Market~Ease Online
Qualitative Research for the 21st Century
How We Got Here
At the beginning of the pandemic, the market research industry desperately needed a solution to find a new way to conduct qualitative research. As we are primarily a recruiting agency, we have seen many online qualitative platforms and how difficult they were for the respondents to operate. With our expansive database of low to mid-acculturated Hispanics, the elderly, and those who are technophobic - we knew there had to be a better solution to getting people connected to the research. With our experience with Adobe Connect, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Zoom, we found that most people could easily operate and navigate Zoom. With the system decided upon, we got to work making it ours.
How It Works
By leveraging Zoom’s feature set at the base of our platform, we can get as close to the typical physical layout that would be in place in a traditional market research facility. The respondents, the moderator, and the technical staff are all in the main room, where they can easily interact with each other - just like a typical Zoom meeting. Our clients are placed into the “back room” - the symbolic room on the other side of the one-way mirrors that would be in place at a facility. This back room prevents accidental microphone unmuting and webcam activation from ensuring the respondents will never see nor hear our clients. Clients in this space can watch the focus group take place in real-time, tune in to the interpreter (if one has been requested for the project), access live, automated multilingual transcriptions of the session, and send messages to the support staff and moderator. All sessions are recorded on the cloud and our local servers at our Chicago office. We record audio, video, the chat, polling results (if polling is utilized), stim share, and the interpreter with their voice over the session’s video (if an interpreter is present). We store the recordings for sixty (60) days after the session and then delete all files immediately after that time expires.
The Process
All sessions on our platform are assigned at least two members of our staff - one host and one technician. The host will ensure that the respondents are getting connected, are in a good place to participate, are articulate, and explain the ground rules to them. The technician will be connected for the entirety of the session to address any technical issues or gremlins that may arise. Our technicians undergo training on the platform before any sessions they run - and are supervised by the Director of Technology during their first few sessions. Our hosting staff has years of experience in the field hosting in-person sessions and now brings that experience and expertise to the platform. We ask that our host remain connected to the session for fifteen minutes after it starts and remain on-call for the remainder if a respondent disconnects. Our technicians are available to share stimuli during sessions if the moderator feels uncomfortable doing so themselves. We support audio, video, documents, and anything else you want to share during the session! Once the last session of the day ends, the technician will send the recordings to whoever needs them.
Market~Ease On-Site: Hybrid Research without compromise
Market-Ease On-Site is our suite of technical services offered for in-person research projects! Leveraging our years of experience with Market-Ease Online, we can provide a hybrid research experience for you and your team! Utilizing an A.I.-driven 360 camera and advanced microphone array, you and your team can seamlessly engage in the research from anywhere globally! We also provide standalone interpreter equipment that can be shipped to the facility of your choice. We even offer on-site support! To learn more about Market~Ease On-Site, click the button below!
Request a Quote!
Please click the button below and complete the form to request a quote!