What is a market research online community?
A market research online community (MROC) is a targeted group of
people who are recruited into a private online venue to participate in
research-related activities over an extended period of time. One way to think of them is like a large "focus group on steroids."
They similar to focus groups in that they are qualitative and
exploratory in nature, but offer a number of advantages over focus
groups, including:
- Size - Research
communities are typically much larger than focus groups (often
measuring in hundreds of members), allowing for coverage across more
target segments and the potential for hybrid qualitative/quantitative
feedback.
- Reach - Given the online format of research
communities, you are able to cover a much wider geographic reach in a
way that is much more efficient than conventional focus groups.
- Depth
- Given the longitudinal nature of research communities, it is possible
to go much deeper on a given topic than in a focus group.
- Breadth
- Research communities allow you to cover a wide range of topics, from
new product development to communications testing. See the MROC Applications page for more examples.
- Speed - Having a targeted group at your disposal can cut the research cycle from 4-6 weeks to 1 week (or less).
- Cost Effectiveness - Over time, research communities can save thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) over focus groups alone.
Check out the frequently asked questions pages for more information on how research communities work.