The document discusses using online communities as a research tool to evaluate IKEA's yearly catalog. A qualitative study was conducted through online communities in 5 countries to understand reactions to IKEA's 2013 catalog and possible covers for the 2014 edition. The communities allowed researchers to triangulate data from different customer types, research methods, environments, and perspectives. This provided a more comprehensive understanding compared to traditional focus groups. Key benefits of the online communities included obtaining insights from more diverse participants over a longer period, combining various research techniques, and involving participants in additional testing and evaluation stages. The communities served as a flexible, cost-effective "fusion research tool" to holistically evaluate IKEA's iconic catalog.
For IKEA, the yearly Catalogue is the main communication channel with existing and potential customers globally. This case study shows how the 2013 edition of the Catalogue and possible covers for the 2014 edition were evaluated qualitatively around the world, through Market Research Online Communities (or Consumer Consulting Boards) in five different countries.
Synergizing natural and research communities: Caring about the research ecosy...InSites Consulting
Ā
Research panels are under a lot of pressure: for far too long we have treated panels as ordinary databases. As a result, response rates to traditional surveys are in decline and it becomes harder to motivate people to participate in research projects. As researchers, we have to look into alternatives that still allow us to learn about the attitudes and behavior of consumers.
Thanks to the rise of social media, a whole new stream of consumer information has become available and our industry is embracing it as the new Walhalla. By using methods such as āsocial media netnographyā in which online conversations and stories are observed, researchers learn from online sources of textual and visual information that are freely available (Verhaeghe, Van den Berge, Schillewaert, 2009). Instead of asking new input from research participants, existing information is recycled. Because consumers are free to talk about whatever they like, social media netnography does not only provide answers on research questions one already had, but it also gives answers to questions they did not ask and answers without asking questions.
User-generated content is a welcome new source of information for researchers. But unlike our research panels, we should treat this new ecosystem with caution and preserve it while we still can. We need to learn from the past when we experiment with new ways of doing research.
Podcasting is gaining widespread popularity as knowledge of this new content format penetrates the public consciousness. However, only a select group of hosts are being discovered or listened to (and hence, enjoying success). This project aims to innovate for and improve gender equality in the podcasting format, asking how might the discovery of relevant content for podcast listeners be redesigned to challenge the current model of charts and categories. Using the Research through Design methodology to explore this question, this work builds upon an ethical foundation, and primary and secondary research to create an intervention in the form of a mobile application. The resulting prototype, a mobile application, was tested with a range of end-users and refined. The findings suggest that listenersā key needs when discovering new content are curated recommendations and a sense of trust.
For IKEA, the yearly Catalogue is the main communication channel with existing and potential customers globally. This case study shows how the 2013 edition of the Catalogue and possible covers for the 2014 edition were evaluated qualitatively around the world, through Market Research Online Communities (or Consumer Consulting Boards) in five different countries.
Synergizing natural and research communities: Caring about the research ecosy...InSites Consulting
Ā
Research panels are under a lot of pressure: for far too long we have treated panels as ordinary databases. As a result, response rates to traditional surveys are in decline and it becomes harder to motivate people to participate in research projects. As researchers, we have to look into alternatives that still allow us to learn about the attitudes and behavior of consumers.
Thanks to the rise of social media, a whole new stream of consumer information has become available and our industry is embracing it as the new Walhalla. By using methods such as āsocial media netnographyā in which online conversations and stories are observed, researchers learn from online sources of textual and visual information that are freely available (Verhaeghe, Van den Berge, Schillewaert, 2009). Instead of asking new input from research participants, existing information is recycled. Because consumers are free to talk about whatever they like, social media netnography does not only provide answers on research questions one already had, but it also gives answers to questions they did not ask and answers without asking questions.
User-generated content is a welcome new source of information for researchers. But unlike our research panels, we should treat this new ecosystem with caution and preserve it while we still can. We need to learn from the past when we experiment with new ways of doing research.
Podcasting is gaining widespread popularity as knowledge of this new content format penetrates the public consciousness. However, only a select group of hosts are being discovered or listened to (and hence, enjoying success). This project aims to innovate for and improve gender equality in the podcasting format, asking how might the discovery of relevant content for podcast listeners be redesigned to challenge the current model of charts and categories. Using the Research through Design methodology to explore this question, this work builds upon an ethical foundation, and primary and secondary research to create an intervention in the form of a mobile application. The resulting prototype, a mobile application, was tested with a range of end-users and refined. The findings suggest that listenersā key needs when discovering new content are curated recommendations and a sense of trust.
Real-Time Collaborative Methodologies in Market Research Pulsar Platform
Ā
This presentation takes you on a journey through the world of empowered consumers, netnography, the evolution of the internet and the ways businesses and brands are looking to take advantage of the technological advances available to them.
From there it launches into real-time research and how brands need to try stay in front of their consumers rather than chasing them. It explains the pros & cons of crowdsourcing, online communities, Peer-2-Peer research and co-creation before revealing our approach and what makes it work so well for us.
Francesco & Sharmila presented this to Said Business School students in May 2010.
AeronAdvies: How to react as a company towards negative user UGC to avoid a c...AeronAdvies
Ā
More and more companies are faced with negative online messages about their business, messages that can be widely spread online and eventually cause financial loss for a company. As in the case of the Canadian musician who made a song about United Airlines. This company had, according to him, destroyed his guitar and the customer service did not meet his expectations. This song became a hit on Youtube and resulted in a public relations embarrassment of the company.
