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19 Dec

Posted at 16:20h in Corporate, Research
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Insightrix works with non-profits like the Saskatoon SPCA Insightrix works with non-profits in much the same way it does with for-profit businesses. That’s because non-profits have the same need for market research that any other business or organization has. These needs include brand studies, donor experience surveys, awareness surveys or any number of other forms of research.     Throughout late 2018, Insightrix worked with the Saskatoon SPCA on several projects to help them better serve their community. We are truly happy to work with great non-profit and not-for-profit organizations like the Saskatoon SPCA, and as an organization who loves animals, it was hard for us to think of a better organization to highlight over the holiday season. We couldn't resist sharing our reason for the importance of our research in animal services - our very own Chief Morale officer, Presley, and how much he has contributed to the positive culture at Insightrix. You can watch Insightrix President, Corrin Harper, and the Saskatoon SPCA Executive Director, Patricia Cameron, (and of course Presley) discuss how both organizations worked together, and why it is so important for brands to make better decisions with market research. Video transcript Patricia Cameron: Insightrix is quite a dream, really, to work with. People are friendly - they’re informed. They give you guidance on how to set up this research project. So, I would say it was effortless - and yet, the return was really rich. Obviously, being connected with your community and knowing what people expect, want, like, don’t like – that’s super important for a charity. It’s really the lifeblood of what we do. So, we’ve been able to take the research and immediately apply it to our business plan and our longer-term strategy. Well, we really appreciate that Insightrix is animal friendly, has an office dog and also did a provincial, pro bono survey on a very high-level animal neglect and abuse case. That work was really, really important in highlighting how important animal welfare is in the province, and we really thank Insightrix for that. Corrin Harper: Looking at doing some work in the non-profit sector, the SPCA was a connection both in terms of the importance of what we care about here, being animals, and also our everyday work that we do in research. That was a really nice connection and something I think we thought we could really get behind. Presley’s role, I mean, his official title is Chief Morale Officer and Head of Security. But in reality, he is just a mainstay here at Insightrix. He is something that cheers everybody up everyday. He just comes in and visits staff. He’s just, basically, here to make everybody feel comfortable and have a little bit of fun at work, as well. I was coming back into the city from a weekend at the lake, and saw this little, dark spot on the highway. I realized it was a little dog, so I pulled over to the side of the road, picked him up and put him into the car and drove him into the city. And as I was driving into the city, I was started to get a little bit of attached to him. So, I brought him into the office and staff just loved him, and he just sort of took to the place. And I think he kind of hit the doggie lottery because he gets to come to work every day, he gets treats during the day – I think he ended up with a pretty good life. Being president of a market research firm really gives a great opportunity to sort of help people out and I think that’s one of the passions that, I guess, myself and I’m sure a lot of the staff here have is being able to get up every day, come to work and help people make better decisions as a result of the information you’re providing. Whether that is for-profit business or a charity, it’s something that we can be passionate about, as well. Video by The Golden Media Company Learn more about other Insightrix projects through our case studies....
 

