Online panels are becoming a vital market research tool in the Central/South Americas and other regions, while simultaneously the concept of a market research panel is morphing throughout the world. Many of the new methodologies and technologies – mobile devices, social media, big data – along with the entrance of Internet titans such as Google and Facebook and tightening budgets in the wake of a global recession, have hit the panel industry hard. As a consequence, many researchers are launching panels at a time when the industry is facing some of its greatest challenges. Certainly many panels continue to thrive, but others are clearly experiencing difficulty. Enterprise panels, specialty panels, consumer, and B2B are each experiencing common challenges but are faring differently. As panels and communities morph with common attributes, and further merge with sample exchanges and routers, the question of whether or not the panelist experience remains relevant is a key consideration. This session will review some of the techniques and strategies that today’s ever-growing number of online panels and communities are employing to manage the changes that are confronting them, and it will also address the opportunities for transformation and innovation that are available to the industry. Beginning from a technology base, recruitment modes, incentive models, support requirements, implications of exchanges, and use of social media and qualitative elements will be discussed.

1. Innovation in Panels:
Evolving from Traditional Models
Insight Innovation Exchange – Latin America
March 25, 2013
Leslie Townsend
CEO & Co-founder
Kinesis Survey Technologies

2. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
The traditional panel model, established in the late 1990s, has
evolved.
• Sophisticated panelist validation measurements are
now often necessary and utilized
• Recruitment sources can generate significant
biases, therefore multiple sources are required
• People who opt-in to panels often behave
differently that those who do not, so sampling
methodologies are employed to account for this
• Some panelists are “professional” survey takers –
requiring researchers to monitor and terminate
certain respondents
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

3. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
Panelist engagement and incentive practices have evolved as well.
• Effective recruitment, engagement and retention practices are continually changing
• The industry often over-uses and exhausts panelists with too many projects and initiatives,
leading to inattention and attrition
• The emphasis on offering the biggest and best incentives encourages “professional”
respondents
• Many researchers neglect to consider / analyze the “respondent experience” at all
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

4. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
Meanwhile, some fundamental paradigm shifts are occurring.
• Mobile technology
• Social media and text analytics
• Location-based services
• Communities and MROCs
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

5. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
The convergence of SoLoMo technologies will transform panels.
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

6. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
Communities and apps are also new tools for panel managers.
• Provide new recruitment modes through the referral
network
• Enable researchers to launch to customers when
email addresses are unknown (beware of the issues
this can cause, however)
• Can tap into location information through apps such
as Foursquare
• Enable interaction between panelists
• Allow for the quick launch of discussion forums for a
qualitative revenue stream
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

7. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
The sample exchange comes into its own to solve everyday MR
challenges.
• Multiple panels pool their resources to reduce overall
costs
• Researchers buy and sell from each other’s panels as
project needs dictate
• Exchange platforms enable price competition among
available sample buyers and sellers
• Resource availability can be tracked in real-time so
that panelists are not idle OR over-used
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

8. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
The big Internet companies have entered the MR space as well.
Panel Companies Internet Players
LoI Any size Microsurveys
Complexity Any None
Assign complex Yes No
quotas
Manage/change Yes No
on the fly
Customer Sometimes Maybe
support
Research Highly planned Impulse driven
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

9. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
The panelist experience of the future will look very different from
today’s.
• We have entered the era of Big Data AND microsurveys
• Panel / community experience will be the major priority in order to keep respondents engaged –
the ability to influence the online experience is the incentive
• Traditional panels will be sustained via the use of exchanges
• This means that:
Something
new/ Change is the
Start up costs Product cycles
compelling name of the
will increase will shorten
must be game
offered
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

10. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
This panel evolution has several implications specific to Latin
America.
• Both online and mobile penetration is expanding
rapidly throughout the region
• LATAM consumers are among the most active
internet users for entertainment and social
networking
• LATAM countries, particularly Brazil, will house some
of the largest online panels in the future
• Demand and swift growth can outstrip resources
quickly
• Plan aggressively and for the long term
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013

11. Innovation in Panels: Evolving from Traditional Models
Thank You!
Q&A
Visit the Kinesis website: http://www.kinesissurvey.com
Read the Kinesis blog: http://www.kinesissurvey.com/blog
Follow Kinesis tweets: http://twitter.com/kinesis_survey
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013