WO2009157784A1

WO2009157784A1 - A method of market research

Info

Publication number: WO2009157784A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2009/000120
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mathew Russell Wylie
Original assignee: Dynamite Ideas Limited
Priority date: 2008-06-24
Filing date: 2009-06-24
Publication date: 2009-12-30

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved method of market research and systems for carrying out the method. The method includes the steps of instructing one or more customers to submit ratings of goods or services using unique codes and ratings over a mobile network. The method also includes the use of an incentive system to improve response rates, and includes a method of producing statistical information using the data collected.

Description

A Method of Market Research

STATEMENT OF CORRESPONDING APPLICATIONS

This application is based on the Provisional specification filed in relation to New Zealand Patent Application Number 567759 the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method of market research. In particular the principles of the present invention relate to an improved method of market research utilising a mobile phone network.

BACKGROUND ART

Gauging public opinion is an essential tool in running an effective business. Customer feedback is used to identify potential new markets, improve services or tailor offerings to suit specific needs of individuals or groups.

Forms of market research have been conducted for many years. Some of the better known research methods include questionnaires sent by post to current or potential clients/customers, on-site surveys conducted by specifically employed researchers at a place of business, telephone surveys and internet based forms and assessments.

While each of these methods are viable in collecting market research information, they also have associated problems and disadvantages. Questionnaires submitted by post are expensive to produce and send, and the return rate is usually quite low for the effort expended. People replying to a postal survey may also take a significant amount of time to respond, making such method unsuitable if immediate results are required, and introducing errors as opinions change over time.

Engaging customers at the site of a business, such as at a store or in a shopping centre, is an effective way to record opinions in a timely fashion. The principal disadvantages of this method lie in the fact that it is necessary to employ extra staff to conduct the surveys, or take existing staff away from their usual duties. Having a third party interpret information given also introduces an element of subjectivity into the recording of results. Also, participants are often reluctant to spend time on such surveys and give less than accurate answers to finish the questionnaire quickly.

More recently market research has extended to internet and email based surveys, which are generally faster and more user-friendly than postal surveys. However there are no guarantees that the feedback is received in a timely fashion or that it is indicative of the customer's opinion at the time of purchase of goods or the use of a service. This time delay is a significant factor in reducing response rate and accuracy of data recorded.

Feedback terminals located on-site in shops or shopping malls are also known. However the owner is required to purchase or lease/hire this additional bespoke hardware at a significant cost, and it may be difficult to entice customers to utilise the terminals whilst in the store.

From the above it can be seen that there would be an advantage in providing a customer feedback system which addresses the foregoing problems or at least provides the public with a useful choice.

It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised¹ or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved method for market research, the method including the steps of:

instructing a customer to submit a rating of goods or a service via a mobile phone network using a unique identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

- receiving a rating code and a unique identifier code (collectively "data") via a mobile phone network from said customer;

- storing submitted data in a central processing unit, together with the time of the data submission;

- collating data stored in the central processing unit into statistical information; and

- displaying statistical information according at least in part to the time at which the underlying data was received in the central processing unit.

The term "mobile phone" is taken to mean any hand held telephone, computer or digital assistant that is capable of transmitting and receiving information through a cellular network. It will be appreciated that the statistical information displayed according to the present invention is likely to be of more value if received from a plurality of customers.

Therefore, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved method for market research, the method including the steps of:

instructing a plurality of customers to submit a rating of goods or a service via a mobile phone network using a unique identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

receiving a rating code and a unique identifier code (collectively "data") via a mobile phone network from a plurality of said customers;

- storing submitted data in a central processing unit, together with the time of each data submission;

Preferably, the rating is submitted via SMS or text message.

Preferably the unique identifier code corresponds to a specific location and/or person.

Preferably the unique identifier code is in the form of an alpha or numeric code.

Preferably the rating code is in the form of an alpha or numeric code.

More preferably, the identifier code and rating codes are in different code forms (ie one is alpha and the other numeric or vice versa).

In an alternative embodiment, the instructions include a second identifier code.

Preferably, the second identifier code is in the form of a bar code.

Preferably the goods or services rated are those provided or sold to a customer in a retail environment. However, for the purposes of this specification the term "customer" shall mean any person exposed to goods or services whose opinion might be valuable to the provider of those goods or services.