14 Dec

Posted at 17:16h in Corporate, Saskatchewan
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Insightrix sponsors pet adoptions at the Battlefords Humane Society   We’re over the moon that it’s time again to bring home the Insightrix 10! Every year, we like to sponsor the adoptions of 10 of the hardest luck cases at one of Saskatchewan’s animal shelters. We arrange to cover all fees associated with their adoption, and 10 animals get to find a forever home for the holidays. This year, we’ve sponsored 6 cats and 4 dogs from the Battlefords Humane Society. We’ve covered the adoption fees, spaying and neutering, microchipping and registration, your pet’s first vaccinations, a free vet check, 30 days of free pet insurance and a complimentary year’s registration with the Human Society. All these animals need now is a new friend to give them ride to their new, caring and lasting forever homes. Remember, pets are a big responsibility. Be sure you can provide a lasting and loving home before adopting. Meet the Insightrix 10 Blue is a 2-year-old blue heeler mix who has been at the shelter since October 10. He loves playing outside and going for walks, belly rubs and spending time with people. Blue will do best in a home without other cats or dogs, as he doesn’t share or play well with other animals. *Update - Blue was adopted on January 7! Congrats Blue! Hope is a 3-year-old Boston terrier/bulldog mix who was with the shelter since September 19. *Update - Hope was adopted earlier this week and is now happy at her new forever home. Dainty Daisy is a domestic shorthair mix who is just over a year old. She has been at the shelter for over a year now. She is a very unique and quiet cat who likes snuggles almost as much as she likes to show off and play – depending on her mood. She gets on well with other cats and enjoys the company of people. *Update - We are delighted to tell that Dainty Daisy found her forever home on December 31. Way to go Daisy! Noodle is a domestic shorthair mix who is almost one year old. Noodle came to the shelter last January so badly frozen that her ears were bent over and frozen solid. She has recovered well and now is a super sweet little cat who loves to play with her toys and her cat friends, and is always down for a good snuggle. Nova is a malamute/shepherd cross who was born at the Battlefords Humane Society shelter at the end of April this year. She is a super sweet and gentle dog with lots and lots of energy. Nova prefers being outside and loves playing in the snow. She comes complete with the famous malamute howl (which makes her popular at sing-a-longs) and likes to talk and express herself. *Update - We're happy to say that Nova found a new family and was adopted on December 14. Congrats Nova!  Skye is a husky mix who is 1 and a half years old. Skye came to the shelter in early October and has been there now for 2 months. She absolutely loves people, especially kids, and gets along well with other dogs – she's even good at making friends with cats! *Update - Skye was adopted on December 19 and she is happy she'll be spending the holidays with her new family. Congratulations Skye! Shiver is a 3-year-old domestic shorthair mix who has been at the shelter since November of 2017. When Shiver got to the shelter, he was badly injured and needed surgery to repair his pelvic bones, which were broken. Shiver has since recovered fully and is now a healthy, hearty and happy cat who just needs a home and a family. Elantra is a tortoise shell mix who is almost 2 years old. She has been at the shelter since March 2, 2018. When Elantra got to the shelter, she was badly frozen, especially her ears which she later lost. Having no ears has never stopped Elantra from being a super friendly and loving cat, who is happy to be anywhere there are people. *Update - Elantra was adopted to a new and happy home on December 27. Congratulations Elantra! Simon is a domestic shorthair has been at the shelter since mid-October of last year. He’s one and a half years old and is super friendly, loving cuddles, snuggles and chin scratches. Simon is a really loving and sweet cat.   Solar is a male shorthair mix who is just about 1 and a half years old. Solar has been at the shelter since September of 2017 – a little over a year at this point. He loves attention almost as much as he loves food – soft cat food is his favourite. He is a super relaxed cat, who can usually be found napping in the nearest sunbeam. *Update - Solar was adopted! He found a happy new home on January 9. Congrats Solar! Bring home the Insightrix 10! If you’d like more information on how you can help bring home one of the Insightrix 10, please contact the Battlefords Humane Society. We’ll be giving regular updates on the adoptions as they come. Follow our social networks and get all the latest news about the Insightrix 10. Insightrix Facebook Twitter Insightrix Instagram SaskWatch Research Facebook SaskWatch Research Instagram...
 

10 Dec

Posted at 17:27h in Business, Syndicated
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6 Saskatchewan Social Media Statistics Marketers Should Know As part of our commitment to share knowledge with the industry, Insightrix Research conducted the Saskatchewan Media Usage Study with residents about their digital diet - including social media habits, consumer behaviours and device ownership. The research was conducted with more than 1,500 Saskatchewan residents (December 2017), using SaskWatch Research®, our proprietary online panel. Comprehensive results from this syndicated study are available in the 2018 Saskatchewan Social Media Report. The 2018 Saskatchewan Social Media Report answers questions like… What social media platform is most popular with specific Saskatchewan demographic groups? What do Saskatchewan social media users expect from the brands they follow online? As we did for the 2017 version of this syndicated series, we are delivering to you (for free!) highlights from the 2018 report in the 2018 Saskatchewan Social Media eBook. Each report continues to provide trended data and actionable insights that help brands with an interest in the Saskatchewan marketplace to make better-informed decisions with their paid, earned and owned media strategy. Even more, we have put together a list of "6 important statistics Saskatchewan marketers need to know in 2018". So, if you are a marketer, or if you are in an integrated role that requires you to think like a marketer, statistics like these validate the need for the development of a targeted digital strategy for business. #1 SOCIAL MEDIA USE CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN SASKATCHEWAN The number of active social media users in Saskatchewan continues to upturn. Since 2016 – the number of social media users have increased from 87% to 90% (2017)*. *The 2018 Saskatchewan Social Media Habits Report 4: Do you use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn, etc.? Base: 2016, All respondents, n = 1,500; 2017, All respondents, n = 1,500. Leading social networks like Facebook have become powerful communication tools to connect with family or friends – or with brands of interest. Visual platforms – like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube – continue to lead the growth of social networks in Saskatchewan and give businesses an opportunity to target specific audiences – an important takeaway for marketers looking to capitalize on this traffic. As social media networks continue to gain traction in the province, it reinforces the need to consider investing in paid social media strategies by allocating larger dollar amounts to your digital media marketing budget. #2 SASKATCHEWAN MILLENNIALS CONTINUE TO LEAD As a society, we are very well at the peak of the "darn those millennials" internet movement. Between millennials ending cereal, diamond rings, handshakes and the Toyota Scion (yes, it’s a thing) ...
 

