Market Research and [insert played out buzz word like web 2.0]

I think Samuel Jackson in the movie "Juice" said it best.

"Just cause you pour syrup on sh*t don't make it pancakes baby!".

This is what's wrong with Market Research today. The Market Research industry wants to incorporate the latest and greatest web 2.0 has to offer but it means nothing if you don't rethink how to gather insights online.

Some companies embed themselves in current social networks, others make widgets and some others even try to create their own "consumer generated" social networks to try to hold the attention of panelists. There are even new online "startups" that have taken it one step further to customize incentives based on the website offering virtual currencies to everyone who completes a survey.

I still see a problem with this because no matter what you do, real people still need to to take 20 minutes out of their day to do a survey that they did not really want to do in the first place.

If people (I mean real people, not coupon clippers and professional contest takers) really wanted to do surveys, we would not have the attrition and response rate problems that we have today. To be honest, research is important but online research companies have a needless product. People don't need to do surveys online. The people we really want to hear from don't go looking for surveys. Active survey takers do exist but these are not the people we want.

Before I continue, let's see if you can spot the difference between real people and survey takers.

Real People (Default image for all online survey companies):




Active Panelists:





Many companies even try to make the survey experience more engaging by adding all kinds of bells and whistles to the survey itself. That's nice but will last about a month before people realize again that a survey is a survey no matter what you do.

You can add all the cool stuff that web 2.0 has to offer but if you do not completely rethink the way data is collected with online surveys, research companies will continue to pour syrup on Sh*t with no success!