Qualitatively Speaking. http://moderator.posterous.com The In-Depth Life of a Focus Group Moderator (and Qualitative Research Consultant) posterous.com Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:04:00 -0800 What Everybody Ought to Know About Mobile Research http://moderator.posterous.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-mobile-res http://moderator.posterous.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-mobile-res

What can you do with your cell phone? Do you use it to read the news, tweet, check your e-mail, make phone calls? Working with mobile market research requires us to understand the capabilities and limitations of today's cell phones.

I've been using a Web-enabled Blackberry Storm phone since last year. Having this phone in my purse lessened my need to carry around my laptop and Palm PDA. I use my cell phone to check my e-mail, check my projects, take pictures, grab links, compare prices, check in for flights, listen to US radio stations, record audio notes, and access Twitter & YouTube. Owning a Web-enabled device is a luxury, but experts say most people will own a phone with some sort of wireless Internet plan in the near future.

Advertisers and marketers are already in this medium, creating mobile-formatted pages and commercial content specifically for cell phone browsers. There is room for improvement in how this content is being accessed and delivered.

I have developed reliable research methodologies to adapt with consumers' online and mobile worlds. Information can be captured from cell phones very effectively, so let's work with that...

Consumers carry their cell phones even when they are not carrying their laptops. Conducting research with cell phones is an excellent way to capture information from consumers who are on-the-go.

When my clients need insights from consumer experiences at a specific location, away from a computer, sometimes it's not enough bring consumers into a focus group room or a discussion board. Mobile research methodologies bridge that gap because consumers can respond whereever they are, whenever they want.

The first thing I've described to my clients about mobile research is how any phone can do it. Consumers do not need a Web-enabled phone to participate in a mobile research study. The beauty of mobile research is that we can use the text messaging, camera, and e-mail functions found on most of today's phones to gather rich insights from consumers' everyday lives.

I adjust basic incentives on a market research study to compensate consumers for participating in a mobile component; depending on the project, extra compensation may not be needed. Consumers usually enjoy participating in mobile research, because it involves little or no travel and it allows maximum flexibility with their schedules. Let me know if you have any questions about conducting qualitative mobile research.

Note: I'm currently seeking a client or two who are interested to conduct innovative mobile or online research re: Super Bowl commercials for February 10, 2010. Please let me know if you or someone you know have a product that would like to be involved. (I will post an update on this opportunity when it is no longer available.)

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