Forum examines online market research

UW–Madison is sponsoring a forum to highlight the latest developments in online market research Nov. 16-17 at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Chicago.

“Market research is radically changing with the development of new communication technologies,” says Tom Miller, director of the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the School of Business, which is organizing the event with the American Marketing Association.

The rules of market research are not changing, but parameters such as technology, input costs, expectations, prices and organizational structures are transforming.

“The EXPLOR Forum brings together academics and professionals to share best practices and research about how these new tools are affecting the field,” Miller says.

EXPLOR stands for Exemplary Performance and Leadership in Online Research. Its main initiatives are the annual forum and an international competition designed to identify the top performers in effective use of online research.

One EXPLOR seminar will detail the use of online research by the winner of this year’s competition, American Power Conversion, West Kingston, R.I. The company used online market research in new product development, data mining, market segmentation, as well as studying consumer satisfaction, loyalty, and re-purchase likelihood.

Other competition winners include Intel, Microsoft, Itracks and humanvoice tm.

Miller says the use of online research is growing rapidly. General Mills, for example, conducted less than 1 percent of its research online two years ago. Last year, the number grew to 20 percent. This year the company — through a new joint venture with InsightTools — plans to conduct 60 percent of its consumer research online.

In addition to seminars highlighting case studies, ethical issues, software reviews, and industry self-regulation, participants may attend special tutorials on online research, best practices in the industry, and conducting focus groups online.

For more information: http://www.ama.org/conf/explorer/2000/