Tuesday 8th August 2006

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Beware the mixed media

Surveys are more than just a bugbear; they also provide marketers with useful information about their customers and audiences. Yet a new study in the September issue of the Journal of Consumer Research argues that the recent shift from phone to online surveys may have unintended consequences for marketers.

The study, by Nader Tavassoli of London Business School and Gavan Fitzsimons of Duke University, found that the process of speaking answers uses a different part of the brain to typing. ‘In other words, vocalising an attitude activates a different representation in the consumers’ mind than typing and this changes the attitudes and behaviours subsequently expressed,’ say the professors.

If a question is asked over the phone the first time and via an online survey the next, the validity of results may therefore be compromised. Consistency in response mode is vital for good results, the report concludes.

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