Mobile Marketing Research: Myth or Magic?

Mobile, it's a word that features so high in many researchers’ vocabulary our (very unscientific) survey suggests it probably comes fourth in the rankings, bested only by Quant, Qual and Methodology! Despite this widespread awareness it can hardly be considered new on the scene. After all, market research professionals must have been debating the many possibilities the moment mobile internet was born. Yet it’s still a hot topic, generating thousands of blog and column inches every month, by those championing, questioning and developing its worth. We decided to delve a little deeper and find out why we’re all still trying to figure out mobile.

What is perhaps most surprising about mobile research is not the vast chasm between those that do it well and those that do it poorly as you might expect, but actually those that do it well and those that don’t do it at all. Mobile at its very core seems to scare people; a sentiment which isn’t just limited to researchers, the public (savvy smart phone users and Sun readers alike) also seem nervous about letting the industry into their private domain.

Resistance To Change...

The practical and effective application of mobile technology as a viable research methodology is encountering as much resistance today that online surveys did when they first came into the fray. The same questions are being asked about security, quality of information and data protection in mobile that were asked 15 years ago. If the answers that were given in relation to online don’t satisfy the issues surrounding mobile methodology it would suggest that we see the devices used to access these services very differently, both as users and researchers.

Online research could quite easily be considered ‘heavy’ now; we’re all familiar with its capabilities (overly so, many would argue) and, perhaps more importantly, with its restrictions. At one time it was considered an incredibly convenient and immediate tool for engaging respondents. This may still be true in many cases, but mobile has the power to be so much more; more convenient, more immediate, more engaging. It makes sense then that researchers would be keen to harness a technology which is so light, portable and novel.

Mobile in Numbers...

A clear example of the benefits and results that mobile can deliver as an effective research approach is evident, when reviewing stats from projects undertaken by Mobile Fieldwork; 28% of respondents actually opened a ‘tablet only’’ survey via a mobile or smart phone, in many cases you can expect to achieve 80% of completes within the first couple of hours. Another interesting observation, which serves to further confirm the impact which mobile has on our daily lives, is that 65% of people in London check their primary email account on their mobile phone before checking it on a traditional desktop. These stats certainly confirm what we know to be true about the technology’s invaluable role in delivering better levels of engagement and quicker generation of consumer insights, as well as the increasing supremacy of mobile over other web-enabled devices. As research professionals we respond well to facts and stats, reports and rationale like this, but is that enough to truly understand Mobile?

Consumer Closeness...

We would argue that facts and stats alone are not enough to harness mobile research. Not when we live in a world where many mobile users treat their phones as an extension of their body (or perhaps it’s more an external hard drive for the mind), carrying their device on their person at all times. This kind of closeness and connectivity cannot be matched in today’s world, but it does present a problem. The more intimate respondents are with a piece of technology (most people even take their mobiles to bed with them, not a common occurrence with a desktop we think you’ll agree) the more intimate researchers are asking to be with respondents. If psychologically a respondent feels like their mobile space is a part of them, we as researchers must be sensitive to the fact that we’re asking to venture deeper into their mind than ever before. This scenario is far more personal and uncomfortable for many mobile users than if they were asked to take part in research via a desktop or laptop. How might you feel if a researcher wanted to climb into bed with you, or ride the No.7 bus together or any number of other personal scenarios in which potential respondents interact with their phone?

There is nothing to rival mobile in terms of immediacy and connectivity, no other technology which allows us to engage with respondents not just at the end of an experience (point of sale is one example), but also throughout the process, to better understand the emotional, physical and mental journey being taken.

The Road Ahead...

Taking into account the intimate nature of mobile, the personal relationship developing between man and technology perhaps, what is still eluding the industry in the wider adoption of mobile is the expression of personality to make respondents feel at ease in a more intimate relationship with research. By adopting, or more crucially, allowing natural personality to come to the fore, a market researcher or research engagement platform is deemed friendly, non-threatening and authentically human by respondents. It’s pertinent to consider that far more people (sorry we don’t have a stat for that) are likely to talk about their deepest thoughts, hopes and fears with a friend than they are to tell all to blog or social media account via a mobile device. In matters of the mind humanity still trumps technology.

This ‘human’ element is being used to great success by the industry’s end clients to engage with their audience, becoming a trusted friend in the eyes of their customers. If the market research industry was to approach mobile in the same vain, allowing the framework to be built organically instead of being paralysed by a fear of the unknown/a lack of rules we might just achieve the new levels of engagement that we’ve been striving for, and ultimately find success.

By Asif Mirza & Jennifer Garrick

Asif Mirza is Managing Director of Mobile Fieldwork and a Founding MMRA Member. He has had a career in Market Research spanning 18 years. As an online expert, he has worked for top 10 agencies and Key mobile research software providers, including opening the UK office for Confirmit in 1999. He has been at the forefront of new research methodologies, working in Online since 1997 and Mobile for the last 4 years, having appeared at the first Mobile Research Conference in 2009.

Jennifer Garrick is the Marketing Manager of UK field agency, Face Facts Research, who specialise in postal, telephone, face to face and online field services. Jennifer has held a number of marketing positions in her previous roles at The Hunt Group and Visit Lincolnshire, and is responsible for developing the agency’s brand marketing strategy. Passionate about effective, conscientious and client focused communication, she can be found championing Face Facts online, offline and to anyone else who stands still long enough.