22 Nov

Posted at 00:30h in News Release, Saskatchewan
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For Immediate Release: November 22, 2018 In an independent poll conducted by Insightrix Research Inc., Saskatchewan residents were asked if they were likely to buy at least some of their holiday gifts between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2018, as well as how much they plan to spend in each event. Between 2017 and 2018, there has been a slight decrease in likelihood to purchase holiday gifts during this period. Further, while there has been a slight decrease in participation in Black Friday sales, there has also been a slight increase in participation in Cyber Monday sales online. Additionally, in 2018, for those who plan to engage in holiday shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, individuals with at least one child in their household are more likely to purchase holiday gifts between November 23 – 26. Millennials are the age group who are the most likely to purchase holiday gifts between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.   Saskatchewan Residents’ Plans for Black Friday/Cyber Monday Holiday Shopping 2018 Fifty percent (50%) of Saskatchewan residents plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2018. This is a slight drop from 2017, in which 54% of Saskatchewan residents planned to shop during these events. In 2018, of those who state they plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, 63% of those with one or more child in their household plan to shop for holiday gifts during this period (compared to 43% of those without), as do 56% of women (compared to 44% of men). By age, those aged 18 – 34 years old (61%) are the group who plan most to purchase at least some of their holiday gifts between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, followed by 57% of those aged between 35 – 54 years and 35% of those aged 55 or more years. Holiday shopping isn’t the only reason Saskatchewan residents may participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday – of those who don’t plan to make a holiday purchase between Black Friday or Cyber Monday, 13% say they plan to shop on or between Black Friday or Cyber Monday for other reasons.   Sask. Residents’ Participation in Black Friday Sales Of those who plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping between November 23 - 26, 71% state they are likely to do so on Black Friday in retail stores. Of this group, millennials (aged 18 – 34 years) make up the largest portion (77%), followed by those aged 35 – 54 years old (72%) and those aged over 55 years (60%). Planned Black Friday Spending by Saskatchewan Residents Of the group who plan to participate in Black Friday sales to do at least some of their holiday shopping on November 23, 42% state they plan to spend between $101 - $250. In 2018, 3% state they plan to spend more than $1,000 at Black Friday sales. D3: How much do you expect to spend during Black Friday sales? When asked if they plan to spend more, less or about the same amount as they did at Black Friday sales last year, nearly one half (48%) state they plan to spend about the same amount. Further, 22% of men who plan to attend Black Friday sales plan to spend more than they did last year, compared to 12% of women. Sask. Residents' Planned Participation in Cyber Monday Online Sales Almost seven in ten (66%) of those who plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping between November 23 – 26 state they plan to participate in upcoming Cyber Monday sales online. This is a slight increase since last year, in which 64% stated they plan to participate in the online sales event. Of this group, millennials (those aged 18 – 34 years old) represent the largest contingent (77%), followed by those between 35 – 54 years old (69%) and those aged over 55 years (47%). Further, more than seven in ten (72%) of those with one or more children in their household plan to participate, compared to 61% of those with no children. Planned Cyber Monday Spending by Saskatchewan Residents Of those who plan to participate in Cyber Monday sales online, more than three in ten (34%) state they plan to spend between $101 - $250, while 18% state they plan to spend between $251 - $500. D6: How much do you expect to spend online during Cyber Monday sales on November 26? When asked if they plan to spend more, about the same or less than they did at Cyber Monday online sales last year, 13% stated they plan to spend more than they did last year. This is a slight decrease from last year, when 18% stated the same. For a printer-friendly .pdf of this release, please access it here:  RELEASE - Saskatchewan Residents Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018 (November 22, 2018) *** Research Details A total of 801 randomly selected SaskWatch Research® panel members participated in the online research study between November 5 and 8, 2018. Surveys were distributed in English language format only. Quotas were set by age, gender and region to match the general population of the province; therefore, the data did not need to be weighted. Specific quotas included the following: The division of North and South is based on the first three digits of postal codes (FSAs) and is indicated by the red line in the map below: Age and Gender Quotas Since the research is conducted online, it is considered to be a non-probability proportion sample; therefore, margins of error are not applicable. About SaskWatch Research® Insightrix began developing its SaskWatch Research online market research panel in October 2007, using high quality techniques including telephone recruitment and referrals from existing panel members. Presently, there are over 18,000 active panel members representing all regions of the province and distributions of the general population. Panel membership closely matches the 2016 Census, based on age, gender, household composition, household income and education. For more information, please visit http://saskwatch.ca. For more information, please contact: Marketing & Communications Coordinator Email: info@insightrix.dev1.commandbase.ca  Telephone: (306)657-5640 Ext. 240...
 

