37% of the shares in TNS InterScience, one of Brazil's leading market research businesses. TNS has held a majority interest in TNS InterScience since 2005 and now owns 100% of the company." Brand Republic

From the Quirk's magazine, December 2008

2008-12-11T21:54:00.003-05:00

Here are quick summaries of some of the articles in the December issue of the Quirk's Marketing Research Review. You can read all the articles in this month's issue on Quirk's website, where you can also search its archive of marketing research articles by signing up for free access to their online database.

Clients should seek a safer and quirky research vendor, by Matthew E. Singer, Decision Development
"Using two acronyms, the author outlines the qualities that research clients should seek in a research vendor."

Does interactivity hold the key to respondent engagement?, by Deborah Sleep, Engage Research and Jon Puleston, Global Market Insite
"The authors provide research-on-research data to show that adding elements of interactivity to surveys can indeed make them more fun to take and lead to more thoughtful responses from participants."

Researching online communities, by Susan Roth and Deanna Lawrence, TNS
"Creating an online community allows a company to understand consumers' experiences and hear their stories in their own words. This article explores the types of research that can be conducted using communities and offers guidance on how to get the most value from them."

When do we stop identifying with Rodney Dangerfield?, by Greg Rathjen, Marketecture
"While the drive to deliver insights is a valuable endeavor for any researcher, the best approach involves both the researcher and their client working together to generate insights, rather than placing the burden solely on the researcher."

IAB's new audience reach measurement guidelines

2008-12-10T20:34:00.003-05:00

The Interactive Advertising Bureau released its audience reach measurement guidelines, providing definitions for measurement of audience reach related to Internet-based content or advertising, including appropriate controls, filtration procedures and disclosures associated with this measurement and setting standards for measuring audiences regardless of methodology. The new IAB Audience Reach Measurement Guidelines are currently in public comment period until January 20, 2009. More information and feedback forms for publishers, marketers, agencies and technology vendors are available on the link above.

OPA: Consumers spend more time with content

2008-12-09T10:07:00.003-05:00

According to the Online Publishers Association, financial turmoil has increased attention to content sites for people looking for trusted information online. The latest OPA Internet Activity Index (IAI), based on data captured by Nielsen Online, from October 2008 showed that people are spending 6.1% more time on content sites that month vs. January 2008. In that same time period, time spent on commerce sites went down 20.4%, while time spent on community sites was up 16%. Time spent on communications sites was down 2.4%, probably due to more people using social networks such as Facebook to contact friends and colleagues, according to OPA's October IAI, which concludes that consuming content is the dominant way people spend time online, as consumers turn to the Internet for vital news and financial information.

Also, Silicon Alley Insider published some more recent comScore figures today, suggesting that online sales have stayed up since Cyber Monday (Dec. 1), with e-commerce up 9% y/y since then. Click here to learn more.

Last week's industry news

2008-12-07T20:16:00.007-05:00

In Lean Times, Online Coupons Are Catching On
"On the Internet, nothing travels faster than a tip on how to score a bargain. Especially in an economic downturn. With online retail sales falling this month for the first time, Internet merchants are offering steep discounts to anyone willing to punch in a secret coupon code or visit a rebate site for a “referral” before loading up their virtual cart. Some online shoppers are so good at this game that they almost never buy anything at full price, making them the digital era’s version of bargain hunters who used to spend hours clipping coupons to shrink their grocery bills." The New York Times

Car Makers Take Case to the Web
"When times were better, American automakers were known to be early adopters of new digital marketing techniques to promote their vehicles. Now, with the U.S. Big Three in turmoil, executives at Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are now turning to the Web to lobby for billions of dollars in federal aid. The Wall Street Journal reports that the American automakers have launched a series of campaigns on sites like Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and various blogs to make their case for a bailout." The Wall Street Journal

Future Laboratory launches LS:N online lifestyle network
"The Future Laboratory has launched LS:N Global, an online consumer insight and inspiration network for the lifestyle sector. The network has been created to look at what's next in consumer thinking and to consider how this is set to impact on the way retail brands will be developed, designed and marketed in the future. The LS:N Global site, designed by Made Thought, consists of sections including Seed, Trends, Insight, Innovate, Inform and Inspire." Brand Republic

