The Smartphone has become a serious contender as a mobile gaming device. According to research conducted by Flurry, a mobile application consulting and research firm, the iOS and Android’s revenue share of the U.S. portable game software jumped from 1% in 2008 to 34% in 2010.
It’s August and the first day of school is just around the corner for all the students out there. In the spirit of “back to school”, let’s talk about today’s student and their love affair with technology.
The recent explosion of technology, mobile devices, and social media, has completely transformed today’s educational experience for students. Today’s student can take notes on their Macbook, read digital textbooks on their iPad or tablet, listen to teachers Podcast’s on their iPod, access a zillion different education, productivity, or reference apps, and connect with fellow students on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ within minutes. While tech and mobile devices may cause their distractions, there is no doubt that they have also become a tremendous aid to students and their education. Check out the Infographic!
If you have been in the business world for the past 10 years, I’m sure you have noticed a transformation in the workplace—a movement away from the traditional “workplace” to a mobile workspace where business is conducted anytime and from (almost) any location.
Gist, a social contract management company, has put together this cool info graphic that clearly displays how more and more workers are using their smartphones to conduct business. Infographic after the jump...
Let’s talk FB for a minute. I’m sure you know at least one person who is ALWAYS on Facebook—you know, the friend who basically has their hands glued to their iPhone or iPad 24/7 and each time you glance at their phone to see what they are up to you get a quick flash of those familiar blue and white colors. Have you ever wondered where on Facebook they are actually spending all of this time? Read more...
Here are some cool and interesting Mobile Gaming Industry statistics according to recent research conducted by Geekaphone (an online resource for the mobile phone industry).
The Mobile Gaming Industry was worth $33 Billion in 2010, it is expected to hit $54 Billion by 2015. The Mobile Gaming Industry will make $8 billion this year, and is expected to reach $11.4 billion by 2014. Read more...
89% of Employers will use Social Media for Recruiting this year—64% have successfully hired through SM. LinkedIn is #1 source.
According to a report by Jobvite, about 89% of employers will use social networks for recruiting this year up from 83% in 2010, 55% will spend more on social recruiting, 64% will use 2 or more networks for recruiting, and 78% expect increased competition for hires. Read more after the jump...
We decided to have a little fun over at Touchstone today and indulge in some afternoon movie fun. Over the past 2 days, 2 new blockbuster movie trailers have been released—“The Dark Knight Rises” & “The Amazing Spider-Man”. Watch the trailers...
Hello cutting edge MR innovators and Happy Tuesday!
Today, we have been asked to participate in a top secret Next Gen Market Research collaboration project! What 5 things will continue to be ‘Hot’ and what 5 things will not in regard to Market Research in the next few years?
With rapid change and advancements in technology and tremendous growth of social networking goliath’s like Facebook and Twitter, much has changed in our industry (almost overnight). While changes in the industry can be overwhelming and concerning for some, NGMR’s see them as opportunities for innovation, growth, and development—these are exciting times!
Below we have outlined 5 topics we at Touchstone Research think will continue to be ‘Hot’ and 5 that will not in the MR industry. Read more after the jump...
For those of you who are not familiar with SXSW (South by Southwest), let me break it down for you…
SXSW is one of world’s largest Music, Film, and Interactive festivals attracting over 17,000 registrants to beautiful Austin, Texas each year. SXSW runs from March 11 through the 20th. It is the premier destination for discovering new creative content and emerging technologies. Each year, hundreds to thousands of musicians, film makers, start-up companies, and industry leaders invade Austin for SXSW’s awesome panels and keynote discussions, impendent films, original music, emerging technologies, social media, networking events, and awesome parties.
To truly understand its importance, think Twitter, think Foursquare (both platforms launched at SXSW). This year there has been talk of big brands luring bloggers out to Austin with free travel and other paid expenses to cover the event—it’s that big!
SXSW offers 3 Conferences/Festivals: SXSW Music and Media Conference, SXSW Film Conference and Festival, SXSW Interactive Festival. I recommend attending all 3 SXSW Festivals but if you can only make one, you really need to go to the SXSW Interactive Festival (March 11-15). SXSW Interactive features 5 days of some of the best presentations in emerging technology, networking events and parties, Trade Shows, and awesome programs showcasing the best new video games, wireless applications, digital mash-ups, and innovation.