24 Oct

Posted at 14:30h in Corporate, News, Saskatchewan
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  It looks like it’s going to be spooky in Saskatchewan for Halloween 2018. We ran an OnTopic survey with 800 people from all over Saskatchewan on our online panel, SaskWatch Research®, earlier this month to find out how Saskatchewan residents plan to spend their Halloween in 2018 – and we found out that more than half of Saskatchewan residents (59%) plan to celebrate the spookiest holiday this year. This is less than the 66% who planned to celebrate Halloween in 2017. We also found out that about the same amount of men (60%) and women (58%) plan to celebrate Halloween in 2018, and that more folks with more than one kid in their household (77%) plan to get in on the fun than those without any children (48%). Saskatchewan residents of Indigenous ancestry (70%) are also more likely to plan to get in on the Halloween festivities.   What will they get up to for Halloween 2018? When we asked Sask. residents who said they planned on celebrating Halloween 2018, we got a whole range of responses. According to our survey, it looks like Saskatchewan residents are planning a traditional Halloween this year. The top responses we received were: hand out candy (75%), decorate (49%), take the kids/grandkids trick or treating (46%), dress up in a costume (38%), watch a scary movie/TV show at home (27%), eat the kids’ candy once they’ve gone to bed (23%), go to a haunted house (15%) and dress up the family pet in a costume (12%). Is it possible to be a Halloween Grinch? Maybe – as 1% of residents who plan on celebrating Halloween also plan to turn off the lights and hide when the doorbell rings.  Where will Saskatchewan trick or treat this Halloween? Saskatchewan residents have a whole lot of choices when it comes to where they plan to trick or treat this October 31. Of the folks who stated they were planning to take the kids or grandkids trick or treating, 38% said they plan to stick to their local neighbourhood/close to home, 17% said an unspecific neighbourhood, 14% stated they plan to trick or treat at friends’/families’ houses, 10% had a specific neighbourhood in mind and almost one in ten (9%) said they plan to hit up malls/businesses for their candy.  Stop trick or treating? At what age? We asked everyone who completed our survey what age they thought it was appropriate to hang up the pillow case for good and stop trick or treating. What we found out was that almost one third (31%) of Sask. residents think that you are never too old to trick or treat. Respondents between 18 – 34 years old (41%) and between 35 – 54 years old (35%) are more likely to hold this view than those over the age of 55 years (19%). Also, women (34%) are more likely to agree to the statement than men (28%). Of those who thought that trick or treating should have some age limit placed upon it, 28% believe that pre-teen (11 – 13 years old) is the age to give up the candy hunt. Grandma and Grampa agree – 36% of those over the age of 55 years think pre-teen is the right age to give up trick or treating. In descending order, here were the other responses to the question of what is the appropriate age to quit trick or treating: 14 years old – 23% 15 years old/16 years old – 6% 10 years of age or younger – 5% Kids shouldn’t be trick or treating anyway – 2% (What?! Come on folks!)    Lots of Halloween fun on the way for Saskatchewan! It turns out that many Saskatchewan residents are planning on getting in on the fun this Halloween. And many of those planning to celebrate Halloween have a range of plans for activities. Trick or treating remains a relatively popular activity, judging by the number of residents planning to hand out candy this year and take the kids or grandkids trick or treating - and the places they plan to go to get that candy are quite varied. What are you getting up to for Halloween 2018? Let us know through our SaskWatch Facebook account or on our Instagram account. We’d love to hear your plans! For more information, please contact: Marketing & Communications Coordinator Email: info@insightrix.dev1.commandbase.ca  Telephone: (306)657-5640 Ext. 240 About SaskWatch Research Insightrix began developing its SaskWatch Research® online market research panel in 2007. Presently, there are over 18,000 active panel members, representing all regions of the province and distributions of the general population. Panel membership closely matches the 2016 Census, based on age, gender, household composition, household income and education. Optimize your research using Insightrix OnTopic® Omnibus Surveys Omnibus research is a quick and cost-effective effective research tool that doesn’t break the bank. Our monthly omnibus sample is random and representative: we set quotas by region, age and gender to ensure the sample matches the distribution of the population.  We provide guidance on question wording and ensure the results from your questions remain confidential and available only to you. ...
 