Nielsen Online partners with Net-Metrix in Switzerland
"Nielsen Online is teaming up with Net-Metrix to provide standardised online research data for the Swiss internet market, starting next year. The new internet measurement panel, known at 'Net-Metrix-Tracking - powered by Nielsen Online', combines two existing panel products, NetView from Nielsen Online and Net-Metrix-Tracking from Net-Metrix." Brand Republic

MySpace streams video on mobiles
"MySpace Mobile users can now access MySpace video content from their video-enabled mobile devices. The move makes MySpace the first social portal to launch video streaming for mobile. The MySpace Mobile site (m.myspace.com) receives approximately three billion worldwide page views per month with more than 10 million monthly unique users." Brand Republic

Ball State Launches $17.7 Million Emerging Media Initiative
"Ball State University unveiled a major initiative designed to advance the study of emerging media and to better prepare students for careers in a rapidly changing digital economy. The program, backed by $17.7 million in funding over the next five years from a combination of institutional and private sector sources, is another in a series of commitments the Indiana state university has made to become an area of academic excellence for the media industry." MediaPost Online Media Daily

Facebook Aims to Extend Its Reach Across the Web
"Facebook, the Internet’s largest social network, wants to let you take your friends with you as you travel the Web. But having been burned by privacy concerns in the last year, it plans to keep close tabs on those outings. Facebook Connect, the company’s new feature, allows its members to log onto other Web sites using their Facebook identification and see their friends’ activities on those sites." The New York Times

2008's top searches

2008-12-03T19:57:00.005-05:00

What were the most popular search terms during 2008?

The end of the year is almost here, and major search engines are gathering up the most popular search terms and trends. The most searched for terms throughout the year reflect the fact that 2008 was an election year and we are officially in a recession. Below are some highlights (more information here) and an interesting CNN video about the 2008 search trends.

Google's most searched for econ. terms: Financial crisis, depression, bailout, mortgage crisis, Wall Street
Top shopping trend searches on Google: Free shipping, coupon, layaway, buy one get one free
The fastest-rising search terms of 2008 on Google: Obama, Facebook, Att, iPhone, YouTube, Fox news, Palin, Beijing 2008, David Cook, surf the channel
Yahoo's top 10 overall search terms: Britney Spears, WWE, Barack Obama, Miley Cyrus, RuneScape, Jessica Alba, Naruto, Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, American Idol
Top 10 news stories in 2008 on Yahoo.com: Hurricanes, Caylee and Casey Anthony, Election 2008, Pakistan, Pregnant Man, China, Iraq, Shelley Malil, Patrick Swayze, Afghanistan

News from last week

2008-12-02T22:34:00.002-05:00

Most viewed items at the Daily Research News Online (MrWeb DRNO)

TNS Wins Record Qual Contract for Eurobarometer
"TNS has beaten Ipsos, GfK and others in a major qual competitive tender from the European Commission and the European Parliament. TNS says the deal covers all the body’s qualitative studies and is ‘believed to be the world’s largest qual research programme’, valued at some 15m Euros over four years."

Revenue and Profit Surge at Research Now
"Online research and panels specialist Research Now is forecasting results ahead of previous market expectations, including reported revenues up more than 55% to £41m, and operating profit up 120% to around £6.2m, for the year ended 31 October 2008."

‘Recession-Proof Strategy’ Brings Growth for Confirmit
"Research software provider Confirmit has announced its most successful quarter to date for new business revenue, along with revenue growth of 51% for the nine months ending September 2008."

Online shopping & retail growth over the holiday weekend

2008-12-01T10:49:00.002-05:00

The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that individual shoppers spent about 7% more this year than last year from Thursday through Sunday. Shoppers affected by the down economy were more cautious than in years past, with many drawn in by deep discounts from retailers. One indicator was how shoppers were searching on the Internet for Black Friday sales and promotions while preparing for the holiday-shopping weekend. According to Google, Web searches for the words "Black Friday" were up 41% from last year. Searches for the words "coupons" were up 59%, "free shipping" up 11% and "buy one get one free" up 200%.

To learn more about how Black Friday went, check out the recent articles in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

It's all digital

2008-11-30T21:23:00.005-05:00

Atlantic Records, a unit of Warner Music Group, says it has reached a milestone that no other major record label has hit: more than half of its music sales in the United States are now from digital products, like downloads on iTunes and ring tones for cellphones. At the Warner Music Group, Atlantic's parent company, digital represented 27 percent of its American recorded-music revenue during the fourth quarter. With the milestone comes a sobering reality already familiar to newspapers and television producers, says the New York Times.

