Recognizing the enormous potential to provide deeper behavioral insights to clients, Threads has created a leading-edge mobile qualitative practice with a focus on the design and deployment of rapid turnaround studies that leverage both live and asynchronous qualitative options.

Threads President Mark Michelson created the Mobile Marketing Research Association, a global trade association dedicated to the development of professional standards and ethics for conducting market research on mobile devices.

We offer a full range of mobile research techniques including application-based, mobile web and text message.  Each method can address various business and research requirements and our solutions cover all mobile operating systems.When and if mobile research can be of value as a stand-alone methodology or as part of a larger multimodal qualitative approach, Threads has the experience and know-how to handle platform selection and study design in meeting the unique challenges of “in the moment” data collection.

 

In the Moment Mobile Qualitative

Collect real-time data from shoppers and research participants using mobile devices with video, audio and text capabilities.

With the proliferation of mobile devices, smart phones and text messaging, we can engage participants in ways never before possible and collect real-time data of their experiences in the moment.

It’s Easy

Participants are recruited just like in other types of studies. Then, over a period of days or weeks, they receive your predetermined questions at specified times and simply text-back their responses. All responses are automatically gathered and sorted by question and participant. We do all the set-up, program the questions and e-mail your transcript to you daily.

It Opens Up New Research Ideas

With In-The-Moment Qualitative, there really is no limit to the kinds of studies you can create:

• -Conduct studies on shopping WHILE participants are in the stores
• -Conduct studies about eating habits DURING the lunch hour
• -Conduct studies on computer use at the office WHILE participants are at work
• -Conduct studies on TV viewing habits DURING prime time while participants are watching TV
• The possibilities are endless

It’s Flexible

Our unique system was designed from the ground up to be flexible and accommodate most any study structure:

• -The system can send and receive text messages to and from any mobile phone in the world.
• -Studies can accommodate up to 100 participants
• -Researchers can send out up to 10 unique messages per day (each with its own send time)
• -There is the opportunity for asking clarification of responses
• -Studies can last up to 30 days
• -Questions can be qualitative or quantitative in nature

 

Why Mobile Qualitative?

-Mobile is the preferred personal media

-People are more engaged with their mobile devices than their computers

-More mobile devices are being used to connect to the Internet than desktop computers

-Best way to know what participants are really doing and feeling in their natural environment

•      Real time data tracking and time stamping
•      Validated with geo-location
•      Enhanced reporting with video/photo/audio

 

Methods

-Mobile Ethnography

-Mobile Bulletin Board

-Mobile Discussion Groups

-Mobile IDI: SMS & Text

-In the Moment Intercept Interviewing