Is the Online Format Worth It In The New Normal In Market Research?

In these first days of 2024 many people have begun to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. Among them is assuming life as if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred. Although it is true that the World Health Organization declared in May of last year that the Health Emergency due to this disease had ended, this was not the case for the pandemic. This winter there has been an increase in cases of diseases caused by pathogens that are spread by aerosols, among which we can also add influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

The latter is an effect of the fact that millions of people have stopped observing the health measures that we learned during the first years of the situation that managed to keep us at home for weeks and reach the milestone of making a series of vaccines available to the population that achieved reduce the risk of dying or becoming seriously ill but not of contracting the SarsCov2 disease. This situation boosted all internet-based solutions. Without this push, the progress of this sector would have been delayed for a few more years. For this, we list four reasons why it is worth continuing to bet on the virtual format.

Savings in budgets. In a world dominated by the in-person format, a large part of the resources had to be invested in the rental or acquisition of real estate. Whether for the payment of temporary or permanent offices, the amount demanded by this item is not less. Thanks to the fact that part of the processes can be carried out completely normally remotely or in hybrid mode, it has been possible to direct the surpluses to other areas such as research and continuous training.

Greater geographic reach. When projects were developed only in person, a lot depended on the scope that the friction of space allowed us. To cite an example, for focus group recruitment there were limitations to making invitations to participants based on their accessibility to the venue of the activities. Now with the option of carrying out the same activity remotely it is possible to invite people who live further away and thus consider experiences different from the classic ones.

Shorter deadlines. Through online alternatives it has also been possible to reduce the times in which some tasks are completed. Many platforms and applications already have processes that make it easier to capture data and information and provide analysis tools to researchers. It is also possible to reduce travel times that would otherwise be wasted in traffic or on bus or plane trips.

Better life quality. An ultimate goal of new technologies is to allow Humanity to be more productive and achieve better living conditions. Thanks to the multiple benefits of being able to work from anywhere where you have a connection to a stable internet network and through a competent computer, it is possible to better combine personal life with work life, unlike the in-person format.

It is also true that the remote format has several disadvantages that must be taken into account to meet the objectives of our studies. However, it is relevant to keep the lessons learned from 2020 current as we begin to turn the page on the situation that left a popular trauma in almost the entire world. Next week we will list the virtues of the in-person mode.

At Acertiva we are aware of the instructions of the health authorities to keep our processes updated in the event of any eventuality. This is possible, among other reasons, thanks to our more than two decades of experience in Market Research in LATAM. Write to us now to tell us about your requirements. In turn, we will respond to you with how together we will make your next success story a reality.



Fotografía de una persona trabajando desde casa con una laptop. Imagen de Firmbee en Pixabay. (Español) / Fotografia de uma pessoa trabalhando em casa com um laptop. Imagem de Firmbee no Pixabay. (Português) / Photograph of a person working from home with a laptop. Image by Firmbee on Pixabay. (English)