The origin and destination of market research are people. Without their opinions and experiences, it would be impossible to improve the entire range of products and services offered every day. Although it’s now possible to access data and information from a large segment of the population, it’s also true that not everyone is willing to participate in our research protocols. For this reason, we depend on an essential source in our sector.
We’re referring to participant recruitment. There are several areas of opportunity in this activity, as it’s true that we constantly combat the bias of a small number of people who see research incentives as a way to supplement household expenses. While systems to regulate this reality continue to be developed, recruiting people to participate in our research remains fundamental. Therefore, we’ve listed four ways to obtain this resource.
Personal Recruitment. This is the most well-known approach to this area. This refers to individuals who professionally and actively dedicate themselves to building a network of people with diverse profiles to invite them to participate in market research studies. There are also specialized recruiters who have a network of referrals from a specific professional area or with particular expertise. In any case, these are valuable providers as they act as intermediaries between participants and analysts.
Snowball sampling. When studying a very recently established topic or one with a fairly limited number of individuals within a given population, we must change our recruitment approach. Although it breaks the principle that every member of a population has the same probability of participating in our research, it helps us connect with consumers from a fairly specific profile. However, care must be taken to ensure the suitability of those recruited using this technique.
Panel. When time is very short and a study needs to be launched urgently, it is possible to use pools of participants who are waiting to be included in a study. These groups are generally large, but we depend on the response rate of the profile we require. Sometimes it’s worthwhile to add a supervisor and motivation provider to this type of recruitment to encourage the invited individuals to complete their tasks on time and effectively.
Classifieds. When the previous methods fail or it’s necessary to recruit a large number of people, mass invitation campaigns can be used. Previously, this was achieved by publishing ads in widely circulated print media; sometimes it was done through invitations in the classifieds section. Now, social media is used for the same purpose. It should be noted that an internal or external team is needed to guide all interested individuals; this could increase the costs of the process.
Without the collaboration of recruiters, many market research studies would become more expensive or impossible due to extended timelines. Thanks to people with excellent interpersonal skills and extensive referral networks, many research projects are still possible even in these times of significant technological and IT influence. It is essential to have providers with proven capabilities and a high tolerance for frustration to work in our sector.
At Acertiva, we understand this landscape and ensure we have suppliers ready to meet your needs. Thanks to our two decades of experience, we can connect you with the consumers you’re looking for in your Market Research projects. Contact us through our representatives in Brazil and Mexico to begin your next study, and together we’ll make your next success story a reality.
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