Everyone is a panelist, but are all voices heard equally in marketing research?

Millennials are changing and shaping the way we use technology. Researchers around the world are intrigued by their new ways of thinking and their ‘take-the-reigns’ personalities. This generation doesn’t let things slip through the cracks; they’re paying attention to all of the details. With in-the-moment mobile research becoming a reality, are we fully embracing such a powerful group of consumers?

• Are we providing the right incentives for Millennials?
• Are we doing enough to recruit Millennials to our panels?
• Are we challenging Millennial panelists to provide insights rather than feedback?
• Are we tapping into video, voice and images via mobile?
• Can we eliminate repetitive, demographic questions to maximize our impact on Millennials?
• Are we utilizing messaging services instead of email invitations?

In a recent study by millennialmarketing.com, they found that 70 percent of Millennials feel a responsibility to share feedback with companies after a good or bad experience. This is good news for marketing research! This shows that Millennials are seeking a way to make their voices heard and we are able to give them the platforms to tell us what they think about brands, products, and services, etc.

According to ibtimes.com, “To be precise, Americans spend 60 percent of their ‘digital media time’ using their smartphones and tablets, surpassing desktop usage, the comScore report found. Smartphone usage was up 394 percent from December 2010 to December 2014. The growth in usage is even greater for tablets -- which had just barely been introduced in 2010 -- increasing 1,721 percent in the same time frame. By comparison, desktop usage is up a more modest 37 percent”. With this new information, it becomes pretty obvious that mobile surveys are the best way to reach Millennials and determine what “makes them tick”, as many researchers are still trying to learn about them.

A 2014 study from Millward Brown revealed that around 20-25 percent of Millennials prefer to access surveys with a mobile device as opposed to a PC/laptop and online panel suppliers generally see between 10 and 40 percent of surveys being accessed on mobile. The study also found that the vast majority of online panelists, when asked directly about survey length, would cap their attention span for taking a survey on mobile at the 15 minute mark. One of the most significant barriers we see in market research today is modifying existing surveys to a reasonable length that works with smaller devices.

With the introduction of video capabilities in quantitative market research surveys, we are once again changing the concept of "storytelling". Millennials will continue to lead this charge, but one of the questions that remains to be seen is: Will they identify the next industry-changing platform, and what will it be? As market researchers we need to ensure our relationships with our Millennial panelists are solid so we’re ready to meet them on not only the device of their choice, but in their communication method of choice.