This study provides field research results on how a company can react towards negative User Generated Content (UGC) to avoid a company crisis.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Georgetown Universityās Center for Social Impact Communication developed this study with the objectives of showcasing trends in cause involvement and evaluating the role of a variety of activities in fostering engagement. An online survey was conducted by TNS Global among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 Americans ages 18 and over. The survey was fielded November 30 to December 22, 2010, and has a margin of error of +/-2.2% at the 95% confidence level.
I interviewed the experts in MROCs -- here's what I learned from them, and presented to a professional conference in Prague in 2010.
This is the detailed paper that accompanied the presentation.
Can social media become the final frontier in customer experience management? This research paper was published in Nirma International Conference on Management, 5th Jan 2012. ISBN 93-81361-68-1
Corporate Communication & Social Media: A study of its usage patterninventionjournals
Ā
Social media helps corporate communication professionals to build and maintain relationships with
all the publics. Nowadays a companyās reputation also depends on the image built by the company in social
media. This study aims to examine; on how corporate communication professionals use social media for
corporate communications. The data for the study was collected from 125 corporate communication
professionals across Bengaluru city through a scientific survey method and sampling procedures. The research
study found that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were extensively used for corporate communication. The most
popular uses of social media for corporate communications were employee communication, customer/consumer
relations, relationship with general public and media relations. Majority of the messages shared on social
media were pertaining to events organised by the company, achievements, news, promotional messages and
corporate social responsibility. Social media is the future; hence, corporate communication and PR
professionals should exploit this media for all their corporate communication uses, needs and campaigns
The open innovation research landscape: Established perspectives and emerging...Ian McCarthy
Ā
This paper provides an overview of the main perspectives and themes emerging in research on open innovation. The paper is the result of a collaborative process among several open innovation scholarsāhaving a common basis in the recurrent Professional Development Workshop (PDW) on āResearching Open Innovationā at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. In this paper, we present opportunities for future research on open innovation, organized at different levels of analysis. We discuss some of the contingencies at these different levels, and argue that future research needs to study open innovation ā originally an organizational-level phenomenon ā across multiple levels of analysis. While our integrative framework allows comparing, contrasting, and integrating different perspectives at different levels of analysis, further theorizing will be needed to advance open innovation research. On this basis, we propose some new research categories as well as questions for future research ā particularly those that span across research domains that have so far developed in isolation.
Real-Time Collaborative Methodologies in Market Research Pulsar Platform
Ā
This presentation takes you on a journey through the world of empowered consumers, netnography, the evolution of the internet and the ways businesses and brands are looking to take advantage of the technological advances available to them.
From there it launches into real-time research and how brands need to try stay in front of their consumers rather than chasing them. It explains the pros & cons of crowdsourcing, online communities, Peer-2-Peer research and co-creation before revealing our approach and what makes it work so well for us.
Francesco & Sharmila presented this to Said Business School students in May 2010.
AeronAdvies: How to react as a company towards negative user UGC to avoid a c...AeronAdvies
Ā
More and more companies are faced with negative online messages about their business, messages that can be widely spread online and eventually cause financial loss for a company. As in the case of the Canadian musician who made a song about United Airlines. This company had, according to him, destroyed his guitar and the customer service did not meet his expectations. This song became a hit on Youtube and resulted in a public relations embarrassment of the company.
This study provides field research results on how a company can react towards negative User Generated Content (UGC) to avoid a company crisis.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Georgetown Universityās Center for Social Impact Communication developed this study with the objectives of showcasing trends in cause involvement and evaluating the role of a variety of activities in fostering engagement. An online survey was conducted by TNS Global among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 Americans ages 18 and over. The survey was fielded November 30 to December 22, 2010, and has a margin of error of +/-2.2% at the 95% confidence level.
I interviewed the experts in MROCs -- here's what I learned from them, and presented to a professional conference in Prague in 2010.
This is the detailed paper that accompanied the presentation.
Can social media become the final frontier in customer experience management? This research paper was published in Nirma International Conference on Management, 5th Jan 2012. ISBN 93-81361-68-1
Corporate Communication & Social Media: A study of its usage patterninventionjournals
Ā
Social media helps corporate communication professionals to build and maintain relationships with
all the publics. Nowadays a companyās reputation also depends on the image built by the company in social
media. This study aims to examine; on how corporate communication professionals use social media for
corporate communications. The data for the study was collected from 125 corporate communication
professionals across Bengaluru city through a scientific survey method and sampling procedures. The research
study found that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were extensively used for corporate communication. The most
popular uses of social media for corporate communications were employee communication, customer/consumer
relations, relationship with general public and media relations. Majority of the messages shared on social
media were pertaining to events organised by the company, achievements, news, promotional messages and
corporate social responsibility. Social media is the future; hence, corporate communication and PR
professionals should exploit this media for all their corporate communication uses, needs and campaigns
The open innovation research landscape: Established perspectives and emerging...Ian McCarthy
Ā
This paper provides an overview of the main perspectives and themes emerging in research on open innovation. The paper is the result of a collaborative process among several open innovation scholarsāhaving a common basis in the recurrent Professional Development Workshop (PDW) on āResearching Open Innovationā at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. In this paper, we present opportunities for future research on open innovation, organized at different levels of analysis. We discuss some of the contingencies at these different levels, and argue that future research needs to study open innovation ā originally an organizational-level phenomenon ā across multiple levels of analysis. While our integrative framework allows comparing, contrasting, and integrating different perspectives at different levels of analysis, further theorizing will be needed to advance open innovation research. On this basis, we propose some new research categories as well as questions for future research ā particularly those that span across research domains that have so far developed in isolation.
