Marketing research and insights news and information. This issue's keywords: loyalty apps; connected health devices; social media promotions; restaurant apps; mobile product research

Eighty-two percent of surveyed retailers in Latin America enable customers to connect to an in-store network through a loyalty app, but only 46 percent use a connection to track online customer behavior, shows a survey of IT and marketing professionals in retail companies across Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia conducted by IDG Connect on behalf of Lincolnshire, Ill., tracking technology and solutions firm Zebra Technologies. Currently, 18 percent of surveyed retailers connect to Latin American customers through wireless smartphones, 46 percent through information kiosks, 34 percent through self-service tills and 42 percent through mobile device payments. Overall, retailers who responded in Latin America use information gained from store loyalty, credit and debit cards for identifying items bought together (62 percent), shelf replenishment (60 percent) and identifying types of shoppers (59 percent), among other market research discoveries. Eighty percent of Latin American retailers surveyed still send printed catalogues. However, 50 percent aim to send personalized offers to devices in-store in the future.

An online survey shows that around half of those in the U.S. and U.K., together with a fifth in Japan, agree that they would use a connected health device or tool as part of their treatment plan if it was recommended to them by a physician, according to an online survey by Ipsos, London, among adults aged 18 to 80 in the U.S., U.K. and Japan. However, a corresponding survey among 200 physicians in each of these markets (a mix of GPs/PCPs, endocrinologists and diabetologists) shows that only a minority consider themselves knowledgeable enough to choose the right connected health device or tool for their patients (24 percent in the U.S., 12 percent in the U.K. and 11 percent in Japan). According to the research, the U.S. leads in connected health device adoption, with 21 percent of the U.S. general public now using some form of connected health device or tool to manage their health, followed by 11 percent in the U.K. and 5 percent in Japan. Additionally, 37 percent of the general public in the U.S., together with 26 percent in the U.K. and 13 percent in Japan, believe that connected health devices will form part of treatment plans in the future. The research also shows that there is a relatively high former-user dropout rate when compared to the percentage of current users in each market (48 percent in the U.S., 42 percent in U.K. and 38 percent in Japan).

Spain-based social media promotions firm Easypromos released a survey that shed light on the role of prizes in converting visitors to participants in a promotion such as a sweepstakes, photo contest, quiz or trivia contest, as well as the types of prizes which are best at driving consumer participation and engagement. The survey, which evaluated responses from consumers across Europe and the U.S., shows that nearly half (48 percent) of consumers said the prize was the most important element in participation, while 45 percent said it is a major deciding factor. Eighty-two percent of respondents said that liking the prize was more important than the brand of the prize, with 18 percent saying the brand would drive participation. A quarter (25 percent) said they would be more likely to engage in a promotion that awards prizes that can be shared with others, while 29 percent of respondents said their preferred prizes were tickets and experiences like trips or dinners. Seventeen percent of consumers listed technology gadgets as the most compelling prize, with other prizes like health and beauty-related items enticing 11 percent of respondents to participate in a promotion.

Consumers are using their digital devices to help make dining decisions easier, including searching for nearby locations and deals, shows a study by RetailMeNot Inc., Austin Texas. The findings show that 32 percent of consumers have used a deal they found online or on their mobile device at a restaurant in the past three months. Of the diners surveyed, one in four currently has at least one restaurant-specific mobile app on his or her smartphone. Among people who dine out eight to 10 times a week, 68 percent use a restaurant-specific mobile app. Additionally, the findings show that consumers rely on their mobile devices for a variety of restaurant-related research prior to dining out, including finding a restaurant location (53 percent), browsing a menu (49 percent) and researching new restaurants (37 percent). Consumers aged 25 to 34 are more likely to research new restaurants on their smartphone than any other age group (60 percent). Lastly, the study shows that nearly two-thirds of diners use their smartphones for a variety of tasks while dining in a restaurant. This includes taking a photo (32 percent), checking in on social media (19 percent) and searching for online deals (19 percent). Other tasks include browsing reviews (17 percent), looking up nutritional information (16 percent) and paying for a meal via mobile (8 percent).

A survey by engagement and loyalty platform SessionM, Boston, shows that mobile is now the most popular way to research products, with 52.8 percent of consumers saying they researched products on their mobile browser before making a purchase, while 48.3 percent used their desktop or laptop computer. In-store was the next most common product research source (27.5 percent), followed by in-app research (19.6 percent). The findings also show that 33.2 percent of consumers have made one to three purchases on their mobile phones in the last 30 days. An additional 29.6 percent of consumers have made at least four mobile purchases in that time span. The survey also found that 34.1 percent of consumers would like to see push notifications from their favorite brands but only once per month or less, while 13.8 percent would like them once per week or more. Thirty percent reported having made a purchase sometime in the past three months as the result of a push notification.

These reports were compiled from recent issues of the Daily News Queue, a free e-newsletter digest of marketing research and insights news and information delivered each business morning. Not already in the Queue? Sign up here!