in the moment mobile surveys, which can include metaphor elicitation helps to aid spontaneous brand associations.
The last rule, which is to connect with consumers in the moment, not just through recall is made possible through contextual insights via images and videos captured on mobile phones and tablets, and natural trends and brand perspectives through unfiltered, organic conversations derived from social data.
New technologies have made it easier to capture consumers’ real behaviors and fast, intuitive System 1 thinking. They lessen the burden for respondents by reducing or eliminating survey questions and, at the same time, provide marketers with behavior-based information.
Some of the new technologies that are in use in social market research include:
• Advanced analytics and visualization tools such as heatmaps that visualize patterns in user behavior e. g., website navigation, product interaction and dashboard solutions for real-time analysis and visualization of research data for actionable insights.
• Blockchain technology ensures authenticity and transparency of collected data in sensitive behavioral research. This is useful in reducing consumer uncertainty about credence attributes and facilitating informed choices.
• Artificial Intelligence( AI) and Machine Learning tools are largely used in analysis of textual data to extract emotional tone from social media or survey responses. AI models are also able to predict future behaviors based on historical data and patterns, and to do cluster analysis by grouping individuals with similar attitudes or behaviors for targeted interventions.
• Mobile ethnography is another innovative market research technique that combines traditional ethnography with mobile research. Ethnography involves observing consumers in a natural environment, allowing you to gain a reliable understanding of their behavior, values, and beliefs. The growth of technology and increasing smartphone adoption presents an opportunity to conduct ethnography projects through a mobile device.
• Social Media Analytics have been used to monitor emerging trends
The disruptions happening in the fastpaced digital era require researchers to develop more sophisticated ways to capture real behaviors, real emotions and real insights so that we can develop brands that are relevant to tomorrow’ s consumers.
in attitudes and behaviors across platforms and in network analysis to identify influential individuals or communities driving attitude shifts.
• Microdata technologies give data about individual consumer activity on the characteristics of units of a population, like individuals, establishments, or households, collected by a census or survey. It gives a good understanding of individual consumer behavior and supports more targeted business decisions.
• Natural Language Processing( NLP) approaches offer powerful, flexible methods of identifying various psychological conditions from freeform verbal expression in both written and spoken form. NLP Applications such as chatbots are used in surveys and interviews to engage respondents conversationally, reducing bias. Text Mining on the other hand derives insights from unstructured data like open-ended survey answers or online reviews.
• Virtual Reality( VR) and Augmented Reality( AR) have provided brands and market researchers with a more accessible and less expensive way of product concept testing, feasibility analysis, and interpreting consumer behavior regarding a new and developing product. Various applications have also made it possible to conduct exposure Therapy, which helps in studying phobias or stress responses by exposing subjects to controlled virtual environments.
With technology, integrating behavioral and attitudinal data has become the order of the day, giving businesses a full view of their customers. The benefit of making data-driven decisions enables firms to foster deeper connections and drive consumer choices more effectively.
There are plenty of opportunities to adopt
new technologies in market research so brands can get better insights faster. This enables brands to make better decisions based on rich data.
Looking at the future, advancements in analytics will enable real-time integration of behavioral and attitudinal data for onthe-fly decision-making. Businesses will be able to leverage the combined data to influence consumer choices through nudges and incentives.
The integration of behavioral and attitudinal data is a powerful approach to understanding and influencing consumer choices. By combining these two distinct yet complementary types of data, organizations can create more precise, actionable insights that enhance marketing strategies, product development, and customer experience design.
The seamless blending of behavioral and attitudinal consumer insights will help create frictionless, meaningful customer experiences.
At Ipsos we appreciate that traditional U & As can be weak at capturing today’ s disrupted behaviors and attitudes and, as a result, may fail to identify new growth opportunities for businesses. This is why we have deconstructed the U & A approach and employed various technologies to feature shorter, interactive modules, multiple data sources and faster, hypothesis-driven insights.
It is, however, critical to note that while technology provides real-time, rich, and robust data and an efficient way to sift through vast amounts of data, it does not replace experience in interpretation.
Enock Wandera is the Chief Client Officer at Ipsos Limited. You can commune with him on this and related matters on mail via: Enock. Wandera @ ipsos. com.