18 Oct

Posted at 09:24h in Corporate, News
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Lang will be giving a presentation relating to specific research done for Saskatchewan Polytechnic in regard to enhancing the experience of international and permanent resident students. In his presentation at the 2018 CIRPA Conference, Effective Integration of International and Permanent Resident Students, Lang will describe some of the insight gained from a recent project with Saskatchewan Polytechnic aimed at enhancing the experience of international and permanent resident students. During the project, Insightrix conducted in-person in-depth interviews with identified international and permanent resident students attending Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses throughout the province to understand the challenges these students face. The presentation will focus on student interviews and identify challenges students face from the student perspective, from initial arrival to integration and the institutional supports required to make their transition successful. Insightrix is proud to be a Silver sponsor of the 2018 CIRPA Conference. The presentation will be held at 11:40 AM in the South Ballroom of Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire in Calgary, Alberta on October 22. CIRPA The Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association (CIRPA) is a national association created to promote and advance the study and practice of institutional research and planning across Canada. Each year, CIRPA hosts an annual conference at which institutional research professionals meet to learn best practices, exchange information and ideas and network with colleagues. CIRPA Conferences comprise a range of workshops, presentations and panel discussions on varied topics pertaining to institutional research in Canada. This presentation will be the third presented by Insightrix at a CIRPA Conference since 2014. If you'd like to know more about the 2018 CIRPA Conference, or about the organization itself, visit the CIRPA website. ...
 

02 Oct

Posted at 16:40h in Corporate, Podcast
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Episode 6 – Market Research Online Communities Stories of Market Research: The Insightrix Podcast is back with a new episode – Market Research Online Communities. What’s it about? The latest episode of Stories of Market Research: The Insightrix Podcast is all about market research online communities - one of the most powerful tools currently available to corporate and market researchers. They are powerful because they allow for faster research timelines, smaller budgets and greater accessibility for both researchers and research participants alike. As this technology is still relatively new, many still have questions. How do market research online communities work? What kinds of research work best with the technology? What are they in the first place? We answer those questions and delve into the details with guest co-host, Insightrix Communities Account Manager Megan McDowell. Megan gives us the insider’s scoop on many of the best research applications for online communities. She also describes how they are used, what features online communities commonly possess and much more. The episode is also joined by Affinity Credit Union Member Insights Manager, Adam Thome, and Dylan Cody from the same organization. They share their experience and understanding of online communities in relation to a recent Affinity Credit Union brand video testing project that employed one. Their perspective on the benefits of online communities and how they were used is especially insightful. If you have questions about market research online communities, or want to know how you could employ one, this podcast episode will give you a great grounding in this powerful and exciting research technology. Bonus video content! Episode 6 of the Insightrix Podcast is accompanied by a bonus special bonus video. Megan McDowell provides an inside view of what an online community looks like. She also shows some of the features that are common to almost all online communities and points out some of the features that make the Insightrix Communities market research online community platform really stand out. You can check out that video, or videos from other Insightrix podcasts, on the Insightrix YouTube channel. Where can you find Stories of Market Research: The Insightrix Podcast? You can find this episode of Stories of Market Research: The Insightrix Podcast on the Insightrix Podcast Archive. You'll find previous episodes there as well. You can access and stream episodes of the podcast, or download them to listen to later (they are great way to pass the time on long flights or your commute). If you prefer listening on a podcast listening app, you can access Stories of Market Research: The Insightrix Podcast on most podcast players. These include iTunes, Stitcher, Google Music and many others.    Insightrix Communities can deliver powerful insights Insightrix Communities™ can provide you the research insights you need with relevant, easy-to-access participants at an affordable price. By applying Insightrix Communities software, your team can benefit from on-hand market research experts who will help see your project through from concept to completion. Or you can employ and brand your own DIY community! Insightrix provides the know-how to take organizations through each step of the community-building journey, from recruiting your first community member to engaging with them and promoting participation in your research activities, to developing insights as the research is completed.  ...
 