Preferably the instructions provided to the customer include a desired time frame in which the customer should submit a rating.

Preferably the instructions include at least one question for the customer to answer with a rating code. More preferably, the instructions include no more than 2 questions.

Preferably the instructions provided to the customer include an incentive for the customer to submit a rating of goods or a service received.

For the purposes of this specification the term "incentive" is taken to mean a prize, entry into a competition or prize draw, discount voucher or similar.

Preferably the instructions provided to a customer are in the form of a voucher or printed material handed out on conclusion of a purchase or conclusion of a service.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a central processing unit for data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research information, the central processing unit performing the steps of:

receiving electronic data via a mobile phone network, the data containing an identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes; - storing submitted data, together with the time of the data submission;

- analysing stored data;

- collating stored data into statistical information; and

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided computer executable instructions for a method of data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research information, configured to execute the steps of:

- receiving electronic data via a mobile phone network, the data containing an identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

- storing submitted data, together with the time of the data submission;

- analysing stored data;

- collating stored data into statistical information; and

- displaying statistical information according at least in part to the time at which the underlying data was received.

In a preferred embodiment, data will be submitted to a central processing system via a text or SMS message from a mobile phone.

Preferably the central processing unit will be configured to limit the number of text/SMS messages received from a single mobile phone in a specified time period.

Preferably, the central processing unit will send a confirmation of receipt of the text/SMS message to the customer after receiving the data. More preferably, the confirmation message sent to the customer will be determined by the rating submitted by the customer.

In a further preferred embodiment the statistical information produced by the central processing unit is sorted and/or displayed by rating, location or percentage rating change when compared to results from a different time period.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a flow chart of the method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a means for instructing a customer to submit a rating code according to the preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 1 ;and

Figure 3 shows an example of a report based on results gathered according to the preferred method as shown in Figure 1.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a flow chart of the method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the example provided by Figure 1 , a retailer provides instructions to a client or customer who has made a purchase or used a service, the instructions requesting the customer supply a rating via their mobile phone that reflects the quality of the goods or service they have received. The ratings are received in a central processing unit, collated, and the results analysed and communicated to the retail store owner. It will be appreciated that the method described in Figure 1 is by way of example only. The term "retailer" is not intended to be limiting and may be taken to mean any manufacturer, provider, vendor or merchant (whether at retail or wholesale level) of a good or service.

Referring back to Figure 1 , at step 10 the customer is instructed by a retailer to rate a product or service they have received. The instructions provided to the customer by the retailer may be in "hard copy" form, for example a voucher, brochure or printed on a receipt. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the instructions may be provided to the customer by other means such as text message, email or advertised in a printed publication, as appropriate for the scenario in which the method is used. It is envisaged that the instructions may be pre-printed before being issued to the customer, or the retailer will be able to print a new set of instructions when needed. It will be appreciated that where new instructions are printed with each transaction this will enable those instructions to contain specific information regarding the time, place and/or staff member involved in the transaction.

In other embodiments a second identifier code, such as a barcode or similar identification means, may be incorporated into the instructions. The retailer can scan the barcode before handing the instructions or "voucher" to the customer, the barcode scanning acting to record real time information such as time, date, staff member, or type of purchase made by the customer, and link this information to the unique identifier code that will be sent in by the customer via mobile phone.

In a preferred embodiment the instructions are in the form of a hard copy voucher handed to a retail customer following the purchase of goods, as depicted in more detail in Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a voucher 100 that may be used to instruct a customer to submit a rating 130 following the purchase of goods or the use of a service. The voucher 100 is designed to be handed to a customer at the conclusion of a purchase. The voucher 100 provides instructions 110 to text message an identifier code 120 and one of a plurality of rating codes 130A-E to a specific telephone number 140.

Instructions 110 include a question or questions directed to a customer to which the corresponding rating code will apply. Ideally there will only be one or two questions in any one instruction that needs rating. In trials conducted by the applicant it is has been shown that a lower amount of questions results in an increased response rate. Three or more questions significantly reduces the number of responses provided by customers.

