Who’s
Wearing
‘Wearables’
and Why
Market
Research
Should
Care
verbatim responses than the
mobile browser respondents,
and were more likely to rate
the survey as “very easy” -- an
indication that they probably
found it more enjoyable and
would be more receptive to
similar surveys.
As is often the case when
analyzing
data,
researching
one question leads to a host
of others. In light of the survey
feedback - and due to the fact
that
one-question
surveys
on wearable devices seem
to be an inevitable next step
- the research team began to
explore a new idea; Is a person’s
willingness to participate in
surveys via a mobile app
indicative of their willingness
to participate in a survey via a
wearable device?
Introduction
Why Wearables Matter
SoapBox
Sample,
Paradigm
Sample and Kinesis Survey
Technologies recently teamed
up to conduct Research on
Research (RoR), on the use of
mobile survey apps. Originally,
the team wanted to assess the
true value of mobile survey apps
by determining the potential
trade-off
between
enhanced
functionality and the quality or
thoughtfulness of responses that
mobile survey apps bring to the
table.
While the term ‘wearables’
most commonly brings to
mind popular items like the
Fitbit and Apple Watch, it
actually encompasses an array
of smart devices including;
glasses,
jewelry,
headgear,
belts,
armwear,
wristwear,
legwear, footwear, skin patches,
exoskeletons and e-textiles to
name a few.
Several factors suggested the
app audience may be more
approachable, more engaged,
and generally willing to give
more than other audiences.
Based on the team’s findings,
respondents report a better
experience on a mobile app.
They completed the same survey
faster than the mobile browser
audience, delivered a little bit
more information in open-ended
According to IDTechEx, the
‘wearable’ industry is set to
climb from $20 billion in 2015
to almost $70 billion in 2025.
With
that
growth,
brands
cannot ignore the potential
of wearables. And neither can
market researchers.
These smart wearable devices
are poised to transform the
way market research is done,
giving brands access to a large
amount of real-time, unsolicited
and passive consumer data
including; heart rates, sleep
patterns and daily activities, Web
browsing and geographical data.
According
to
MarketingProfs,
without long surveys to take, the
risk of fatigue, or the chance
of
incorrectly
reporting
or
misrepresenting actions, this new
form of market research benefits
both parties. The respondent’s
experience is seamless and
discreet and the marketer is
able to gather research without
“doing” research, allowing them
to follow-up with qualitative
questions, without it being too
obtrusive.
Who is Wearing
‘Wearables’?
these
A recent report from hi-tech
analysts,
Juniper
Research,
observed that consumers are
still unsure about the use case
for many wearable devices.
In particular, consumers are
hesitant to adopt wearable
devices with functionality similar
to that of smartphones. However,
with
smartphones
becoming
increasingly
commoditized,
Juniper
Research
expects
wearables to gain in popularity
as companion devices, with
many tied to specific operating
systems to differentiate offerings.
With the expected growth
of the wearables market, it
is important to understand
who is buying wearable
devices. While we are not
expecting a representative
population of responders
during the early adoption
of any technology, how
skewed could the potential
respondent
population
be?