European mobile advertising on the rise

2008-11-30T20:24:00.004-05:00

According to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, the mobile social and content advertising market revenues could reach €2.18 billion (US$2.77 billion) in 2012 in Europe. Mobile content advertising, ad-based music, video, TV and games represent the major source of revenues.

cellular-news.com reports that the European mobile industry has extensively explored the use of advertising recently as a sustainable business model for mobile content, mobile messaging and other services. Despite being in the initial stage, these models have galvanised the industry. The level of confidence of the mobile communications and advertising industries in the potential of mobile advertising is very high.

From the Quirk's magazine, November 2008

2008-11-25T14:24:00.002-05:00

November issue of the Quirk's Marketing Research Review has a few interesting articles dealing with online-research. You can find quick overviews of these articles below, and read them on Quirk's website, where you can also search its archive of marketing research articles (it's pretty easy to sign up for free access to the online database).

A look at four important methodological questions for online research by Susan Frede, TNS
The impact of several online research practices - including sending survey reminders, use of generic survey invites and excluding partial completes - is examined, with the aim of developing methods to improve statistical rigor.

A look at the impact of boredom on the respondent experience by Jon Puleston, Global Market Insite and Deborah Sleep, Engage Research
The first of a two-part series on improving online respondent engagement looks at the problems caused by factors such as overlong questionnaires and the overuse of grid-type questions.

Creating the conditions for data quality by Laura Davies, Vision Critical
Looking at some of the reasons behind panelist frustration with the survey process, the author presents a set of actions the industry can take to enhance respondent engagement and satisfaction.

Research panels from the panelists' perspective by Janet Westergaard, Esearch.com
A study of panelists investigated why respondents take part in the panel research process. Most cite money as the main reason but several take part because they enjoy the process and like being able to express their opinions to product makers.

Last week's top news stories

2008-11-23T19:07:00.006-05:00

TNS Launches Digital Ad Monitor Suite
"TNS has launched Digital Suite, described as a ‘new generation’ of online ad monitoring tools. The suite combines cookie tracking technology with the company’s 6th Dimension Panel to give in-depth analysis of online ad consumption." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Online Communities Get ‘Measurable Solution’
"Social networking solutions firm Small World Labs has partnered with social marketing firm Sway Inc. to offer marketers a comprehensive set of tools for the creation and execution of social media strategies to support their brands." MrWeb Daily Research News Online

Compete launches quarterly smartphone study
"TNS’s recently acquired web analytics business Compete has launched a service offering quarterly data and advice on how best to reach smartphone users. The service combines consumer insight from surveys with behavioural data gathered from online clickstream analysis to show how people are using their phones, the sites they visit, and what they like and dislike about the experience." Research Magazine

MySpace BlackBerry application attracts record downloads
"More than 400,000 users downloaded the MySpace for BlackBerry smartphones application in its first week of availability, representing a record for both MySpace and the application's creators, Research In Motion. The application gives BlackBerry users the ability to receive updates and send messages in real time, as well as upload photographs to their profile." Brand Republic

Google launches customisable search feature
"Google has launched a new feature dubbed Search Wiki, which allows users to rearrange and customise search results. The idea is for users to be able to customise searches they may frequently use. For example, if someone searches for cinema listings in their city and they can make a preferred site always come first in the search results, even if it usually comes further down the list in the natural search." Brand Republic

IAB: Online Ad Spending Remains Flat
"Online ad spending remains virtually flat this year--with the third-quarter total of $5.9 billion only 2% ahead of each of the last two quarters, according to the latest figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers." MediaPost's Online Media Daily

Marketers to Up Spending in Cable, Online, Mobile in Next 6 Months
"Over the next six months, not only will ad spending be down, but the feeling among advertisers and their agencies toward media such as broadcast TV, national newspapers and magazines is growing more pessimistic, according to the new Advertiser Optimism Report by Advertiser Perceptions." Advertising Age

Online Retail Spending Slows
"Online spending growth in October fell to its lowest rate since 2001, in a sign the sector has been hit by the slumping economy and indicating a challenging holiday season for online retailers. Online retail spending grew only 1% in October from a year ago, following a downward trend that started late last year, according to market research firm comScore Inc." Wall Street Journal