Identifier code 120 is preferably in the form of letters, and rating codes 130A-E are in the form of numbers, or vice versa. The inventors have found that ensuring the entire code as submitted (containing both the identifier and rating codes) is alpha numeric allows the code to be easily separated into the identifier code and the rating code. This also reduces confusion for the customer and decreases the likelihood that the identifier code and rating are misinterpreted, resulting in inaccurate results being reported.

The ratings 130 are explained 135 to the customer on the voucher 100. An incentive 150 is provided to the customer to improve the response rate. Further instructions 160 are given to the customer to increase the likelihood of receiving the rating code 130 as soon as possible after the purchase has taken place, increasing the real-time response rate. A limit 170 is given to the customer as to the number of responses allowed from one mobile phone in one day. The central processing unit as described above will be configured to implement this restriction, or similar restrictions that may be requested in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

In the example provided in Figure 2 the code MKAW is used to identify a particular retail outlet and is unique to that outlet. The identifier code 120 preceding the rating 130 will provide information to the central processing unit as to what is being rated and will be used for subsequent statistical analysis. It is envisioned that identifier codes 120 will relate to specific store locations, specific times or specific personnel providing goods/a service, however any number of other factors may be targeted depending on the needs of the retailer. For example, identifier codes 120 may be structured to include staff initials within the code, or the instructions may be handed out by specific staff members on specific days so rating results may be compared amongst personnel. For businesses that operate out of a number of different locations, having an identification code relating to each location allows comparisons of customer satisfaction in different parts of a city or country. Alternatively, a single code may contain references to a number of different factors in combination, for example the location and the staff member as well as the type of service or goods provided to the customer. These codes allow for easy tracking and sorting of information once received at the central processing unit.

In the example provided in Figure 2, the rating codes 130 A-Eare one of a series of numbers indicating a range of ratings from 1 (Bad) to 5 (Excellent). However it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the rating codes may be in any number of different formats, for example 1 (poor service) - 10 (excellent service), or AAA (very pleased with the product) to 777 (very disappointed with the product). As discussed earlier the form of rating code is preferably different to the form of identification code 120.

Preferably the instructions 100 will also provide a statement requesting that the ratings 130 be submitted as soon as possible after the purchase of goods or use of a service. Use of a mobile phone to submit rating information encourages the collection of real time, accurate feedback from the customer. Mobile phones are widely carried by the general public thereby increasing the chances of a rating being submitted immediately following a purchase. This is a significant advantage over other known techniques where there is a time delay between an event and the rating of that event.

Returning to Figure 1 , at step 20 the customer makes a decision whether or not to follow the instructions provided and submit a rating. If the customer chooses not to participate contact between the retailer and the customer ceases. If the customer chooses to participate, they submit a rating by sending a text message (step 30) to a phone number provided in the instructions. The text message contains the unique identifier code 120 and one of the plurality of rating codes 130 A-E as described above in relation to Figure 2.

As an incentive to the customer to provide feedback and/or to provide it quickly, the instructions issued to the client may also include details of a prize draw entries or discounts that will be received on submission of a rating. The incentives provided may be tailored to a specific market and are not limited to the examples given above. Providing an incentive to the customer to respond is a well known technique in the art and is proven to increase participation and response rates.

To further encourage the submission of real-time information from a customer, promotions may be run over a specified period of time. For example a store may run a promotion over the course of one day whereby all customers who make a purchase during that day are invited to rate the service they have received. At the end of the day a prize may randomly be awarded to a person who has submitted a rating. This limited time frame ensures that feedback received will be current and relevant to the product or service provided during the course of that day.

At step 40 as shown in Figure 1 , the text message containing the identifier code and rating is received and stored by a central processing unit. Simultaneously the time that the rating has been received will be recorded by the central processing unit. Following the receipt of the text message at step 40, a confirmation message will be sent to the customer (step 60) confirming their rating has been received. This confirmation message may include details of any immediate incentive the customer may have received for entering a rating, for example discounts or vouchers. If an incentive such as a prize draw has been made available, on submission of the customer's text message the customer will automatically be entered into a prize draw, shown in step 80.