Universal Brands - Giving Brands Local RelevanceTom De Ruyck
Ā
In todayās globalized and connected world, one could have the perception that global brands are in pole position to grasp the huge opportunities in emerging markets. In this presentation you will learn that reality is a bit different. And, how important it is, to adapt and localize your offering.
You will also discover how Research Communities (MROCs) can help to give brands local relevance, but only if you adapt the methodologyā¦ with knowledge of the local culture.
Imagining the Future through Social Media as a Tool for Social Innovation (E...Mario Guillo
Ā
F212.org is a virtual think tank of university students interested in sharing ideas on how to face main future challenges. It describes the results of a comparative study about the images of the future found among young students from Haaga Helia University of Applied Science (Finland) Tamkang University (Taiwan); and University of Alicante (Spain).
Think Big and Connect to the Max: How Pepsico (re)connected the Ruffles brand...InSites Consulting
Ā
PepsiCo wanted to (re)connect the Ruffles brand with the Turkish youth. For six weeks a āMarket Research Online Communityā (or āConsumer Consulting Boardā) was the central hub in which the dialogue between Gen Y, the Ruffles brand team and the advertising agencies of PepsiCo took place. In three sequential stages we moved from generating insights into Turkish youthās everyday life and their aspirations over testing and fine-tuning activation platforms and campaigns to creating an understanding of the role of social media in brand activation today. To enhance decision making, we wanted to connect all stakeholders to a maximum extent with the target group. To realize that, we created several touch points between the consumer world (the research results) and the business world (the marketing team and their objectives) while sharing our research results: online and offline consumer immersion exercises with all stakeholders, intermediate debriefs and workshops, a creative brainstorming session and a live chat session with members of the community during that brainstorm. This paper gives insights into the power of using research communities to deeply understand a target group and in the value of ātriangulationā in qualitative research (tackling the same issue from different angles and with different eyes). It also illustrates how creating several touch points between the consumer world and the business world can deliver bigger impact on marketing thinking.
Exploring the world of water - The conversation revolution: brands & people d...InSites Consulting
Ā
Danone wanted to understand the use of water in daily life and highlight consumer expectations for water consumption in general, in order to determine the main consumer perceived benefits. It was important to focus on the scientific objectives (also afterwards in clinical testing) to prove and understand 4 certain effects of water. The final output Danone was looking for needed to confirm that water can bring real benefits for consumers and to show which benefits would be most impactful in the market when proven. In order to investigate water consumption from different angles, we implemented a āfusion researchā design. Fusion research is a research design where multiple (contemporary) research methodologies are combined in order to study a certain research question from different angles. By applying triangulation, a holistic view is achieved around the same solution or marketing problem. Each of the selected methods adds one piece to the final puzzle and serves as input for the subsequent phase.
Running engaging Market Research Online Communities. Social media has gained considerable human relevance. User-created content, citizen journalism and online social interactions (e.g. conversation, collaboration, participation, sharing, connecting) are embedded into the daily lives of consumers. With the different semantic waves of the web, the entire market research process and industry has undergone clear changes. Market research has changed from asking questions to having conversations with consumers. Online Research Communities have proven to be a viable environment to engage with consumers as well as marketing executives in a connected and participatory way. What makes research communities unique is that they assemble consumers to interact in an asynchronous longitudinal setting by applying social media techniques. Companies outsource tasks to a crowd (e.g. product and service creation and testing) in an open call in order to bring consumers inside organizations all the way up to the boardroom. Research communities bring true consumer connect between marketers and their target groups as they use interactive tools to tap into social interactions between people, and allow a more equal relationship between researchers, brands and participants.
Composing the perfect research symphony ā What are the key elements to conduc...innogy Innovation GmbH
Ā
It was only a couple of years ago that online qualitative studies were still approached skeptically by researchers. Today many case studies and publications illustrate that online qualitative research has become a valid methodology amongst many practitioners.
ā¢ Do we actually use the full potential that online qualitative research offers?
ā¢ How can we actually determine the quality of online qualitative research?
ā¢ Does the quality just lie in the eye of the observer? What works, what does not?
In this webinar, research and innovation consultant Nicole Reinhold will take you a step further and share with you her strategies to achieve high quality results by doing āactivity-basedā online research.
As a specialist in research for innovation projects, Nicole creates customized research designs that creatively combine different type of research methodologies into one online study. Feeling like a sort of ācomposerā of research designs, she will share with us some of her international ācompositions.ā
Digital Humanities in Practice, DHC 2012Monica Bulger
Ā
This paper presents findings of a fieldwork study that explored research practices, challenges, and directions in contemporary digital humanities scholarship. The study was conducted in the period April-October, 2010, as part of two research projects of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Oxford Internet Institute. The studies included observations, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with digital humanities scholars, policymakers, and funders, with a focus on developers and users of digital resources for humanities research. The study involved 92 participants from over 25 institutions in 5 countries.
Presented by: Monica Bulger, Eric T. Meyer, and Sally Wyatt, with Smiljana Antonijevic
ResearchOps Berlin Meetup #2 - UX Maturity - How to Grow User Research in you...ResearchOps Meetup Berlin
Ā
In our spring edition of ResearchOps Berlin we will likewise talk about growing and maturing.
Our host FlixBus will give us insights into how they started UX in their organization and how they accelerated research in terms of such as their team set-up or research methods. Luky Primadani, Katja Borchert, Carolina Schomer and Pietro Romeo will provide us with use cases and how they see the next steps in becoming more UX mature.
Professor Dagobert Soergel's talk (2009 CISTA Award Recipient): Task-centric ...kristenlabonte
Ā
"The task-centric revolution. Weaving information into workflows." Systems should be centered around tasks, not applications. This talk will present ideas and techniques towards the design of task-centric systems.
