••• text-mining
New release of WordStat8
Explorer, Expert modes
Provalis Research, Montreal, has released WordStat 8, a new version of its text-mining software, which includes an Explorer mode and an Expert mode. Explorer mode allows inexperienced users to analyze documents and identify the most frequent words, topics and phrases as well as apply a categorization dictionary to find specific themes. Expert mode enables individual text segments, shows synonyms for individual words (along with frequency counts), provides a correspondence analysis, shows frequency tables and more. WordStat has an open interface with several solutions and directly imports and creates projects from Windows File Explorer, Excel, Word, PDF, Stata, CSV, social media, Web survey platforms and reference manager tools. WordStat 8 allows data analysts to pre-process or transform text documents using Python scripts. WordStat can still be run as a content analysis tool within QDA Miner, Stata or SimStat.
••• shelf testing
Simulate product placement with PowerShelf
Includes survey-creation process
Consumer insights firm Toluna, Wilton, Conn., has launched PowerShelf, an automated real-time shelf testing solution that gives brands and retailers feedback on the impact of shelf placement on consumer attention to products in-store. It allows firms to test products in a simulated in-store environment and has an automated survey-creation process to help users understand how to best position products on a shelf, evaluate shelf design overall and more. PowerShelf is accessible within TolunaInsights, the company’s automated consumer insights platform.
••• product testing
BASES launches in-home use service
Tests consumers’ pre-launch experiences
BASES, a product innovation discipline within Nielsen, has launched BASES Product Quick Use, an in-home-use product testing solution that aims to help marketers simulate a consumer’s product experience prior to launch. Product Quick Use will be fueled by BASES’ predictive analytics, a database of FMCG initiatives and proprietary forecasting models. Combined, these data and information from BASES are designed to help brands understand whether consumers will purchase their product long-term, adapt products to better meet expectations and make adjustments and improvements based on consumer feedback and BASES’ validated frameworks. BASES Product Quick Use is delivered on Nielsen Studio, a digital platform. Additionally, the new solution allows for continuous development of new diagnostics and customizable add-ons – such as volume forecasting, targeted testing and concept assessment – for more in-depth analysis based on budget, timeline and brand needs.
••• the business of research
Platform highlights fake research activities
Phish of the Day
The Australia-based Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) has launched Phish of the Day, a digital platform that highlights fake or illegitimate research activities. The platform allows AMSRO members and the general public to report scams or non-genuine research activities to the association. AMSRO will investigate the reports and, depending on the severity and nature of the issue, will attempt to work with the organization to improve its operational practices to comply with relevant legislation or report it to relevant federal or state/territory regulatory or enforcement bodies. AMSRO says it can also discipline its own member companies for inappropriate research conduct, including expulsion for serious offenses.
••• NPS research
Firms offer NPS studies across retail categories
Grocery, beauty, pets
Denver-based company ROI Consultancy Services and Boston-based management consulting firm Bain & Company have joined forces to produce Bain Certified Net Promoter Score benchmarking studies as part of a series of industry studies in North America. The two companies will jointly produce a study in nine retail categories: grocery; women’s clothing; children’s clothing; beauty products; pet food and supplies; sports equipment and athletic clothing; consumer electronics; home products; and home furniture. The studies establish and track ranges for consumer advocacy among competitors in each sector, with additional insight available from verbatim comments.
www.roirocket.com
www.bain.com
••• automotive research
Nielsen, J.D. Power partner for car-marketing platform
Measure ROI, efficacy
Nielsen, New York, has launched the Nielsen Auto Cloud fueled by Costa Mesa, Calif., research firm J.D. Power. The marketing and measurement platform combines the Nielsen Marketing Cloud with J.D. Power’s car-buyer intelligence and insights, allowing automotive marketers to target audiences and personalize advertising messages based on criteria like car features and styles, buying stage and brand affinities as well as media engagement, geo-location and device type. Clients can plan and activate these car-buyer audiences across TV and digital.