20 Sep

Posted at 10:24h in Business, Technology
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Opt-in communities help businesses target niche markets If you are trying to get to know your target market, market research is often your first stop to find out more. And surveys are an excellent way to achieve relevant information about your brand. Although survey engines are readily available, your target audience may not be as accessible as you need them to be. Brands know exactly how important it is to talk to their potential customers and get their feedback, but the opportunity to enlist research participants who are interested in giving their opinion can sometimes stop your innovation from moving forward. And the more niche the audience, the more expensive recruiting potential participants to weigh in on your product or service can be.  While the dog days of recruiting individuals to participate are far from over, market research online communities (MROCs) have helped alleviate the pressure of attracting targeted and engaged individuals to assist businesses by contributing to research on their areas of interest. What does that look like? Maybe you are a marketer of a brand or service and you want to know how it is performing with a specific demographic. Perhaps you want to know more about that demographic – say, millennial women aged 18 to 25 – who commute by bicycle to school/work in all seasons. With access to an MROC, brands can conduct primary research with members of their niche market – like those passionate, all-season bicycle commuters!  As a result, your online community becomes a more focused group of survey participants with a unique knowledge base you can tap into. What does that mean? All online communities are different – by size and by their profiling. While some online communities can recruit as large as 15,000 general population participants, other communities can be created to be heartier, such as 50 specifically targeted survey participants. But whether it is 15,000 people or 50 community members, all online communities provide powerful insights in a cost-effective way. In fact, smaller, engaged communities can be easily facilitated by research professionals or business owners - making for research on a much more personalized level at a fraction of the cost of a traditional ad hoc research project.    By employing online communities to create surveys, you can invest in customers/clients to understand their preferences better and to gather intelligence at any stage of development. Simply – it means getting constant feedback with relevant people.    Relevant participants Why speak with participants who are not relevant to your research project? By only selecting the most appropriate individuals to participate in the research, the data produced will be much more relevant to your business goals. A more focused group can facilitate research that produces actionable intelligence because the research is done with participants who have already bought in to the organization’s goals, and who demographically conform to research needs.   For example, if the desire is to survey those who bike to work everyday – it can be assumed the potential participants are a more defined group of the population than those who commute in other ways, like a personal vehicle. By zeroing in on the target participant group, you may get answers to questions that other, less-targeted participants may have no experience with (i.e., how often there is snow removal in bike lanes). Ease of access Because online communities can be set up ahead of time, and because survey participants have bought in, organizations can field as much research as they like, about whatever topic that is of interest to them, with a sample group that is ready to go right away. For example, if an organization wants to test specific winter tires for bicycles, or perhaps a series of advertisements involving bicycle winter safety, they can access their target group whenever they like and turn the research around at a much faster rate. Affordability Because target groups are enlisted from online recruitment, primary research can be done with an online community at a fraction of the cost of research projects that rely on the need to recruit qualified participants. And, as all participants are pre-screened to meet exact criteria (for example, those who commute to work on their bicycle in all seasons), and since the research is conducted online, many costs associated with custom research projects are eliminated. Think about travel costs, call centre costs (like telephone recruitment, etc.), participant incentives, focus group facility rentals and more. The turnaround One of the best reasons to employ an online community for your target group is undoubtedly the speed with which your research can be turned around. If you are burning the midnight oil and interested in tapping into the knowledge of your participants, you can do so at any given time. Most research questions are turned around in under 48 hours - it’s almost as if you have a research group in your back pocket, waiting to help make the decisions as quickly as possible.    Insightrix Communities can deliver powerful insights Insightrix Communities™ can provide you the research insights you need with relevant easy-to-access participants at an affordable price. Online community software is flexible - giving the capability to build short-term communities or more long-term, complex research projects. By applying Insightrix Communities software, your team can benefit from on-hand market research experts who can help see your project through from concept to completion – or employ and brand your own DIY community! Insightrix provides the know-how to take organizations through each step of the community-building journey, from recruiting your first community member to engaging with them and promoting participation in your research activities, to developing insights as the research is completed. If you want to learn more about how communities can help, listen to The Insightrix Podcast Episode 6: Market Research Online Communities by streaming here or from any major podcast app. ...
 

