Sometimes old habits die hard. Take market researchers, for instance. They used to take comfort in the assumption that they were in control of their brands and the stories told around them. It was driven and steered by MR, with an assured direction for which to navigate. Brand messaging would be beamed to audiences, and follow-up surveys would tell researchers what was working and what wasn’t. That was then, but this is now. The world has changed. Continue reading “Tell Me a Story: How MR Can Leverage the Power of Narrative”
Tag: Market Research
Finding Your Niche: Specialization and the Future of Market Research Firms
Trend watchers no doubt have noticed that traditional players in the market research space are having an increasingly hard time keeping up and scaling their business practices with changing times. In a recent article, analysts have reported a flat growth rate of 2% in the market research industry. This is not good, especially when you factor in inflation. Continue reading “Finding Your Niche: Specialization and the Future of Market Research Firms”
Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys
Marketing researchers are all facing two important challenges to data quality. First is the question of representativeness: with response rates plummeting, we need to make surveys shorter, more engaging, and easier for respondents to complete. Second is the issue of data accuracy: we must make sure that survey questions measure what we think they measure. Continue reading “Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys”
Smart Survey Design: 3 Forgotten Pain Points to Avoid
“Smart Survey Design” is a loose term (bordering on a catch-all) that you’ve probably heard pitched to you. Maybe you have used it yourself when piecing together a study.
It’s not a hollow term, by any means. Smart design has advantages for both designers and respondents. Designing “smart” simply means maintaining data integrity, both in terms of capturing statistically relevant data as well as reducing the amount of bad data caused by poor survey takers (straight liners, short responders for OE’s, speeders, cheaters, etc.). Continue reading “Smart Survey Design: 3 Forgotten Pain Points to Avoid”
Why Volunteer?
The research industry needs volunteers. Here’s why you should consider playing a part.
Many of us here at MSG serve as active volunteer members of market and survey research industry organizations. It’s part of our company culture to get involved and make a difference. Recently, I attended back to back chapter events, and I began to reflect on the benefits of volunteering. Was it really worthwhile to devote my time to a local chapter organization? Continue reading “Why Volunteer?”
MSG in a Bottle
Welcome to our brand new blog for customers and industry observers. We’re calling it MSG in a Bottle, and I know you’re going to love following it.
One of the best things about my job as president of Marketing Systems Group is the opportunity to work with an inspiring, committed team of professionals. They constitute a brain trust of talent and experience. Their collective market research expertise and dedication to quality truly makes a difference across our entire product line — GENESYS® sampling system , PRO-T-S® dialer software and ARCS® all-in-one panel manager.
Since 1987, we’ve been delivering innovative solutions to the survey research community, and our staff continues to do amazing things, year over year.
I’m proud of these professionals. They are what make our products great. We learn from each other every day.
That’s all well and good for a company president, you might be saying, but what about me?
That’s why we’ve started this blog. We want you to benefit from the collective wisdom I see in action every day at MSG. I’ve asked this talented team of pros to share their insights and expertise with you.
At the MSG in a Bottle blog you will get our expert analysis of hot industry trends, stay informed with news on the survey research industry and the latest standards updates, learn how we’re positioning our products to meet customers’ needs, and get practical advice and tips on how best to use our products. Think of it as “news you can use.” Also, we hope to have some fun along the way, too. We want you to get to know us better. And we want to hear from you too. You’ll be able to join the discussion and share your feedback and suggestions via the comments section after each blog post.
I’m excited about this new channel for reaching our customers and the survey research community, and I’m confident that our media and marketing team will keep you up-to-date on the survey research industry topics that truly matter. We hope you’ll bookmark us and stop in frequently. New pieces will appear on a bi-monthly basis. Or better yet subscribe/follow us here, and never miss a new post when it arrives.
Thanks and happy reading,
Jerry Oberkofler