SXSW and the MR Guru
You might be thinking to yourself, what does SXSW Interactive have to offer the Market Researcher? My answer to you is everything. While SXSW Interactive is not your typical MR event, there are tons of panels and discussions that are directly tied to our industry, all you have to do is think outside the box and open your eyes. With the explosion of social media, mobile and new cutting edge technologies, there are huge opportunities for Market Researchers to stay ahead of the curve and adopt non-traditional MR technologies and find ways to add these new technologies to our MR toolbox. Many are already aware of some of the possibilities new emerging technologies have to offer us with the introduction of things like MROC’s and Insight Communities, Mobile MR and Mobile apps, Social Media Monitoring and Social Market Research, Data Mining, Webscraping, other Online Qual tools—the list goes on.
Attending SXSW
Okay, so like I said SXSW is HUGE, and as a newcomer to SXSW Interactive one problem you are sure to face is getting around. Navigating SXSW and deciding which one of the thousands of panels, discussions, keynotes, events and vip parties to attend can be quite overwhelming but don’t worry I’m here to help.
While it’s pretty hard to not take away something valuable from this epic festival, to make things easier for my fellow ahead-of-the-curve researchers I have outlined some panels, discussions, parties and events that I think tie in to the current innovative trends in our industry. These are by no means the only worthwhile events so please don’t limit youself. These are simply some panels & discussions I think you will find valuable (of course it will be impossible to attend them all).
The Pro’s & Con’s of using the iPad as a Field Research Device
There has been a lot of hype about the iPad and how it can be used by market researchers. We have laid out some positive and negative aspects of the tablet that you should know about before using it in your next field research project. Read the Pro's & Con's after the jump...
The iPad and the Decline of the Paper Survey
The marketing research industry has been waiting for a device like the iPad to put an end to the paper survey in face-to-face quantitative field research. Researchers have long bemoaned the paper survey for the amount of time and energy it takes to field a study and record the results. And yet, paper surveys were still a necessary part of mall intercept marketing research. That was, of course, before the iPad. For market researchers, the iPad will likely be remembered as the point at which paper surveys were finally phased out of mall-intercept field research. Read more...
On Tuesday, October 5th 2010, Touchstone’s own social media expert, Senior Director of Online Panels & Communities, Aaron Burch (@theburchyburch), participated in a Webinar “Social Market Research: Real World Accounts of What Works” with fellow panelist Jim Longo (@longomr), VP, Client Development and Marketing at Itracks, and host Dan Coates, CEO, Globalpark (@globalpark_news).
During the Webinar, Aaron, Jim, and Dan discussed the difference between overt & covert listening, how to recruit, alert, and engage panel and community members through the use of social media technologies and applications, how to incorporate and integrate social media into your own business/brand strategy, and provided some key takeaways for market researchers, brands, and businesses.
Don’t be left behind, researchers need to start learning about social media tools and technologies, incorporating social media into traditional market research methods and integrating social media into online panels and communities now!
Contact us to learn more about how Touchstone Researcher uses social media tools and technologies to build & manage custom Online Panels & Communities, and our new social media research community service “Bridged Communities”.
Globalpark will host a complimentary Webinar with Touchstone Research and Itracks, themed "Social Market Reserach: Real-World Accounts of 'What Works'," on October 5 at 2 p.m. EDT. Don't miss out on this awesome event! Register now!
According to Globalpark:
Everyone is talking about social media - but what is its role in research? Innovative insights professionals are leveraging social media tools and networking sites to access, embrace and listen to their target audiences. The common thread throughout their success stories is: it's not about recreating what's already out there, it's about tapping into it, to make what you do better.
Joined by a panel of bleeding-edge social market researchers, Globalpark will outline the opportunities of social market research - with a focus on tangible experiences and lessons-learned. At this free 45-minute interactive event, you will learn:
Hosted by: Daniel Coates - president, Globalpark Inc.
Panelists: Jim Longo - vice president, client development and marketing, Itracks
Aaron Burch - senior director, online panels and communities, Touchstone Research
Social Market Research, defined: We take the Forrester definition:
The use of social media and tools to gain increased access to and insights from a company's target segment in a way that adds value and depth to the researcher's overall responsibility as an expert on the voice of the customer
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