Should you be looking at multiple channels for your research efforts? Single deployment channels such as online, paper, phone or mobile may no longer get you the quantity and quality of responses you need. A working definition of multi-channel research involves using two or more deployment strategies to connect with your target audience(s).
Technology, or more specifically the adoption of new technologies is the key driver behind the use of multiple avenues for reaching survey participants. Take social media, for example, it can be a powerful tool for reaching certain segments and inviting them to participate in your research, but absolutely useless for connecting with other groups. A deeper working relationship between IT and marketing research; improvements in data collection platforms; the need for rapid reporting (and the subsequent development of dashboard reports for MR results) are a few of the other trends which are driving multi-channel adoption.
Going multi may not be right for all research situations. Both consumer and B2B market researchers must ask themselves:
- Who are my target audiences?
- How likely are they to adopt technology?
- Are response rates changing over time?
Knowing who our audiences are is mission number one. For example if your primary target is senior citizens then it may not be advisable to push a technology intensive approach such as social media. Paper-based surveys or phone interviewing may be better options. However, you cannot simply assume this – as tech adoption is not consistent across all demographic groups including seniors. It pays to ask how people wish to be communicated.
If your market is socially-active early adults then mobile and social media make sense. In fact you might consider a mix of mobile, social and an online panel. A key point is the need to assess differences not only in response rates across channels, but also in response quality and patterns of data distribution.
The question of changing response rates for a deployment channel must be watched. If rates are changing downward for traditional online surveys then it could be time to explore the creation of your own panels, each with a focus on a specific target group. This could also be the time to go mobile.
Keep this in mind: multi-channel approaches require a different level of reporting and data tracking. Can your tools handle sample from mobile, QR codes, online panels as well as traditional e-mail invitations? Can your platform provide you with reporting that is robust enough to assess response differences by channel?
If you are involved in researching diverse audiences then it is a good time to explore the options available.
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