Market research provider MarketTools, San Francisco, officially released a service that allows live data collection through consumers cell phones.
The tool, MarketTools Mobile, recruits survey panelists, designs and deploys the survey and displays the data in real-time through a Web-based portal.
Before the official launch of MarketTools Mobile, Warner Bros. Pictures partnered with MarketTools to improve the way movie audiences provide feedback. Warner Bros. Pictures deployed movie exit surveys via the mobile technology with an opening-weekend theater audiences.
The American Marketing Association recognized both MarketTools and Warner Brothers as finalists for the 2006 EXPLOR award based on the results of the test case study. The test demonstrated solid consumer acceptance of mobile market research surveys across a broad range of demographics
Through the new service, MarketTools’ clients can reach select panelists, mobile users who have agreed to take surveys from their mobile devices through direct text message. Consumers can also elect to participate in surveys at the point of sale via a short code prompt.
In a survey with more than 400 consumers, MarketTools (www.markettools.com) found more than 80 percent of respondents want to give their opinions from mobile devices on topics such as shopping, trial product usage, or mobile phones themselves. Additional high interest areas include movie evaluations and television programming. The primary benefit of taking surveys on mobile phones cited by consumers was “being able to take surveys anytime, anywhere” plus “ease and convenience.”