In other embodiments envisaged by the inventor, the confirmation message may be dependent on the rating received by the customer. For example, if a customer submitted a poor rating, the confirmation message may provide them with the option of having a staff member call them, or a general message expressing the regret of the retailer and an option to comment on their feedback. Likewise, if a positive rating was submitted a message of thanks may be sent as confirmation as well as or instead of an incentive.

At step 50 the message received by the central processing unit is analysed using the identifier code provided in the text message, the rating code provided and the time at which the submission was received. The more specific the identifier code used, the more targeted the information extracted from the submitted data will be. In situations where a large number of ratings are being submitted over a short period of time, the identifier code allows the central processing unit to produce results that are tailored to specific key areas (such as location, staff, product). These results can then be used to make practical changes within the business.

If a prize draw incentive has been made available, once the data for a specific period (as stated in the conditions of the prize draw) has been collected the winning customer(s) is/are notified by text message at step 90.

When instructions are provided to customers over a certain period of time, recording the time that ratings are submitted by customers is crucial in determining how many customers are responding within a short period of receiving the service. Having this knowledge of response times provides the opportunity to disregard ratings that have not been submitted close enough to the customer receiving the service, providing results that are reflective of real time customer opinions. The ability to capture and select real time data is an important feature of the invention and one that is missing from other known methods of market research such as online questionnaires, telephone surveys or random assessments.

The results are communicated to the retailer at step 70. Figure 3 shows an example of a report 300 displaying results from one day of ratings at a number of different retail outlets. The report 300 exemplified analyses rating information received according to the variable/s measured (indicated by the identifier code) and according to the time the rating was received. The variable measured in Figure 3 is the location at which a retail purchase was made. Column 210 lists different store locations that were surveyed and column 200 gives an overall ranking of each store's performance. Further statistical information may be provided to suit the needs of the retailer. In Figure 3, column 220 summarises the average rating received from each store, while column 230 identifies the change in ratings received compared to an earlier time period. The comparison data in column 230 can be modified to produce comparisons over a range of different locations or times to suit the retailer. The sample size recorded in column 240 allows the retailer to judge how accurate the results are likely to be, with a larger sample size indicative of more accurate results.

Column 250 displays the number of submissions received within a specific time period. This allows the retailer to make decisions based on the performance of staff or groups of staff based on work shifts. In Figure 3 it is shown that the Wellington store performs well during lunchtime and in the afternoon, however the service received by the customer is perceived to be not as good in the early morning and evenings. Based on this feedback the retail store owner can take steps to improve the service provided by the staff during those periods. The time periods given in Figure 3 are not intended to be limiting in any way and are given by way of example only.

The results 300 may also include features such as those found in rows 270 and 280. Row 270 indicates to the retailer that the Auckland store has made the most improvement since the previous survey ratings were taken, while row 280 indicates that the Dunedin store has improved the least.

It is envisioned that the results provided to the retailer may be sent via email or accessed via the internet, as printed reports (as described above), or in any other format known to those skilled in the art that will be suitable for the retailer. The reports may contain a range of different comparisons and statistics tailored to the market research needs of the retailer and are not limited to the criteria outlined in Figure 3. However the statistical information will include, at least in part, information relating to the time in which the information was received from the customer.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the pά that, although the opinion of customers who have purchased a product or service will usually be sought, that will not be a limitation on the present invention. For example the same methodology might be used to conduct a survey of retail premises from both paying and non- paying customers. Similarly, a survey of a particular staff member's sales technique might be conducted using the present invention even though no sale eventuates. Alternatively the method may be used by a magazine editor, who may include rating instructions following a published article that invite the reader to rate how interesting or informative they found the article or magazine section. Such readers might include both the purchaser of the magazine, and subsequent readers. In another potential use of the invention, a service provider may follow up a telephone call with a text message to a customer that invites them to text their feedback to rate the level of service they have received, with incentives provided as a further option. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the types of situations to which this method may be applied are numerous and may encompass a wide variety of scenarios.

The concept common to all of the above situations is the use of a mobile phone or similar SMS enabled portable device to provide real-time feedback. Mobile phones are widely carried by the general public meaning that no additional hardware is required to be purchased by a person providing the rating. Mobile phones are typically carried in an easily accessible way, allowing the customer to quickly access and submit information with minimum hassle or disruption. These advantages are essential in the market research method of the invention as they provide the means for collecting fast, real-time customer feedback.