Learning the Lingo: Building Foundations for Successful Partnerships and Collaborations upon which Successful Systems Integrations can be Built
Carl Grant, Associate Dean, Knowledge Services & Chief Technology Officer, University of Oklahoma
4th Wheel Social Impact (4WSI) is committed to strengthening social programs in India, to achieve large scale sustainable impact. The organization believes the integration of data, technology and partnerships will enable the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
With the objective of building on the already existing capacities of personnel in the development sector, specifically in the domain of bringing community voices into program evaluation,
4WSI hosted a workshop on āStory Telling for Evaluationā.
This was the final paper for a class I took about research methods in technical communication. I chose to focus of the role of technical communiacation with regards to the senior citizen population.
Improving profitability for small businessBen Wann
Ā
In this comprehensive presentation, we will explore strategies and practical tips for enhancing profitability in small businesses. Tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, this session covers various aspects that directly impact the bottom line. Attendees will learn how to optimize operational efficiency, manage expenses, and increase revenue through innovative marketing and customer engagement techniques.
Explore our most comprehensive guide on lookback analysis at SafePaaS, covering access governance and how it can transform modern ERP audits. Browse now!
Skye Residences | Extended Stay Residences Near Toronto Airportmarketingjdass
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Taurus Zodiac Sign_ Personality Traits and Sign Dates.pptxmy Pandit
Ā
Explore the world of the Taurus zodiac sign. Learn about their stability, determination, and appreciation for beauty. Discover how Taureans' grounded nature and hardworking mindset define their unique personality.
RMD24 | Retail media: hoe zet je dit in als je geen AH of Unilever bent? Heid...BBPMedia1
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Grote partijen zijn al een tijdje onderweg met retail media. Ondertussen worden in dit domein ook de kansen zichtbaar voor andere spelers in de markt. Maar met die kansen ontstaan ook vragen: Zelf retail media worden of erop adverteren? In welke fase van de funnel past het en hoe integreer je het in een mediaplan? Wat is nu precies het verschil met marketplaces en Programmatic ads? In dit half uur beslechten we de dilemma's en krijg je antwoorden op wanneer het voor jou tijd is om de volgende stap te zetten.
Memorandum Of Association Constitution of Company.pptseri bangash
Ā
www.seribangash.com
A Memorandum of Association (MOA) is a legal document that outlines the fundamental principles and objectives upon which a company operates. It serves as the company's charter or constitution and defines the scope of its activities. Here's a detailed note on the MOA:
Contents of Memorandum of Association:
Name Clause: This clause states the name of the company, which should end with words like "Limited" or "Ltd." for a public limited company and "Private Limited" or "Pvt. Ltd." for a private limited company.
https://seribangash.com/article-of-association-is-legal-doc-of-company/
Registered Office Clause: It specifies the location where the company's registered office is situated. This office is where all official communications and notices are sent.
Objective Clause: This clause delineates the main objectives for which the company is formed. It's important to define these objectives clearly, as the company cannot undertake activities beyond those mentioned in this clause.
www.seribangash.com
Liability Clause: It outlines the extent of liability of the company's members. In the case of companies limited by shares, the liability of members is limited to the amount unpaid on their shares. For companies limited by guarantee, members' liability is limited to the amount they undertake to contribute if the company is wound up.
https://seribangash.com/promotors-is-person-conceived-formation-company/
Capital Clause: This clause specifies the authorized capital of the company, i.e., the maximum amount of share capital the company is authorized to issue. It also mentions the division of this capital into shares and their respective nominal value.
Association Clause: It simply states that the subscribers wish to form a company and agree to become members of it, in accordance with the terms of the MOA.
Importance of Memorandum of Association:
Legal Requirement: The MOA is a legal requirement for the formation of a company. It must be filed with the Registrar of Companies during the incorporation process.
Constitutional Document: It serves as the company's constitutional document, defining its scope, powers, and limitations.
Protection of Members: It protects the interests of the company's members by clearly defining the objectives and limiting their liability.
External Communication: It provides clarity to external parties, such as investors, creditors, and regulatory authorities, regarding the company's objectives and powers.
https://seribangash.com/difference-public-and-private-company-law/
Binding Authority: The company and its members are bound by the provisions of the MOA. Any action taken beyond its scope may be considered ultra vires (beyond the powers) of the company and therefore void.
Amendment of MOA:
While the MOA lays down the company's fundamental principles, it is not entirely immutable. It can be amended, but only under specific circumstances and in compliance with legal procedures. Amendments typically require shareholder
India Orthopedic Devices Market: Unlocking Growth Secrets, Trends and Develop...Kumar Satyam
Ā
According to TechSci Research report, āIndia Orthopedic Devices Market -Industry Size, Share, Trends, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2030ā, the India Orthopedic Devices Market stood at USD 1,280.54 Million in 2024 and is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 7.84% in the forecast period, 2026-2030F. The India Orthopedic Devices Market is being driven by several factors. The most prominent ones include an increase in the elderly population, who are more prone to orthopedic conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Moreover, the rise in sports injuries and road accidents are also contributing to the demand for orthopedic devices. Advances in technology and the introduction of innovative implants and prosthetics have further propelled the market growth. Additionally, government initiatives aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and the increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases have led to an upward trend in orthopedic surgeries, thereby fueling the market demand for these devices.
