Remarkable Research Requires Qualified Participants
For many market research projects, success can be foiled by unqualified or disengaged participants. I have seen many online survey projects start with an excellent intent, stellar questionnaire design…and then wasted by weak participants.
- One option: companies can build an in-house panel to prepare for remarkable research. For certain target markets and populations of interest, this can reduce data collection costs and pay for itself quickly. Can initial investments to build a panel be high? Yes. But of course, it is all relative. How much time and money do you waste by collecting data from weak sample sources? How many times have results been questionable—because the participants’ qualifications or authenticity was dubious? Panels cost less to build and maintain than MROCs, and in many cases deliver the needed ingredient for successful research.
[This is the fourth article in a series of 20 mini-posts titled, “Principles of Remarkable Research.” Don’t want to miss this series? Subscribe to our blog via email or RSS.]
1 comment
Thanks for the post! These panels can definitely be lower in cost, but they have to be constantly monitored and evaluated to ensure adequate overall customer representation, as well as a strong presence of any critical segments.