07 Sep

Posted at 13:20h in Corporate, Infographic, OnTopic, Saskatchewan
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Insightrix recently ran an OnTopic survey to determine the state of philanthropy in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan residents are a pretty charitable bunch, with 95% of Saskatchewan residents reporting they have donated money to a charitable organization at one point or another. Those charitable contributions add up – and the organizations Sask. residents are donating to and the amounts they are donating haven’t changed much over the last year. Where are they donating? When comes to the percentage of their charitable donations, residents still donate as much as they did last year to organizations in the field of healthcare – 40% this year and 40% in 2017. For those who report that they have donated to a charity, a similar story can be seen in donations to hospitals (36% in 2017 and 34% in 2018), pet shelters (32% in 2017 and 34% in 2018) and to food banks (41% in 2017 and 39% in 2018). The only real fluctuation occurs in donations to religious organizations, whose donations have increased from 34% of the monies donated by residents who donated to charities in 2017 to 41% in 2018. Where are they volunteering? In 2018, Saskatchewan volunteers participated in a wide range of activities, such as fundraising, event organizing, participating as a board member and many more activities. In fact, in the past 12 months, 55% of Saskatchewan residents participated in volunteer activities at some time or another. For some activities, volunteerism in Saskatchewan has increased to some degree. While 64% of Saskatchewan residents who volunteered engaged in fundraising activities in 2017, that number grew to 77% in 2018. A similar situation emerges when looking at organizing and coordinating (66% in 2017, 75% in the last 12 months) and maintenance volunteering (37% in 2017 and 51% in the last 12 months). Acting as a board or committee member, on the other hand, is something just as many Saskatchewan volunteers got up to in 2017 as they did in the past 12 months – 59% of Saskatchewan volunteers. Why did they do it? According to those who were involved in volunteering in Saskatchewan, for the most part, being a volunteer was something they benefited from. Beyond a feeling of having done something worthwhile, some volunteers stated they benefited physically through their activity – 55% of those who volunteered in the past 12 months said they feel healthier, and 77% stated it improved their mood. It wasn’t just physical benefits for volunteering, though. Of those who volunteered in the past 12 months, 40% stated they benefited through increased time management skills, and a whopping 74% said they now enjoy improved people and teamwork skills. Do you want to participate in fun and interesting research like this? You can! Register with SaskWatch Research® today and start participating right away. SaskWatch Research is Saskatchewan’s largest online research community, comprising over 18,000+ Saskatchewan residents. By becoming a SaskWatch member, you can weigh in on important issues in Saskatchewan, and have your voice heard on concerns relating brands and businesses. Learn More >>...
 

