The Landmark Blog

Mobile Market Research: Love or Hate the Box?

Do you remember a time when you or your children were young and you or they received a gift...a really big gift...a gift that was big enough that it came in a huge box?  Or, maybe you've purchased a new refrigerator, or a TV, something contained in a really big box to avoid damage.  What impact did the box have on you as a child, or your children if you have them?  I could be a little left of center (very probable) but often times the box holds more entertainment value than the gift or purchase itself. 

Let me give you a couple of examples.  Recently, my family purchased a new TV.  My youngest son took the box it came in, threw a sleeping bag in it, and slept in it for three nights in a row.  A little strange.  When I tried to throw the box out, he raised royal @#$@, enough that the box remained in his room for about a month.  The thing just sat there and took up space in his room.  In the background of my mind, maybe I actually understand this more than I'd like to admit.

I remember a time growing up when my parents had to buy a new refrigerator.  Along with the refrigerator came the ultimate, the magnificent, the grand of grand, biggest box ever.  We lived in a rambler house with two levels.  We found many amazing uses for this box (breakdance pad for one).  Eventually though, we placed it on the stairs and used the box as a sled.  We started at the top of the stairs and slid down the stairs on top of the box.  After some time doing this, we realized that if we got a couch cushion, and opened up the box as big as it would go, we could surf down the stairs on the cushion and the box.  It was quite an adventure.  

Do you love or hate the box?  I loved it as a child.  As an adult, I don't like it so much.  As a child, a box felt warm, comforting, and downright fuzzy and enjoyable.  Now, as an adult, when I climb into a box it feels...cold, smelly, lonely, and claustrophobic?  Something has fundamentally changed...I guess I could get all Freudian on this, but I don't think that's what it is. 

The box has taken on a new meaning for me as an adult.  The box now refers to "THE BOX".  Like...are you in the box...the figurative box not the physical box (I'm a little too big...as in large...to fit in most physical boxes now days).  Are you in the box?

I've been doing a lot of work recently on Mobile Market Research.  I'm finding that this part of our research industry is really underdeveloped and is poised to make some pretty significant shifts and changes in the next few years.  My goal with this work has been to do two things...

1.  Figure out the best solution for this type of research (oh yeah...and implement a solution).

2.  Establish a policy and best practices for Discovery Research Group, my organization, so that we're positioned to be a leader in this area moving forward.

In the process, I've experienced a couple of eye openers that I'm not so sure about.

1.  There are some current thought leaders in this area that may be trying to force mobile research into a box that is a little to constraining for my taste.

2.  This forced boxdom (boxdom is probably not a word...but makes sense for this post), is largely dependent on the software these thought leaders sell, have on hand, or are most comfortable using.

There are emerging conferences that focus on conducting Mobile Market Research.  I believe that what they are doing is extremely important as they are bringing together organizations that have an invested interest in doing this type of market research correctly, accurately, and with as few quality concerns as possible.  In fact, later this year, the Merlien Institute will be holding a conference titled "Market Research in the Mobile World 2010: The Next Frontier".  My challenge is not with these conferences or what they are promoting, but with organizations that specifically "boxify" (again not a word) the Mobile Market Research market. 

Two different camps exist in this niche.  The first is filled with traditional vendors that define mobile market research as simply "dialing mobile phones from your market research telephone center," while the second camp snubs this group entirely, warns against them, and defines mobile market research as "conducting survey research using SMS, MMS technology" and even warns users of simplifying smartphone or mobile phone market research to only online surveys using mobile devices.  While a quieter third group focuses specifically on their proprietary mobile panels as the best or only "good" solution.

This is where my aversion to the box comes in.  I propose a mixing of these camps to one that focuses on using internet capable mobile devices to collect market research, regardless of the method of collection, in whatever way best suites the needs of the respondent...and to box it up as Mobile Market Research...because that is the device the respondent used to participate.  The brilliance and importance of mobile devices is their immediacy, their "in the moment" access, and their ability to use multiple technologies, telephone, IVR, internet capability, SMS, MMS, picture, video, etc. to accomplish a wider spectrum of research that has potential to consolidate both Qualitative and Quantitative methods.

I guess I just don't like the box...

• What do you think?  Too grand an aspiration, too simplistic, maybe too cynical?  Interested in your thoughts.