2. The paper also shows how āOnline Communitiesā are becoming a
true āFusion Researchā tool more and more which allows for
ātriangulationāon different levels (data sources, research
methods, research environments, theories and investigators),
leading to more valid research results, fresh
inspiration and a deeper understanding of the
issue researched. Best practices concerning:
moving an existing qualitative project online,
creating internal buy-in for emerging research
methods, engaging internal audiences with research
findings, running communities in different cultures
and reactivating an MROC over time, are shared
as well.
What to
expect?
For IKEA, the yearly Catalogue is the main communication channel
with existing and potential customers globally. This case study show
how the 2013 edition of the Catalogue and possible covers for the
2014 edition were evaluated qualitatively around the world,
through āMarket Research Online Communitiesā (or āConsumer Consulting
Boardsā) in five different countries.
The IKEA Catalogue
4. IKEA has the vision āto create a better
everyday life for many peopleā by āoffering
a wide range of well-designed, functional
home furnishing products at prices so low
that as many people as possible will be able
to afford themā. For IKEA, their yearly
Catalogue is one of the main channels of
communication with existing and potential
customers globally: one Catalogue showcasing
one product offering to serve āthe many
peopleāaround the globe. Every year, IKEA
conducts a āglobalā qualitative study to
understand how people feel and think about the
latest edition of the Catalogue and what they do
with it (this was done before the actual launch).
A few weeks after the global distribution, a large quantitative
study was conducted to evaluate the new edition on key
performance indicators, to measure the impact it had in
the market and to benchmark the performance with
previous editions. The findings of these studies serve as input
for the creative team that works on the latest edition.
For the 2013 edition, significant changes were made to
the format (slightly bigger), content (offering more inspiration
pages, including more storytelling and a different way of
picturing the products) and structure of the Catalogue (Figure
1). Furthermore, a complementary mobile application was
launched. These structural changes made it even more
important to deeply understand peopleās emotional and
rational reactions to the latest edition.
6. 3
2
1
Over the past years the feeling had grown within IKEA that the qualitative evaluation of the Catalogue, done
through offline focus groups in different countries around the world, could potentially be done differently
and better and in a fresher way. Here is a shortlist of the key issues that the business owners and the research team
at IKEA were encountering:
Focus groups were only giving a snapshot of reality: the first reactions to the new Catalogue. No real
insights were gained on peopleās second thoughts and their behaviour afterwards (how they are using the
Catalogue and how that use evolved over time).
Secondly, given the limited time spent with consumers and a limited portfolio of research techniques possible,
focus groups did not bring that much fresh and inspiring information to the table. Every year, a new
edition of the Catalogue was only judged partially (due to the limits of the method) and in the same way,
leading to conclusions that were very similar year after year.
Another issue flagged by internal stakeholders was the limited number of participants per session in a
focus group and the dominance of certain individuals in the discussion. Communities give access
to more opinions of people with a wide range of profiles. And due to the longer time period, all participants
are given an equal chance to give their opinion.
7. 5
4 Fourthly, the project owners experienced that the quality of a focus group was largely
determined by the quality and experience of the moderator. There was probably interviewer bias
as well. Country differences were possibly due to differences in moderation style, rather than real
differences between cultures.
Finally, despite all the new technologies available to follow offline focus groups from home as a client,
internal stakeholders do not follow sessions that often.
Focus group transcripts are experienced as not that
convenient and pleasant to go back to the real discussion for
inspiration or to justify an element when creating or
making decisions. The result is that internal stakeholders
are less confronted with the āvoice of the customersā during
and after the project.
Conclusion:
8. Given this situation, the research team at IKEA was on
the look-out for a method enabling them to
understand both the emotional and rational
reactions to the 2013 Catalogue and the mobile
application. Furthermore, in order to really understand
the Catalogueās impact, it was also important to gain
insights into how people use the Catalogue on a daily
basis after it landed in their homes.
Given these objectives, a Market Research Online
Community (MROC) (De Ruyck et al, 2010) was chosen
as the backbone of this project in favour of traditional
focus groups (See Figure 2). Online closed platforms
to have a dialogue and work together with
consumers in five different countries around the
world (Germany, Italy, Poland, the US and China)
seemed to be the answer to the above issues. But why
was this really a better option?
A simple, but very useful framework to evaluate a new research method
and to demonstrate its effectiveness internally is to check if it is
providing āautomaticalā, āinformationalā and/or
ātransformationalā benefits
9. 1 Automational: doing things faster and more cost-efficient
A research community indeed takes more time to set
up, but once created it can be reused without losing
the time of a classical set-up phase. This is a plus in
the process of crafting a new Catalogue: the platform
cannot only be used to evaluate the current issue, it
can also be used as a source of feedback and
inspiration during the process of creating the next
edition. For this project five communities with a 3-
week duration were created. Eight weeks later the
platforms were reopened for one week to get feedback
on the next stage - the creation of the cover for the
2014 edition.
Secondly, the set-up cost of a community project is
higher than that of an ad hoc qualitative project, but once
established and in use it becomes a cost-efficient tool:
more and different research methods can be
combined within the same budget.
The @Home Community
10. 2 Informational: obtaining a better data quality and deeper insights
ļ§ Communities are characterised by the fact that you can work with more people of different profiles - in
this case with 50 participants in each of the five countries. We included three different profiles: potential,
existing and lapsed customers. The result was five MROCs to hear the opinions of āthe many peopleā in one
single project, on one platform.
ļ§ The āresearch on researchā we did in the past taught us that for most participant profiles and research objectives
it is best to run a community in the mother tongue of the participants. Firstly, by doing so they will
discuss more and they will post in a more nuanced and emotional way. Secondly, our experience
showed that it is a must for the community to be moderated by a native who knows the language, the
local culture and the local market. All of this will lead to more relevant and to-the-point customer dialogues.