Young adults eager to engage with brands online
"A new global survey conducted by Synovate in conjunction with Microsoft reveals the extent to which young adults are willing to interact and engage with brands as part of their daily online activities. When asked about their online brand engagement in the last month, almost a third (28%) had talked about a brand on a discussion forum; almost a quarter (23%) had added brand-related content to their instant messenger service; and almost one in five (19%) had added branded content to their homepage or social networking site." Market Research Portal

Global Chief Marketing Officers wanted

2008-11-21T17:20:00.010-05:00

Here is another interesting report written by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Google: Future Tense: The Global CMO.

The EIU conducted a global survey of senior marketing executives to addresses two important questions about the changing role of the global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): What are the greatest challenges faced by CMOs around the globe? What strategies are they implementing to surmount these challenges?

According to the report, there is a need for a greater degree of integration of marketing and communications within an organization and direct involvement of consumers in brand development. Providing a comprehensive view of how the role of CMO is evolving to address the changes in technology, consumer behavior, and the media landscape, the EIU report has identified the key focus areas for today’s CMOs:

- Global versus local balance: CMOs must balance global brand awareness and consistency with local market relevance. Centralizing global marketing functions such as advertising development and production can create economies of scale and save money, but they must be guided by the needs of the local market and customer insights.

- The connected consumer: The interactive nature of the digital media has expanded the sources of information for consumers and businesses. This requires the integration of various forms of marketing and communications and consistent contact with all corporate audiences and customers. To remain competitive, companies must engage customers to create a stronger affinity with their brands.

- Rapidly changing marketing tools and resources: The instruments available to the CMOs require new skills and develop new partnerships to communicate the marketing message to consumers through interactive media.

- Relevance to the business: Measuring the return on marketing investments is a challenge and CMOs will focus more of their budgets on digital marketing, where effectiveness can be measured more precisely in click-throughs, downloads and other interactions.

The report suggests that the latest digital-media tools provide the opportunity to develop deeper insights into customer dynamics and allow the CMO to become the corporate champion of customer insight and innovation.

To learn more about the imperatives for marketing leaders download the full “Future Tense: The Global CMO” report.

News from last week

2008-11-17T06:49:00.000-05:00

PR and web could benefit from economic downturn
"Public relations agencies could benefit from the economic downturn as more businesses look at increasing their spend on the web and publicity. A survey undertaken by research agency Shape the Future says that nearly half of the respondents planned to increase spending on PR over the next year." Brand Republic

WPP and Nielsen to swap assets
"WPP has signed an agreement with the Nielsen Company to swap its 50% share of AGB Nielsen Media Research for three of Nielsen's assets." Brand Republic

Research ROI Unmeasurable, Say Pharma Firms
"Pharma companies are moving away from the idea of hard ROI measurement for their market research, according to a study by US-based Cutting Edge Information. 74% of surveyed companies do not attempt to calculate ROI for MR. The report, Improve Market Research Impact, says these firms are concentrating instead on levels of satisfaction of internal clients for research. Of the 74%, 39% do not conduct any sort of performance measurement." MrWeb Daily Research News

Nielsen and IMMI Shut Down OOH Service
"The Nielsen Company and partner IMMI have mothballed their recently launched out-of-home (OOH) television viewing measurement service with immediate effect. The companies blamed difficult economic times, which had led to ‘limited economic support’ for the service." MrWeb Daily Research News

TNS Compete Launches Online Behavior Practice
"In the US, web analytics unit TNS Compete, now part of Kantar, has launched a Retail and Consumer Products practice to provide retailers with insights into shoppers’ online activities across rival sites, portals, search engines and aggregators." MrWeb Daily Research News

ARF forms council for research ‘transformation’
"The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is bringing together senior industry figures to consider how research can respond to rapidly changing times. The establishment of a ‘super-council’ for research transformation was announced by ARF research director Joel Rubinson. The council will include the Kantar Group's Eric Salama, General Mills’ Gayle Fuguitt and P&G’s Kim Dedeker, Microsoft’s Stephen Kim and Barack Obama’s pollster Joel Benenson." Research Magazine

Mobile marketing, mobile advertising, mobile research, mobile social networking, mobile ...