The Nielsen Auto Cloud’s always-on frequency management and in-flight analytics capabilities enable clients to measure and control how often and what types of ads people see throughout the life of a campaign. Additionally, clients can utilize established Nielsen planning and measurement solutions, including multi-touch attribution and marketing mix modeling, to measure the efficacy and ROI of their marketing spend.
www.nielsen.com
www.jdpower.com
••• Briefly
Des Moines, Iowa, consumer intelligence company Quester is making its proprietary analytics software CoreText Analytics available as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, allowing companies to use it for their own qualitative data analysis. Users on the CoreText SaaS platform can conduct a review of verbatim data to gain an overview of the themes and ideas represented in the data set along with the key elements that make up the respondent mind-set.
Philadelphia-based data collection company Focus Pointe Global has launched FPG POV, a proprietary participant survey app. The app allows panel members to: take client surveys; receive push notifications for new available studies and qualification screenings; receive initial confirmation and reminder notifications for upcoming scheduled studies; manage their user account, including updating profile data points; send panel membership referrals; and take polls and receive immediate feedback on how other panelists answered. FPG POV is available in the App Store and Google Play.
SIS International Research, New York, has launched new digital research solutions, including digital communities, online focus groups, video interviews and SIS Intelligence Answering monthly subscriptions. The digital communities include features like online forums and bulletin boards, concept testing, online diaries, respondent journaling, surveys and polls and more. The company has also launched its digital transformation unit, specifically devoted to tech innovations and new opportunities development.
Information services company Experian has launched Experian Marketing Engine for the automotive industry. The solution leverages automotive-specific insights, including vehicle purchase behaviors, ownership data and automotive equity and combines them with marketing data like demographics, purchasing habits and lifestyle interests to help automotive marketers better allocate marketing spend.
U.K. mobile survey company OnePoint Global has launched a survey app toolkit for panel companies. The app includes till receipt scanning, geofencing, offline surveys and audio/video features. It is compatible with all smartphones and tablets and will also be available on Mac desktops and laptops later this year. Panel companies can distribute surveys from multiple brands through their own branded app or create branded apps specific to each client brand and use them to issue multiple surveys that are also available offline.
Research sample provider P2Sample, Alpharetta, Ga., has published an e-book, The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide: How to Select a Sample Supplier, which provides a look at the history, current state and future of the market research sample industry. The e-book is available for download on the company’s Web site.
Google Surveys has launched in Kenya, allowing Kenyan companies and businesses to create online and mobile surveys.
San Mateo, Calif., company SurveyMonkey and Paradigm Strategy Inc., a strategy firm that helps organizations build more inclusive workplaces, have released the Belonging & Inclusion template, a new survey template that draws on behavioral science to help companies determine areas of focus to foster an inclusive workplace for underrepresented groups across race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and more.
Fayetteville, Ark., e-commerce company WhyteSpyder has released a new Category Benchmark Report that provides an analysis across any retailer of a brand’s category. The report features two parts: a SWOT analysis outlining brand strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities to improve search ranking, content strength and competitiveness within a category; and nine data scorecards that compare things like overall content health, share-of-voice, paid and organic search rank, etc., across any retailer.
Somerville, Mass., personalization and customer data platform Evergage has launched Evergage SmartSurveys, a voice of the customer survey tool that allows companies to design and deliver targeted surveys to improve customer relationships.
Santa Clara, Calif., social analytics firm NetBase now offers a cross-channel customer experience analytics solution that provides brands with business insight from customer feedback. The solution provides standardized analyses for customer feedback including automated sentiment, passion scoring, top conversation rankings, drivers of low and high ratings and trending and geolocation.
New York company Renaissance Research & Consulting has introduced BigTURF, an algorithm that uses Bayesian techniques to find optimal product lines from lists of products too large for standard TURF analysis.
Nielsen, New York, has launched Friday morning data delivery, which provides an early read into the retail and consumer goods marketplace, allowing companies to identify and move on market trends sooner. The launch will reduce the wait time for weekly retail sales performance data, which often carries through the weekend and into the early days of the following week.
Netherlands-based research company Nebu has released an updated version of the Nebu Dub InterViewer data collection tool. The updated version includes: a module to help managers schedule projects and plan interviewers’ work; the ability to compile smart callback rules to optimize fieldwork; new sample management functionality; and 20 new templates for creating Web and mobile questionnaires.
Cincinnati-based text analytics solutions firm Ascribe has introduced CX Snapshot, the latest text analytics software in the company’s product suite. CX Snapshot automatically analyzes and visualizes themes and opinions from verbatim comments and allows users to categorize consumer feedback, producing greater productivity and insights to improve customer experience.