That is why we made the choice to set up a separate MROC in each of the five countries. This approach also
allows us to run the whole project at once and in parallel. While being in contact with participants via a local
moderator, you still grasp the advantages of having a central/global project team and content overview when
āconnecting the dotsā on a global level.
ļ§ By working with a single master topic guide (which is adapted to the local reality and culture), interviewer bias is
partly eliminated. The project is run by a team of different people who work together both on country and global level.
11. 3 Transformational: doing things which were not possible before
Evaluating the Catalogue in an MROC
gives us the opportunity to work
with the same participants over a
longer period of time (in this case:
three weeks of 24/7 contact) in the
comfort and context of their own living
environment (home). In this project, we
followed the evolution in
perception and usage of the
Catalogue over time (before the
Catalogue arrived, the first flip-through
moments and the different reading
sessions). This is something that is
hard to realise cost-efficiently with
traditional methods.
Another advantage of having
more time with participants is
āconsecutive learningā. One can
build further on what one
learned previously. Or stimuli
material can be tested, adapted
and tested again in only a matter
of days with the same group of
consumers.
To obtain a holistic view on a
participantās use and perception of the
Catalogue, a whole range of
research techniques was plugged
in into the community platform:
observational tasks, an online diary, a
collage tool, mini-surveys, creative
exercises, group discussions and even
implicit/emotion measurement tools.
Communities allowed us to blend
different research methods, giving
us depth and breadth in terms of the
insights we found.
12. The research team did not have a hard time convincing the
internal clients to make the switch, as it was clear that the time
had arrived for something different and better than
offline focus groups. The advantages of using a community
in the evaluation of the Catalogue (and the IKEA Catalogue
App) were very clear as well. The questions arising among the
business owners were more about the practical side of things,
e.g. how to choose and optimally combine the different
research options available on the platform, how to safely
distribute large numbers of Catalogues to different
parts of the world before the actual launch and how to
make sense of a big pile of information.
14. In order to bring fresh and unique insights to the table and to get a valid, clear and holistic view on peopleās
perception and use of the 2013 Catalogue, we used the principle of ātriangulationā (Guin et al, 2012) to create a
true Fusion Research tool: investigating the same subject or issue from different angles and by doing so
create a more adequate and deeper understanding. We applied ātriangulationā on five different levels:
1 Data triangulation: by including both existing, lapsed and non-customers in the evaluation, we get data on
all three groups and a full view on how different receivers of the Catalogue react to it: what do they feel, think
and do?
2 Method triangulation: by combining different observational, qualitative (both interviewing and discussions)
and quantitative research techniques (both explicit and implicit measurement) we tackle the same issue from
different angles, leading to a holistic view of it.
3 Environmental triangulation: the mobile application used on the community platform allows
participants to not only take part on the main research platform from behind their PC, but to also
provide us with more personal and contextual information - in this case on how they use the
Catalogue on a day-to-day basis in their homes and over time.
15. 4 Theory triangulation: as we know that āpeople think less than we think they thinkā, it is important to take into
account both āSystem Oneā and āSystem Twoā thinking when asking people to evaluate the Catalogue. That is
why we included both an implicit and an explicit test of the 2014 cover during the one-week reactivation of the
community.
5 Investigator triangulation: by asking the local community moderators, the global project team at agency
side, the client-side researchers, the internal client and the research participants to analyse certain parts of the
data, we made sure we got everything out of it and our final conclusions included different points of view from
people with different backgrounds. The local moderators keep an eye on aspects specific to the local culture
and market of their country, the global research team looks for the global consensus, the client-side
researchers and internal client frame the results within the business context and participants help us to close
the final blind spots we have. In this project we asked ambassadors from the five different country communities
to join forces in an English-speaking Global Room where a discussion took place concerning the cover test
during the reactivation, to see if and how it was possible to come to one cover for all countries. The view of the
participants helped us to see which cultural differences could be won over.
16. Applying the principle of ātriangulationā asks for more time and man-hours.
One needs to make the trade-off between cost and getting additional
understanding. In this project, it was a must to get a 360 view on how the
Catalogue was perceived and used over time. It was only by making use
of a āResearch Communityā and applying the principles of
ātriangulationāto it, that we gained a fresh and complete view on
the evaluation of the 2013 Catalogue.
Next we give examples of each of the different tools
used to bring Fusion Research into practice
17. Phase 1: Evaluation of the 2013 Catalogue during three-week communities in five
different countries
During the first week the goal was to āmeet the readerā
and understand the actual and aspirational
behaviour of the participants. Who is the reader
and what are his/her expectations towards the brand
and the Catalogue? To get there we conducted
amongst other activities a mix of an ethnographic task
to get a view of their house and insights into how they
live, a mood board exercise in which we asked the
members to map their feelings about the IKEA brand
and creative tasks on the forum of the platform (e.g.
Tell us āYour IKEA Catalogue storyā).
After the Catalogue was dropped of at the
participantsā homes (in preview, two weeks before the
real global launch), we assessed the perception,
satisfaction and level of engagement the 2013
Catalogue evoked. First impressions and second
thoughts on particular aspects of the Catalogue were
researched (structure, pictures, stories, the Ikea
Catalogue App, etc.). It was important to understand
how the Catalogue offers both inspiration and
information to the reader and if that was done
to the right extent. Moreover, we wanted to get a
grip on the life cycle of the Catalogue. We did so by
adding three specific exercises:
18. A photo safari, in which we asked the participants to spot the Catalogue in
their house. We wanted them to imagine that the Catalogue could speak and
tell the story of his past, current and future life.
