August 28, 2007
- GMO Research
August 28, 2007
Press Release
GMO Research Inc.
GMO Research Launches Two New Cell Phone Image Research Services
Tokyo – August 28, 2007 – GMO Internet Group company, GMO Research today launched two new services. Mobile Insight Reader is a research product that allows the client to collect photos taken by cell phone from among the 470,000 members of the GMO Research panel, infoQ. Cell Phone Photo Verification offers greater accuracy in survey data.
Mobile Insight Reader
Mobile Insight Reader allows our clients to collect photos taken by cell phone at the same time as collecting regular Internet survey responses. The new service makes it possible to gain a more thorough understanding of consumer insight (*1) by providing more quantitative evidence of qualitative data for reference during data analysis. Combining the technology of the cell phone that many people carry around each day with the advantages of research conducted over the Internet offers a close-up look at daily life across Japan through the collection of large numbers of photo samples.
(*1) Consumer Insight is an understanding of subconscious consumer decisions and actions and the psychology of how preferences are determined. A deeper understanding of consumer insight can benefit product development and marketing strategy.
Advantages of the Insight Reader
Gaining consumer insight in order to develop products and services is part of marketing activity in many companies. However existing methods are generally limited to qualitative research such as focus group and depth interviews. Data from these interviews is to some extent unreliable because of the difficulty in accurately communicating sensations and feelings and also because it is impossible to know whether or not the participant is actually describing their true opinions. Another disadvantage is that one survey yields only a limited number of samples making it difficult to gain quantitative evidence of participant remarks.
The Mobile Insight Reader is a way round these disadvantages; it is an easy way to get qualitative data in the form of photos in a form of research that has a tendency to rely heavily on quantitative data and it provides more accurate consumer insight. Combining the use of figures, text and photographs makes it possible to achieve a better understanding of information the respondent wants to communicate. (*2) In addition, conducting an Internet survey ensures a sufficient sample because it is possible to collect data from a large number of participants.
(*2) A number of psychological experiments have shown evidence that when processing and understanding information humans gain a deeper understanding if they are presented with a combination of verbal information, images and other nonlinguistic information in comparison to if they are presented with verbal information only.
How the Mobile Insight Reader is Used
In an investigation of working women's nail product use,survey participants were asked to use their cell phone to take a picture of their own nails and this data was used to analyze nail trends. This made it possible to compare usage trends of women interested in nails and women not interested in nails and gain a visual perception of differing tastes and trends.
| ●Analysis of the photo data revealed that those with an interest in nails are more likely to use more than two colors and to use accents when compared to those not interested in nails. |  |
Mobile Photo Verification
Some concern has been expressed that the quality of data collected in Internet surveys could be affected by including responses from those participating under false pretenses in order to collect fees or other rewards offered to respondents.
The Mobile Phone Verification service offers the ability to check whether or not a respondent actually does fall into the target group through the use of photographs at the time of screening or recruiting. Existing surveys are forced to rely on the consumer’s self-assessment. Having the respondents send in photographs that can be used to verify participant information makes it possible to collect more accurate data.
This service can also be used to verify participants identity prior to a group interview CLT (*3) or mail-in survey.
(*3) CLT (Central Location Test) is a research method in which participants take part in a survey or interview in a predetermined location.
How Mobile Photo Verification is Used
In research targeting owners of foreign cars, participants take photos the cars they drive,making it possible to confirm that they are in fact owners’ of foreign cars.
infoQ
 | ●Having users send in photos of the interior and exterior of their vehicles makes it possible to confirm that the respondent owns a foreign car. |
infoQ
infoQ is a survey research panel managed by GMO Research. Our well balanced panel of 470,000 general consumers with a broad distribution of geographical locations, ages and gender allows us to provide the highly accurate data required from a survey.
Related Links (all sites are in Japanese unless otherwise indicated)
infoQ: http://infoq.jp/
Cell Phone Image Research: http://www.gmo-research.jp/service/mobile.html
Media Inquiries
GMO Research Inc.
E-mail：[email protected]
GMO Internet Inc. Group PR Team
E-mail: [email protected]
The GMO Internet Group
The GMO Internet Group is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services in Japan. We hold top domestic market shares in domain registration, web hosting and payment processing and we provide a host of other services including e-commerce solutions, Internet advertising and online securities trading to individual and corporate customers. Striving to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture, the GMO Internet Group is continuously working to inspire enthusiasm in our customers and put smiles on their faces. GMO Research Inc.
Company Name | GMO Research Inc. http://www.gmo-research.jp/en/ |
Address | Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN |
CEO | Shinichi Hosokawa |
Business Description | ■Research |
Capital | 50,000,000 yen (September 1, 2006) |
GMO Internet Inc.
Company Name | GMO Internet Inc. http://www.gmo.jp/en (TSE First Section Code: 9449) |
Address | Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN |
CEO | Masatoshi Kumagai |
Business Description | ■Internet Use Support (Infrastructure) ■Internet Advertising Support (Media) |
Capital | 9,651,750,000 yen |