It seems to be an inconvenient truth that in market research, despite learning more and more about the importance of emotional engagement in terms of CAWI respondent interaction, there's plenty of room for improvement. Let's face it, CAWIs can be a little underwhelming from a respondent's point of view, and dare I say it, in some cases a bit dull? I propose a solution - tablets!
As Fiona posted before, tablets are slowly, but surely, playing a larger role in this Brave New World but have not quite managed to find a home in most non-nerd circles. As we have seen the explosion of smartphone growth, I believe we will see huge growth in the tablet sector as well. Modern flagship devices from Android, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, or Apple's iPad2 are extremely capable media consumption and production devices. The barrier to growth seems to be perception of a) price and b) capability. Going back to Fiona's example, why would I want to spend $800 on a device on which I just Skype Nanna? Firstly prices will continue to fall. The Indian government, for example, has just subsidised the cost of an entry level tablet- the $30 Aakash tablet, that is eminently affordable. Admittedly, it hasn't got all the bells and whistles of a modern flagship device, but it would still be very capable of running multimedia apps. As Fiona points out, tablet penetration in developing countries is still very low, but for this reason things may be about to change. Secondly, on the issue of capability, developers will, and indeed are, finding new ways of making this new technology a compelling and fresh format. For example, we are now able to download a newspaper to a device, and watch embedded video clips as the author intended. Children's books are now available that combine music, video and interactive games. The use of educational software in educational establishments has increased exponentially - just do a search for educational iOS software for example. Schools and universities have certainly been able to put them to good use, even hospitals! There are countless other examples of this.
So what is the significance for the market research industry? Quite simply, quite a lot! I see a future in which respondents are able to swipe and move a concept around in 3D using the touch screen. Interviews will contain videos or audio to demonstrate concepts. Respondents answer questions using swipe to drag and drop, and sliders (as it was intended), while moving deftly around menus and content. The tablet's front facing camera will allow respondents to record videos of reactions to concepts.
Except, er, hang on a minute, some of this is already happening right now. We are therefore nearly there. Just imagine what the collaboration of games developers for smartphones/tablets and the Market Research industry could bring about? Gamification goes absolutely perfectly with tablet interactivity. This might seem like a trivial aside (bear with me), but look at the explosion of the smartphone game Angry Birds. The reason behind this was its fun game play, its simplicity and the touch screen interactivity. Similarly, I'm sure gamification could be employed, drawing on these principles, to make touch screen interface work very effectively. Animation and gameplay could accompany each question change, making the user experience more inviting and just more fun. Oh, but respondents would get distracted by the games, I hear you say. Well, I don't believe it would. Indeed I think it would reverse the traditional downwards graph of respondent motivation as the interview proceeds.
Essentially, the beauty of tablets and smartphones is fun. Laptops and PCs are starting to look antiquated. According to the late, great, Steve Jobs we are now living in a post-pc world. Tablets have brought with them an excitement to the extent that many people rushed out to buy one without really knowing why! The beauty of touch screen is that you feel closer and more engaged in the content. I love reading articles on my iPhone -it just seems to be more natural and intuitive to scroll text with a push of a finger over the click wheel of a mouse. Isn't such increased emotional engagement just what the Market Research industry should be aiming for? I am convinced respondents would love a fresh approach to MR and I would hedge a bet that data accuracy would increase dramatically.
Yes, I hear you say but what about older, less tech-savvy respondents? My response would be that iPads are used by thousands of grandparents believe it or not - just do a web search and you'll be surprised. Tablets and smartphones actually make technology far more accessible. My aged dad, for example, took to his iPhone like a duck to water. I'm convinced he'd never be without one now.
I'm convinced that, as sure as there'll always be death and taxes, a) tablets are not going to go away and b) people will always be bored by uninspiring, dull tasks. As tablet penetration steadily increases, I feel a golden opportunity right here.