During the last two weeks of the community, a calendar tool was added to the
platform to get day-to-day insights in the usage and the emotions it evoked.
This was done in a private part of the community (participants could not read
the responses of others), which aimed at avoiding bias.
Finally the Ikea Catalogue App was tested by understanding the
expectations of these types of apps, asking them to use the app and to
evaluate it afterwards on its relevance, user-friendliness and discuss possible
improvements for the next version.
During the final week, we investigated whether the Catalogue was meeting expectations, giving us first clues
on the impact the latest Catalogue had on the brand perception and shopper behaviour. In other words,
what impact did it have on the business: was it attracting people to the shop, raising interest in home furnishing and
was there a positive impact on the perception of the brand, especially among lapsed customers?
19. Phase 2: Reactivation of the different communities (after eight weeks of inactivity) to
test the overall theme and the first cover ideas for the 2014 Catalogue
This was done in a two-step approach during one week:
A mini-survey (N=226, response rate > 70%) to test six options for the new cover (illustrating the theme)
Each participant randomly evaluated three different covers (resulting in at least 90 participants for
each cover tested). The questionnaire was a mix of explicit questions (fit of the covers with brand and
mission statements) and emotional/implicit measurement:
ā¢ Two-second test: each participant saw a cover for only two seconds. Afterwards, via an open-ended
question, the members of the communities were to write down what they saw, which emotions they
had felt and what they remembered. This was done three times for each participant in randomised
order, to exclude order effect. We were measuring āstomach impactā here explicitly, though
spontaneously.
ā¢ Implicit measurement: each participant saw the same three cover pages for 10 seconds.
Afterwards, the members had to execute an āimplicit measurementā assignment where 15 emotions
were shown rapidly (one second) in randomised order. Participants had to press the space bar each
time they associated the emotion with the cover they just saw. Here we measured unconscious
emotional reactions to seeing the cover page.
20. By combining the breadth of the āstomach
impactā on the X axis (the share of people who
associate a given cover with the emotion, via implicit
measurement) with the depth on the Y axis (for
those who have associated the emotion with the
cover, how strong is that association, i.e. how rapidly
was the association made). To make
interpretation easier, the scale of the Y axis
was reversed (= the higher, the faster) (see Figure
3). Results of these measurements were thrown
back into the discussion during phase 2, in order to
fully understand them.
21. Continuing with a discussion on the forum: in the survey, the participants were confronted
with different cover ideas
After two days they were asked which of the covers they still remembered. We used a tool in which you first
have to answer yourself, before the others can see your answer (which ensures that answers are not biased).
We did this to assess the āstomach impactā on the mid-long term. After the spontaneous recall test, we
conducted the spontaneous associations test: upon showing the different covers, participants were
asked to share their initial thoughts, without prompting. Via this exercise we got an understanding of the
key associations made with each cover. Finally, by asking indirect questions (e.g. tell the story of the cover),
participants were motivated to elaborate on the indirect impact of the cover. Finally, the most remarkable
results of the survey were shared and the participants were invited to comment on them in order
to maximise our understanding.
āBattle of the coversā across the five countries in order to find creative ideas that would have
appeal across the globe
All participants of the five communities got the opportunity to take part in this discussion in English
in a central room. This way, cultural differences and local preferences were unveiled.
23. The previous paragraphs informed us about the fact that a
community provides one with automational,
informational and transformational benefits and that
it is a great tool to apply ātriangulationāto. The
examples provided in the previous paragraph on how we
evaluated the 2013 Catalogue and pre-tested the themes
and cover for the 2014 edition show that it can be a handy
tool while creating a new Catalogue as well. A community
does not need to be āalways-onā. You can perfectly align it
with business planning. In this case the communities were
used to draw learnings from the previous edition and
to get feedback on first ideas for the new one. We can
imagine situations later on in the creation process where we
might want to reactivate the communities for a short period
of time. Is that possible? Are participants indeed willing to
participate again and what does it take to encourage them to
do so?
The answer to the first question is āyesā: almost all
participants from the communities in the US, Poland
and Germany took part again. For Italy (78%) and
China (70%), the reactivation was a bit less
successful, although this was neither expected nor
communicated at the start of the community.
Cultural differences in commitment are
probably at the basis of the lower numbers in
both countries. For all the questions on the different
communities, we had at least 30 posts, which is what
we needed to reach our saturation effect (Schillewaert
et al, 2011). Across the five communities we had
2,807 interactions in a weekās time, which is 38%
of the 7,261 we generated in the initial three weeks.
This is perfectly in line with what one may expect.
24. By making the participants feel part of the company as real āconsultantsā. Before the first
phase of the project a kick-off was organised in a 30-minute chat session in smaller groups, during
which we explained who the client was, what the goal of the project was and what was in it for them.
During the first phase, participants received weekly newsletters on the progress of the project
and what the company was learning from the discussion.
How did we get to these results?
After the first three weeks and the workshop at the company
side the participants got an update on how the debrief in
Sweden went and pictures from the office were the Catalogue is
created and a word from the team behind it. It is by doing so
and by keeping your promises in terms of incentives that
you create a strong relationship with the members.
26. The fundamentals of the community approach work on a global scale. Just like the brands
we are working for, we need to localise our way of working from country to country. In
order to fully understand to what extent localisation of our methodology is required, we conducted
several studies with moderators from our āGlobal Community Moderator Networkā
(recruited in 30 different countries) and with local research participants. This way we co-created
best practices for the different markets we are operating in. We found that it is important to
adapt your community to the local culture on five aspects. The direction the adaptations are
made in can almost always be explained by the work of the Dutch academic researcher Geert
Hofstede and his five dimensions to explain cultural differences between countries. Next we
explain the different dimensions in more detail and we also add some striking examples.