As can be seen from the above description the present invention has a number of advantages including:

• By utilising a mobile phone and mobile phone network as the means for submitting customer feedback information customers are more likely to respond within a very short time frame after a purchase transaction. This immediacy of response ensures the feedback is both accurate and can be collated and provided to a retailer very quickly after the transaction providing near real time feedback to the retailer;

• Because the customer is providing the feedback him or herself, any subjectivity introduced by having a third party recording the rating is eliminated. Labour costs are saved because the retailer does not need to employ anyone specifically to obtain the feedback and capital/compliance costs are reduced because the means for communicating the rating is owned by the customer and the customer bears the costs of sending the text message containing the rating;

• Response rates are increased by the incentive provided. Generally it has been found in trial situations the larger the incentive or prize, the more likely the customer is to respond.

• Limiting the number of questions provided to the customer to either one or two further increases response rates. The applicant has found that this is the maximum number of questions that can be asked before the response rate decreases.

• The instructions provided are extremely simple and easy for the customer to follow.

• The flexibility and wide range of scenarios in which this market research method can be utilised makes data collection simple for nearly all businesses. The results provided allow businesses to increase their productivity and improve performance by analysing the ratings received and respond accordingly.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An improved method for market research, the method including the steps of:

a. instructing a customer to submit a rating of goods or a service via a mobile phone network using a unique identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

b. receiving a rating code and a unique identifier code (collectively "data") via a mobile phone network from said customer;

c. storing submitted data in a central processing unit, together with the time of the data submission;

d. collating data stored in the central processing unit into statistical information; and

e. displaying statistical information according at least in part to the time at which the underlying data was received in the central processing unit.

2. An improved method for market research, the method including the steps of:

a. instructing a plurality of customers to submit a rating of goods or a service via a mobile phone network using a unique identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

b. receiving a rating code and a unique identifier code (collectively "data") via a mobile phone network from a plurality of said customers; c. storing submitted data in a central processing unit, together with the time of each data submission;

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rating code is submitted via text/SMS message.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the unique identifier code corresponds to a specific location and/or person.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 - 4, wherein the unique identifier code is in the form of an alpha or numeric code.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein the rating code is in the form of an alpha or numeric code.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the identifier code and rating codes are in different code forms.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the instructions include a second identifier code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second identifier code is in the form of a bar code.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 - 9, wherein the goods or services rated are those sold or provided to a customer in a retail environment.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 - 10 wherein the instructions provided to the customer include a desired time frame in which the customer should submit a rating.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11 wherein the instructions include at least one question for the customer to answer with a rating code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the instructions include no more than two questions.

14. The method of any one of claim 1-13 wherein the instructions provided to the customer include an incentive for the customer to submit a rating of goods or a service received.

15. The method of any one of claims 1-14 wherein the instructions provided to a customer are in the form of printed material.

16. The method of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the central processing unit is configured to limit the number of text/SMS messages received from a single transmitting device in a specified time period.

17. The method of any one of claims 1-16, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

18. The method of any one of claims 1-17, wherein the central processing unit sends a confirmation of receipt of text message to the customer after receiving the data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the confirmation sent to the customer will be determined by the rating submitted by the customer.

20. The method of any one of claims 1-19, wherein the statistical information produced by the central processing unit is sorted and/or displayed by rating, location and/or percentage rating change when compared to results from a different time period.

21. A central processing unit for data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research information, the central processing unit performing the steps of:

a. receiving electronic data via a mobile phone network, the data containing an identifier code and one of a plurality of rating codes;

b. storing submitted data, together with the time of the data submission;

c. analysing stored data;

d. collating stored data into statistical information; and

22. A set of computer executable instructions for performing a method of data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research information, configured to execute the steps of:

b. storing submitted data, together with the time of the data submission;

c. analysing stored data;

d. collating stored data into statistical information; and e. displaying statistical information according at least in part to the time at which the underlying data was received.

23. The method of providing market research substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-3.

24. The central processing unit for data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research information substantially as described herein and with reference to Figure 1.

25. The set of computer executable instructions for performing a method of data transfer and storage in the form of providing market research substantially as described herein and with reference to Figure 1.