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GIM Online Research

Intelligent Online Research

During the past years, online surveys have significantly gained importance. They are mainly used for very focused ad-hoc questions that do not require deep research.
However, modern online research should not stagnate at the level of standardised online questionings or web content analysis. If we take a look at its communicative effects, the internet could be used in a much more creative way to gain insights into modern target groups. 

QUOTs – the intelligent mix of methods for the www

Online methods could also be used for basic studies and complex qualitative designs. The GIM online research offers a set of online tools that provide more flexibility and transparency as well as an added value beyond traditional research methods. 

QUOTs (QUalitative Online Tools) is an innovative set of modules developed by GIM consisting of qualitative online methods which permit crossing the boundaries of current online market research. 

  • Online-Diaries – for transparent target group research with an additional expressive tool: traditional diary entries and collages but also (mobile) photos, videos and weblinks. Suitable for researching trendsetters but also „normal“ consumers. 
  • Chats – for personal and authentic insights into the trend-forming  processes within the youth: how do brands become stars or losers? Which products are in and trendy, which ones are out? What are future trends? 
  • Online focus groups – for an emotionally direct research independent from locations, especially with highly specialised or immobile target groups (for example experts, patients). Suitable for trend monitoring, concept and communication tests among other things. 
  • Pinboards – an asynchronous and discursive method suitable for generating holistic and immediate insights for older (50+) and highly specialised target groups. 
  • Qualitative online surveys – the faster alternative to one-on-one studio interviews: for concept and communication tests (print and video) but also for product tests when the consumers use the test products at home.

Depending on the research question, these modules can be tailored to the project and interlinked with traditional qualitative research methods.

Qualitative Netnography – understanding the effects of the web 2.0

Web 2.0 is reality.
The non-guided discourse in the internet forms opinions, generates knowledge and influences consumption behaviour and purchase decisions.
Web users create stars or losers, blogs and forums can either hype brands and products or weaken their image. How these tendencies emerge or develop and how they affect brands and products cannot be revealed by mere quantitative content analyses.

What you need is...
... qualitative analyses of which blogs, forums and websites are relevant for your brand / company / product.
... reasonable analyses of the communication on these sites.
... intelligent interpretations of the contents in the web and how opinions are formed over time.
... efficient qualitative tracking of how brands and products are discussed and assessed in the internet.

Of course, GIM also offers quantitative online reasearch...

Intelligent use of online tools for quantitative research

Intelligent quantitative online research starts with the questionnaires. The basic requirements for general questionnaires are of even bigger importance when it comes to online questionnaires: 

  • The questionnaire needs to be explicit and comprehensible because there is no possibility to explain the questions during the process and understanding problems can hardly be detected. 
  • The questionnaire needs to be composed in a way that keeps up the respondent’s attention and motivation. In online interviews, respondets tend to lose interest in the conversation faster than in face-to-face or phone interviews.

Due to these facts, our methods for measuring motives (GIM M³) and to forecast sustainable product usage (GIM CoIn - ConsumptionIntensity) are especially suited for online surveys. Both methods work with visual stimulus material that is easily understood by the respondents. 

Furthermore, we offer the following methods as online tools:

  • Concept tests
  • Communication tests  (TV spots and print ads)
  • Conjoint studies 
  • Price tests 
  • Home use tests 
  • Segmentation studies 
  • U&A studies 
  • Tracking studies 
  • On-site questionings 
  • Consumer satisfaction studies 
  • Employee surveys