27. 1 Reason to participate: intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
From the first e-mail invitation for joining the
community onwards, it needs to be clear
what is in it for the participants. In
almost all countries, the main reason to
participate is the possibility to have an
influence on the future of a brand or a
product.
We also noticed that some countries are more
extrinsically motivated than others. This is especially
the case in the US and in Eastern European countries, but
for different reasons. Americans consider it normal that
there is a payment to reward performance. In most
Eastern European countries on the other hand an
(monetary) incentive is perceived as a nice extra on top of
their monthly income. Furthermore, in Poland, it is a must
to gain the ātrustā of the members - trust in the fact that the
agency or company behind the community will not harm
them in any way and also in the fact that they will really
get their incentive. The preferred type of incentive
differs from country to country. It is an illusion to
think that āPayPal fits allā. In Asian countries such as
China, the intrinsic part is important: they like to be
connected with aspirational brands and share
their wisdom.
28. 2 Conversation guide: empowering vs. directive
A different culture also means different
attitudes and values, leading to a different
way of reacting to certain questions, tasks and
exercises that moderators want participants to
perform. Some cultures, for instance, love to share
a lot of details about themselves and their lives.
Others prefer talking about the group, which is
considered to be a safer option. See it as a
projective technique to let people talk about
their own situation, free of any pressure. The
same holds for co-creation exercises. It is not a
given in every culture that people are used to
taking initiative. They feel better when they are
only asked to give feedback about what already
exists. It is important to map the country that
one is working in on those two axes (āmeā vs.
āweā and āfeedbackā vs. āco-creationā) and to adapt
the way of writing and (re)mixing topics for
the conversation guide to it.
29. 3 Role of the moderator: facilitator vs. authority
One does not only need to adapt the way of
inviting and incentivising the members, the
medium of data collection and the nature of the
topics in the conversation guide. The role of
the moderator is also perceived differently
from one country to the next. In Italy a
moderator needs to facilitate and start the
discussion. His/her role lies more in the
background.
But it is also expected from the moderator that he/she
is steering the discussion in the right direction when it
is going off topic. In Poland on the other hand, the
moderator needs to be strict and almost literally direct
the members to the next question or task they need
to look into. At the same time the moderator in Brazil
is a social peer, he/she needs to be a formal
professional in China and a like-minded person to
exchange wisdom with in India. It is crucial to
know and manage all these different
expectations when running (multi-country or
global) āConsumer Consulting Boardsā.
30. 4 Gamification: playful vs. serious
Adding elements of āgamificationāto the
community brings more richness to the
table. In our research-on-research among our
moderators, we learned that the level of and
the intensity with which you gamify your
āConsumer Consulting Boardā need to
differ between countries. In Germany, for
example, it is wise to limit it to a minimal level as
it is culturally less accepted.
31. The elements described on the previous slides show that in multi-country projects you need to
start from a master conversation guide, which is important to make sure that there is a uniform
way of working and that you exclude the effects of interviewer bias. But adaptations both in
content and style of the topics and in the way of moderating will be amongst other key
elements in making the community a real success. Furthermore, it is wise to plan several
debriefs between the different local moderators facilitated by the global research team: to
challenge each otherās conclusions, let them go back to the results of their own country and come
back with deeper and richer understanding in several iterative loops.
33. Only the business owners were following the
community closely, although it should be convenient
as no travelling is required and one can take a
look at the discussion on the community when
one feels like doing so. As a researcher there is a
clear need to give intermediate updates to the different
stakeholders, as they do not follow the discussion
spontaneously and there is a lot of information to
digest. Moreover, this gives the business owners the
opportunity to finalise the topic guide for the upcoming
days: going deeper into certain elements that are
really interesting or pushing the discussion in a
new direction.
Previous āresearch-on-researchā (De Ruyck, 2011) and
our experience during this project have taught us that
confronting stakeholders with real stories by real
people is very impactful as an illustration of the
main conclusions. They become alive. It is also an
advantage that stakeholders can go back to the
community based on the final report and read
exactly what and how customers put it during the
community. Finally, it is great that a community can be
reopened when you need it, perfectly in line with
the business planning.
The research results have led to significant changes to
the Ikea Catalogue App. We now know that the new
concept of the Catalogue was a big step into a new
and right direction and improvements will be
made for the 2014 edition, based on the research.
35. The power of āResearch Communitiesā as a methodology lies in the fact that you have the ability
to work with more people, over a longer period of time, and that you get to know a lot
from all kinds of different angles by combining different research tools and methods. The
latter especially is still untapped potential in most communities. This case study describes how
fusing observational, qualitative and quantitative research methods lead to a deeper
understanding and new insights. The case also demonstrates that āStructural Collaborationā with
consumers over time is valuable and leads to more impactful communication tools.
37. De Ruyck, T. et al (2010). āHow Fans Become Future Shapers of an Ice-cream Brandā,
Proceedings ESOMAR Qualitative
Guin L., Diehl D. and McDonald D. (2012), Triangulation: Establishing the validity of
qualitative studies, IFAS
Schillewaert, N. et al (2011). āThe Darkside to Crowd-sourcing in Online Research
Communitiesā, CASRO Journal
De Ruyck, T. et al (2011). āEngage, Inspire, Act: 3 Stepstones towards Developing more
Impactful Productsā, Proceedings ESOMAR Congress