One of more transformative aspects of mobile market research, is that it enables businesses to intercept participants while they are engaging in specific consumer action (e.g. browsing through a mall or store), or very shortly after they have finished an action (e.g. made a purchase). This in-the-moment immediacy shed new perspectives on consumer behavior, and may also generate higher quality response rates since the activity is recent (i.e. participants do not have to rely on memory/as much on memory).
Unlike desktop computers, mobile devices are inherently designed to automatically capture passive data, such as an individual’s current and previous location, time/day, device specifications (e.g. operating system, browser, other installed apps, etc.). This information helps paint a clearer and more accurate picture of consumer behavior, which can ultimately make market research more robust and valuable.
Mobile market research gives businesses the opportunity to interact and engage with their target audience, in a manner that may be more difficult through other methods (e.g. phone, email, direct mail, etc.). For example, businesses can send push notifications to participants based on where they are/what they are doing, which can enhance the overall customer experience (e.g. send them a flash coupon that expires in 10 minutes, offer them an exclusive discount, etc.). In this way, the market research effort can also generate revenues and profits, which makes the path to ROI even shorter.
Ultimately, mobile market research delivers answers and insights when it is part of an overall mix of methods, and when the research design mitigates bias and other risks.
As the execution team for research of all types, we keep a close eye on these trends and how we can continuously improve our service offering to meet market demands. To learn more about how to use mobile market research to your advantage, contact the Communications for Research team today. You’ll speak with our co-CEO Colson Steber to talk about your research and your goals. Then he can tell you whether CFR can be beneficial in reaching those goals!