Stamford, Conn., research technology company FocusVision has introduced InterVu Now, a solution for conducting online focus groups or video interviews. The solution allows users to run digital focus groups through video capture, interactive monitoring and playback features. The company has also made improvements to the full-feature version of InterVu, which can now include more than 60 project scheduling scenarios of varying complexity through an Alexa-like assistant. It is also GDPR-compliant.
London-based research company MESH Experience has launched its first annual experience landscape report for the retail bank sector. The report covers all touchpoints, including paid, owned and earned experiences across TV, online and word-of-mouth for major U.K. banking brands and also includes qualitative diagnostics. The report aims to help marketers bridge the gap in expectations versus reality when it comes to experiences across touchpoints.
Kantar Media, London, has added audience profiling insights to its reputation intelligence offer. The addition will allow users to access and analyze consumer insights alongside wider media monitoring intelligence, enabling them to identify and better understand target audiences and optimize return on investment of PR and marketing campaigns.
U.K. digital research agency Harris Interactive has launched new NPD express products, Need Express/PopUp Need and Idea Express/PopUp Idea, for needs and idea development and screening. The new products will help provide insights from consumers early in the product development cycle, allowing brands to develop more relevant products and services.
Prosper Insights & Analytics, Worthington, Ohio, and Conway, Ark., marketing company Acxiom have introduced Prosper Predictive Audiences powered by Acxiom, a joint solution for marketers and their supporting agencies that enables them to increase the accuracy and predictive power of their omnichannel marketing efforts, providing consumers with more relevant offers when they are most interested in considering a purchase.
prosperinsights.com
www.acxiom.com
San Francisco-based researcher InfoScout and parent company Market Track have launched Trade Insights, a joint solution that aims to close the loop between advertising and promotion activities and purchase behavior, allowing manufacturers and retailers to identify the promotions that bring new shoppers to brands and categories.
AI-based conversational survey tool AceBot has introduced emotion understanding capabilities to survey conversations, allowing users to tag sentiments of respondents and ask personalized follow-up questions based on that sentiment.
Consumer loyalty programs provider Maritz Loyalty, St. Louis, has launched a new suite of professional services products that use data and insights to advance loyalty programs. The 12 products focus on the areas of strategic design, decision sciences and creative services.
Cultural insights agency ThinkNow, Burbank, Calif., has launched ThinkNow ConneKt, an audience planning and segmentation tool focused on the multicultural market. The solution provides behavioral and psychographic data combining mobile intelligence, first-party data and panel profile insights for a holistic view of multicultural consumers.
Denver-based research firm GeoPoll has launched research services in Pakistan, providing multiple mobile survey methods including SMS, mobile Web and mobile application. The launch expands the company’s coverage in South Asia and allows media owners, brands, research agencies and international development organizations to collect data through mobile phones in Pakistan.
Snapchat is integrating New York-based researcher Nielsen’s premium audience segments into its ad buying platform. The offering will provide clients with access to audience data across more than 30,000 segments, including Nielsen Buyer Insights and Nielsen Catalina Solutions, which are based on offline purchase data.
Wilton, Conn., researcher Toluna has released its first State of Digital Disruption Report. Based on data gathered from the TolunaInsights platform, the report provides marketers and insights professionals with information on the state of digital disruptor brands, including Amazon, Netflix, Uber and more. The index helps gauge consumer adoption, category preferences, purchase behavior, marketing influence and factors affecting loyalty.
Responsys, a Great Neck, N.Y., programming company, has launched an updated and redesigned Web site with improved functionality and aesthetics. The site includes information on the company’s new proprietary qualitative software Sensor, which allows respondents to participate via self-designed avatars in a virtual setting.
MarketResearch.com has released a new white paper titled Finding Business Opportunities: The Importance of Market Research, which highlights perspectives from a variety of Fortune 500 companies that use syndicated research to drive business growth. It can be downloaded at bit.ly/2mzPxxb (registration required).
New York research and analytics firm M Science has launched SWIPE, a data analysis product within its M Data offering. SWIPE uses machine learning to analyze transaction data collected from credit and debit card purchases to provide institutional investors with analysis of public and private company performance linked to consumer spending.
