I've not always been kind to mobile in some of my posts. It's not that I have a problem with it or don't expect it to become an interesting and important part of how we do research at some still undefined time in our future. It's the hype that gets me. That hype mostly follows the same tired formula. (For a near classic of the genre check out this piece.) So when your boss asks you to write a pitch for mobile here are the key ingredients:
- Start with numbers. Really big numbers. 4.6 billion mobile devices worldwide. Don't mention that the vast majority of those are simple feature phones you can only interact with either by calling or by SMS. Let your audience think iPhones, Blackberries, Androids!
- Talk about the mobile web and how in developing countries most people experience the web via mobile. Maybe throw out another big number—450 million people worldwide accessing the web via their mobile. Hope no one does the math and figures o
ut that that's just 9.8% of the 4.6 billion or knows anything about cost of mobile data plans in emerging markets and underdeveloped countries.
- Quote sales figures that say smartphones are selling faster than PCs. Don't try to explain what that might mean. Mobile is huge! Change the subject.
- Try to make an argument that interrupting people to get them to answer market research questions when they're out shopping or doing other important things is a really great thing. Forget the arguments you used to make about phone surveys always calling people when they're doing important things (like eating dinner) and how online surveys being so great because people could do them at their convenience rather than our convenience. Interruption is the new way to interact.
- Use the words "engaging" and "in the moment" a lot. Talk about clever and exciting interfaces that will cause people to drop whatever they are doing and give full and complete attention to their mobile. Talk about how people who would not dream of answering questions read to them over the telephone or presented on a 19 inch computer monitor will be thrilled to do so on a 3 inch by 2 inch smartphone screen, even under the most challenging lighting. And how excited they'll be to stop to do it while they're searching for the Tabasco sauce in aisle 11.
- Maybe mention geolocation and how we can track people like some eye in the sky that records everywhere they go and everything they do. Create the impression that people love getting this kind of attention because it saves them the effort of having to post it on Facebook.
- End with an exhortation to start doing mobile now or be left behind by the rest of the industry. Forever. There's no catching up once this train has left the station.
In these sorts of things it's always best to stay clear of any reference to the limitations of mobile survey design, the lack of validation studies, the target populations that can be effectively studied, etc. After all, it's transformational; it's a revolution; it's the next big thing; it's exactly what we need at this point in the evolution of our industry. Everything else is so yesterday. Let's just do it and see how it turns out.
Comments
7 responses to “How to write a mobile research pitch piece”
I find sarcastic arguments to be the resort of those who don’t want to have a real discussion. you could have wasted less of everyones time by making simple statements. your ‘head in the sand’ approach is fine for the ultra conservative but I find a more enthusiastic approach to new and obviously game changing technology is more healthy, especially for smaller companies. I am not saying abandon everything else, but I certainly think people should consider branching into the new tech. Your approach would also seem to suggest waiting a while longer before seeing if twitter truly is a good way to connect with customers.
or maybe the sarcasm is making it hard to take you seriously.
Ouch! I don’t ever remember being called “ultra conservative.” More to the point, I don’t mean to denigrate people who are experimenting with mobile. We are doing the same. Let’s just be realistic about the opportunity and not make it out to be something it’s not.
Reg, we’d be delighted to carry a proper counter-argument from you on this topic.
Let me know if you are interested.
Brian Tarran
Editor
Research-Live.com
Gotta admit that I smiled all the way through and that I found the sarcasm both funny and highly appropriate. While enthusiasm is both understandable and desirable, the hype around mobile research occasionally does seem to have spinned out of control. Ignoring (or forgetting to mention) the challenges and limitations favours no one? Let’s not fool ourselves – let alone our clients.
Fully realizing this post is made in jest, I’m going to try to address the underlying mentality in a counter-argument…
I agree with you wholeheartedly that people who approach new technology or ideas with a lot of energy but without any sort of plan or direction need to settle down and start producing. This is not a new concept, and it is certainly not unique to market research. People get excited about new technology, and they start talking about it. Some people innovate, and others don’t really know what to do with the new information and so they just keep talking. Some conferences (and now social media) seem to amplify this sort of useless chatter, but these communication mediums can also spark new innovations through knowledge-sharing.
That said, this post reeks of complacency and stubborn practices. Yes, there are limitations with mobile. There are limitations with every data collection medium. Phone, paper, and internet all present data collection challenges, but there are three important things to note here:
1. Mobile is unquestionably the best way to intercept respondents in-store or on-site. This is already being done, and researchers are already successfully collecting and analyzing data. Sure, you may not personally want to participate, but inferring that the collection method itself is intrusive is just a fallacy of composition. Incentives change everything.
2. Mobile is simply another way people are connecting to the internet.
3. Limitations traditionally posed by mobile surveys are fading fast as mobile devices become more advanced.
In some regions–like the US–people are now purchasing more smartphones than feature phones. Does it make sense to launch a WAP survey in the heart of a location with low mobile internet access penetration? Absolutely not. Data collection efforts should always factor demographics and geography into the launch plan.
Revisiting the topic of the rise of mobile usage, consumers will soon be spending more time on their mobile devices than on their traditional desktop / laptop computers. Watching the iPad become the fastest growing consumer electronics product in history demonstrates this movement loud and clear. People want to spend more of their down time on mobile devices. Look at Nielsen’s latest mobile usage statistics to see the diversity of where people are using their devices and (potentially) browsing the web. These people are potential respondents!
In summary, market researchers need to be ready for respondents no matter which medium those respondents desire–internet (including mobile), phone, or paper.
references:
http://gigaom.com/2010/04/12/mary-meeker-mobile-internet-will-soon-overtake-fixed-internet/
http://www.cnbc.com/id/39501308
http://www.getelastic.com/how-we-use-the-mobile-web-infographic/
Thanks, Jason, for your thoughtful comments. I actually agree with you. Mobile has some intriguing possibilities. There is no doubt about that. And people already are doing some interesting work. But, as I wrote in the post, it’s the hype that gets me. The people claiming that it will transform the research industry. I don’t see that happening. At least not any time soon.
Just wanted to chime in and say 1.) That I’m shocked there is another Leonard around in MR, let alone one who is passionate about innovation. Nice to meet you! And 2.) Reg, thanks for being the much needed “voice of dissent” in these debates. Your humor helps the points sink in, and although I don’t agree with them all, I surely am glad that they’re out there for us all to consider!