23 Jul

Posted at 15:46h in Business, OnTopic
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Market research is a powerful tool for advocacy In an internet age, not-for-profit organizations should understand how important it is to adopt market research as advocacy to help inform their public interest initiatives. Because not-for-profits are vital to the local communities they serve, it is their shared responsibility to encourage policy and law makers to do what is right for the public. By using advocacy market research, not-for-profits can adopt a robust tool to put their cases forward and reach change agents in all levels of government.   This is research for advocacy in a nutshell. In most funding circles, advocacy is often considered an “art of persuasion”; it can be loosely defined as “converting the impossible into the inevitable”. Ask any campaign manager and they will tell you the same. The question is: How do campaign managers convert the impossible and reach the public to create more awareness and become relevant to policymakers?   Research for advocacy When we think of research for advocacy, some may think of decades of long, drawn-out research studies that show obscure connections between lifestyle and behaviour factors. And while some industry research can take many years to yield actionable results, research for advocacy can often be done MORE QUICKLY and can deliver information that is sometimes more relevant to policymakers. One way to get an advocacy message in front of the public is by undertaking and publicizing research that demonstrates the need for such laws or policies, the public support behind them and the likely results if the change were implemented. For example, as part of Tourism Saskatoon’s strategic plan, they identified the need to expand hosting capacity and to remain competitive for business and sporting events. For the past several years, the city of Saskatoon has seen on and off support for a new downtown arena and convention centre. Because Tourism Saskatoon ran a public opinion poll conducted by Insightrix to promote their advocacy message, they received media coverage to help grow support and validate their city planning initiatives. Insightrix worked with the Tourism Saskatoon on the question wording to ensure that the answers represented the views of the community, and were not leading, thereby ensuring credibility. This is an example of publicizing research that demonstrates the direct interest of the community. https://globalnews.ca/news/4101828/downtown-arena-tourism-saskatoon/ (media coverage) http://www.tourismsaskatoon.com/about/about-strategic-plan/ (strategic plan) What distinguishes research for advocacy from other types of evidence-based research is that it is focused on specific answers in mind, and that it is a part of an overarching strategy to influence potential policy development and policy change. While other research can contribute to the overall understanding of an issue, market research for advocacy has a narrow and specific aim, and it does not have to take a lot of time or money to be effective for advocacy campaigns.    Think like an NGO and run an Omnibus Poll Most NGOs conduct research in-house, but can use market research firms to help with validating or creating evidence for the larger research projects undertaken by these organizations. NGOs often use market research to “top up” their existing research by employing omnibus surveys and using locally-conducted research. Omnibus surveys often make good news, particularly if your research is interesting and shows potential for strong public support for the initiative at hand. Not-for-profits should monitor how NGOs conduct omnibus polling – as these kinds of research methodologies can be done easily and are inexpensive to conduct. At Insightrix, we run a monthly omnibus poll. Omnibus surveys are a quick and cost-effective, potent research tool that doesn’t break the bank. Our monthly omnibus sample is random and representative: we set quotas by region, age and gender to ensure the sample matches the distribution of the populations. When thinking about conducting an omnibus survey – keep two things in mind: your story should be newsworthy and contain something interesting that will catch people’s attention (or the attention of journalists), and it should also incorporate the advocacy message. Many NGOs have created media partnerships that have proven to be fruitful. With the internet becoming an important tool to promote timely research, low-cost media advocacy is an inexpensive way to increase your initiative’s chances for success, especially when it becomes news.   Getting an “in” with the media Using the media to get your advocacy research in front of the public is an effective way to secure better policies on a range of issues.  Cultivating relationships with journalists and local media can be difficult – that is, until you get your in with them. Media professionals are often on the look out for good ideas to write about for an article or to produce a segment for broadcast, and they pay close attention to press releases they receive. However, your press or media release itself is not the objective of advocacy; it is the effect of the news coverage that is important, and that may not always be easy to measure. One of the best ways to get your in with the media is to be analytical in your own observations of the media and their interactions with those you’re trying to reach. Attempt to understand what type of news is considered newsworthy - What appeals to readers? What issues gain little attention and which gain a lot? Are there local journalists who are more interested in social issues than others? Through your own research, you can see what gets covered in the media and how that information is presented. Doing this will create advocacy research that is desirable to media, that will be easier to digest and that will more than likely land you publicity for your initiative.   Use omnibus research to spur your advocacy efforts Media and research are two extremely valuable tools that can increase the awareness of your advocacy research and often require few resources other than the time and people to see them through. By using more advocacy to validate long-term research, by strengthening your relationship with the media (thereby building the understanding of the population), it will be much easier to influence the policies that matter to them most over time.  ...