Facts N Figures and Meneses Consultants have conducted a study in Southern California, “Ask Los Angeles” Media Preference & Consumer Profile 2018. The study identifies preferred TV shows and TV series as well as updated demographic data, purchase intent of some products and services, traditional media usage and media preferences (TV, radio, print and online). The study will also quantify the ownership of all devices used to watch TV programs via the Internet.
Detroit-based online qualitative technology company Aha! has launched multilingual tools for global consumer research studies, including enhanced global recruitment services, programming and automated foreign-language translation technology.
Reston, Va., firm comScore has made enhancements to its custom reporting for mobile, including: the ability to benchmark traffic quality, cross-shopping and other mobile app and site metrics against competitors; identify key consumer segments through demographic and behavioral patterns in Web and app usage; analyze consumer journeys over time and across information sources; fine-tune acquisition efforts through analysis of competitive search and other marketing efforts; and understand competitive loyalty patterns to attract, retain and engage users.
Simmons Research, New York, has launched Brand Catalyst, a brand strategy and predictive segmentation tool that helps brand marketers and their agencies understand consumer perception toward their brands using psychographics, intent, category preferences, brand and product consumption patterns.
U.K. research firm The Insights People has launched an American version of its Kids Insights platform. Kids Insights surveys 20,000 kids each year and provides brands with insights into emerging trends to support advertising, content, licensing, product and marketing investments.
Teaneck, N.J., shopper insights agency PRS IN VIVO has released its AI Pack Screening Model, which applies data mining, artificial intelligence and an expert review process to screen new packaging concepts. Over the coming months, the company will be launching new services focused on understanding shopper behavior and influencing consumer choice.
The Meaningfully Different Framework, a brand equity assessment engine by New York research agency Kantar Millward Brown, has completed the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) metric audit process. MASB’s process, the Marketing Metric Audit Protocol, assesses connections from marketing activities and metrics to financial performance.
San Francisco-based neuromarketing platform CoolTool has developed and launched a beta version of Webcam-based eye-tracking, which runs on artificial intelligence technology. Webcam-based eye-tracking allows for testing of communication materials, including videos, static advertising, product visibility on a shelf and Web site mock-ups.
Auckland, New Zealand, research solutions firm Infotools has released a new case study with telecommunications company Orange. The publication, called The Color of Transformation, examines how Orange’s market research team re-invented the way they deliver consumer insights data to their business leaders. It can be downloaded at bit.ly/2O1VM8B.
IGD, a research and training organization for the food and grocery industry, has launched IGD Asia, a research and insights platform. Led by IGD’s team in Singapore, the service will offer field-based research and analysis into Asian food and grocery retailing, providing coverage of 18 markets across Asia with a particular focus on China. It will cover over 100 retailer profiles in the region, with information on latest strategies, forecast growth, news, store visit reports and photographs taken in-store.
Nielsen, New York, has launched Local Nielsen Media Impact, a planning system that allows users to understand cross-media reach, frequency and duplication on a local scale using audience segments from Nielsen Scarborough. The offering is built with respondent-level data to allow cross-platform analyses for both local TV and radio separately as well as TV and radio together.
U.K. research firm RealityMine has added RealLife Answers to its data product offerings. RealLife Answers is a behavioral data product that allows researchers to ask questions of passive behavioral data and return answers in the same format as traditional survey data, enabling them to identify insights for clients.
Marketing software company Bridg, Los Angeles, will be launching its customer data platform this fall. The platform is specifically designed for restaurants and retailers and will combine POS transaction data with loyalty and ordering data to create unified customer profiles.
London-based researcher Verve has rolled out Verve Hackathon, an approach that combines employee and customer voices in the innovation process and allows new concepts to be created, developed and validated in five days. The approach has been developed in association with several of the company’s clients and is part of Verve’s innovation practice, which was launched in July 2017.
Data science company Dstillery, New York, has launched Dscover Maps (DMaps), a geospatial insights tool that provides a view into market composition by geography or location. DMaps uses Dstillery’s digital audiences and insights to bring digital targeting tactics to other forms of media, including out-of-home, TV, radio and direct mail.
Sweden-based eye-tracking research solutions firm Tobii Pro has introduced Tobii Pro Lab VR 360, an addition to the company’s analysis software Tobii Pro Lab that allows cognitive researchers, psychologists and marketing researchers to use 360-degree videos and images when conducting eye-tracking studies in virtual reality.