2008-11-15T18:21:00.002-05:00

How much will mobile marketing grow in the US and around the world? What factors will accelerate growth? Mobile web, super-smartphones, interactivity, entertainment, search, advertising, all of the above?

Do you use your mobile phone a lot? Web browsing, emails/text messaging, IMing, getting maps/directions, news, weather, playing games, taking pictures/videos, shopping, social networking, etc. Is that all? Here is a Google video about what else you can do with your phones. Check out other tips and tricks on YouTube.

Economy, technology and Internet trends

2008-11-12T12:39:00.003-05:00

Last week at the annual Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, leaders in the tech industry came together to discuss current issues and trends in the industry, and more importantly, how the Internet technologies might be used to address the challenges the world is facing today. Hundreds of Internet business leaders attended the event, along with others in the fields of healthcare, genetics, finance, global business, and politics.

Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker gave a presentation that analyzes the current economic challenges and addresses their impact on technology and advertising spending, and trends in new technologies and emerging markets. You can view this incredibly useful presentation here.

Last week's most viewed news on DRNO

2008-11-10T11:32:00.002-05:00

Click on each item below to read the most viewed news on MrWeb.com (Daily Research News Online) last week.

Lowden Steps Down at TNS as Kantar Announces Restructure
"TNS CEO David Lowden has left after nine years with the firm, following the completion of WPP’s takeover of the business. WPP’s insight arm Kantar Group made no comment about Lowden’s departure, but instead confirmed a series of senior management positions at TNS. More information and news on Kantar Group's website: www.kantargrouptns.com"

Harris Interactive Reports $2.3m Q1 Loss
"Harris Interactive has reported a first quarter loss of $2.3m, compared with a profit of $1.1m a year ago, which it attributes to deepening economic turbulence in the US combined with the anticipated decline in its Healthcare revenue."

Jobs Cuts Despite Strong Performance at SPSS
"MR software and predictive analytics giant SPSS has announced third quarter revenues up 4% vs Q3 2007 to $74.9m and net income up 25% to $10.5m. However, the firm intends to respond to the global downturn by cutting costs, including a ten per cent staff reduction."

Australian Commission Clears WPP for TNS Buy
"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it will not intervene in WPP’s acquisition of TNS, after receiving court-enforceable undertakings from WPP regarding its TAM (Television Audience Measurement) services."

MRA and CMOR Merge

2008-11-07T14:25:00.005-05:00

The Marketing Research Association (MRA) and the Council For Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) have merged. By combining the capabilities and deliverables of the two organizations, the MRA aims to meet almost all the profession’s needs. The new body will maintain the name of MRA. View the press kit and the merger presentation for more information.

MRA is the leading and largest association of the survey and opinion research profession, a multi-billion dollar a year industry dedicated to providing valuable information to guide the decisions of companies that provide products and services to consumers and businesses.

CMOR is a non-profit organization that promotes, advocates and protects the integrity of the survey and opinion research profession. CMOR strives to improve respondent cooperation in research and promotes positive legislation impacting the survey and opinion research profession.

IMRO, a division of MRA, is the association of researchers dedicated to providing an open forum for the discussion of best practices and ethical approaches to research being conducted via the Internet. Its objective is to be the primary source for interactive research information technology interests of business, consumers, education, government and other institutions.

Internet wins the 2008 Elections!

2008-11-04T12:21:00.002-05:00

There is no question that the Internet had a huge impact on the 2008 presidential elections. According to ClickZ’s analysis, Barack Obama spent roughly $5.5 million on online ads between January and August of this year. The McCain campaign doesn't provide breakouts in its FEC filings, according to the article. Since the beginning of their campaigns, both candidates have also used YouTube to promote their message, posting videos, ads and speeches to their own channels. In addition, millions of people have used social networking sites such as Facebook to get campaign information or share ideas and information on the candidates. According to Reuters, web sites like CNN.com and NYTimes.com are expecting record traffic on this Election Day.

How do online communities compare to online panels?

2008-11-03T12:56:00.005-05:00

October 2008 issue of the Quirk's Marketing Research Review includes an article that examines the use of online communities in marketing research. The abstract of this article by Gregory S. Heist and Mitchell S. Sanders of Gongos Research reads: "The authors compare and contrast online communities and online panels, examining instances where communities have been used, such as GM's Project Driveway effort. They look at community members' reasons for participation and analyze data from community respondents vs. data from online panelists."

Click here to view the current issue of the Quirk's.

Last week's most viewed news on DRNO

2008-11-03T11:56:00.004-05:00

Click on each item below to read the most viewed news on MrWeb.com (Daily Research News Online) last week.

LinkedIn to Provide B2B Sample
"Business networking site LinkedIn has launched a service to help market researchers and professional investors conduct research among its database of more than 30 million members. LinkedIn says approximately half this worldwide total are IT and business decision-makers. LinkedIn Surveys, a new offering from the LinkedIn Research Network, has already been used by six market research firms including consumer specialist OTX, to conduct B2B primary research among LinkedIn members. Professionals who participate in surveys are offered rewards such as gift cards or donations to a charity of their choice."

WPP’s TNS Deal Now Unconditional
"In the UK, WPP has announced that all the conditions of its offer to buy TNS have been fulfilled and that the offer is now unconditional. As of this afternoon, valid acceptances had been received by shareholders representing 95.54% of TNS stock."

WPP and Google Launch Media Research Grant Program
"Marketing communications group WPP and Internet giant Google have partnered to jointly fund a grant program to support research into how online media influences consumer behaviour, attitudes and decision making. In the next three years, the pair will contribute up to $4.6m to the new Google and WPP Marketing Research Awards Program, which will immediately begin reviewing grant applications from full-time faculty members at universities worldwide."

MPG’s New Modelling Tool Predicts Obama Victory
"Havas-owned MPG has developed a new social network modelling tool, Havas Media Resonance, which uses an agent-based algorithm to represent populations of consumers and predict their behavior."

WPP Income Up Despite Economic ‘Armageddon’
"WPP has reported a 16% increase in Q3 revenues to £1.7bn ($2.87bn), but experienced flat operating margin in the first nine months of the year. As a result of the disintegration in the financial markets, the group predicts that 2009 will be a ‘very tough year’."

Synovate Names New UK CEO and Hong Kong MD
"Jill Telford, Synovate’s CEO for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, is moving to London in January to take up the post of UK CEO. At the same time, Brendan Shair will become Managing Director for Hong Kong."

Online Research at the MRA's Fall Conference

2008-11-03T11:21:00.002-05:00

This year's fall conference is at the JW Marriott Spa and Resort in Summerlin, Nevada, November 3-5, with lots of education on online research and networking opportunities.

Check out the conference program at the MRA website and if Las Vegas is in your plans for this week, be sure not to miss the discussions on Internet-based research in the Online/IMRO and End User sessions. Topics include issues on data quality, respondent engagement, online communities and social networks.

Featured Article: Comparing Oral Interviewing with Self-administered Computerized Questionnaires: An Experiment

2008-11-03T11:17:00.001-05:00

A previous field experiment conducted via national surveys showed that data collected via the Internet manifested higher concurrent and predictive validity and less random and systematic measurement error than data collected via telephone interviewing. To ascertain the extent to which these differences were attributable to mode per se, a laboratory experiment was conducted in which respondents were randomly assigned to answer questions either on a computer or over an intercom system with an interviewer. Replicating findings from the national surveys, the laboratory experiment indicated higher concurrent validity, less survey satisficing, and less social desirability response bias in the computer mode than in the intercom mode. The mode difference in concurrent validity and non-differentiation was most pronounced among respondents with more limited cognitive skills. Taken together, these results suggest a potential inherent advantage of questionnaire self-administration on computer over telephone administration.

Taken from the Manuscript Under Review by LinChiat Chang and Jon A. Krosnick

Welcome to the IMRO Blog!

2008-11-01T22:18:00.008-04:00

Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO), a division of the Marketing Research Association (MRA), is the leading organization in the development, dissemination and implementation of interactive marketing research concepts, practices and information. Many research companies have joined forces in IMRO's working committees to develop and spread interactive research knowledge and standards. Today, IMRO welcomes you to its new meeting place for online research.

IMRO believes in collaboration, knowledge sharing and education to uphold the highest level of standards in research. IMRO has created this blog and invites everyone to discuss current topics in online research, as well as other issues related to Internet marketing such as audience measurement, advertising, and more. All are welcome to comment on the posts we have here on this blog. If you have any suggestions, let us know.