More DIY Disasters

I have written before about the pitfalls of DIY research. Online tools such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang make people think that anyone can design and execute a survey. And this is true, anyone can. But many people who try DIY surveys wind up with problems. DIY surveys do have their place, but too many people try to use them when they should not. I think of them as the Draino of research. You reach for the Draino when you have a simple clogged drain, but when the problem is more systemic, you call a plumber.

We hear about many of these disasters because clients call us to see if we can help them salvage what they have done. We try our best to help them, and in most cases some valuable learning comes out of the exercise. But we came across a couple recently that caused real problems.

The first project appeared simple enough. The problem is that the first question has multiple choice answers about product use, and more than one choice is appropriate. In fact, most consumers would have more than one choice. But the client inadvertently programmed the survey to only accept one answer. This meant that when people checked a second or third answer, the software deleted their previous answer. And since the software did not allow for a rotation of the answer list, this meant the survey reported a disproportionate, suspect number of people using the product at the bottom of this list. To complicate this problem, answers to this question drove the logic for almost all remaining questions. We could salvage some of the information, but most of it was lost.

The second project was a DIY survey where the client intercepted respondents on their own website. They hoped to get 400 interviews. They promised all respondents who completely the survey a $10 Amazon gift certificate. One little problem – the DIY software lacked quota control, or at least lacked one the client could find. Within 24 hours, they had about 5,000 completed interviews. Suddenly they were liable for $50,000 in incentives instead of the $4,000 they had budgeted.

So the next time you have the need for marketing research, ask yourself if you should reach for the Draino or call a plumber.

Rachel Ray Taught Me Two Things

Anyone who throws a burger on the grill has probably experienced a problem with the edges of the burger shrinking as it cooks. By the time you are finished, the burger can be almost triangular in shape, with the high peak in the center of the burger, sloping down to thin edges. One may be tempted to squash the center down with a spatula, but any wise grill master knows this squeezes out the good juices and can make the burger dry. This has always frustrated me, but not enough that I ever bothered to figure out a solution to my problem.

Then one afternoon we were lazily channel hopping. We came across Rachel Ray cooking burgers. There was the solution I needed. Very simply, when forming the patty, she instructed us to depress the center of the patty, so that the outer ring of the patty is higher than the center. A process similar to what a kid may do in a sandbox to form a “pond”. I tried this the next day, and miracle of miracles, the finished product was a perfectly shaped burger – a similar thickness throughout.

Now I have to confess that I can barely stand to hear Rachel Ray’s voice. Her annoying chatter, frantic pace, and childish smile get on my nerves. I usually flip right pass her when channel hopping. But the burger had caught my eye. It made me give her the benefit of the doubt and I watched the rest of the show. She still got on my nerves, but she also taught me something besides how to cook a good burger. She taught me to keep it simple. She takes basic steps of cooking and explains them in very simple terms. My first reaction was that she was being too simple. But then I remembered Ginelle from our office, who literally had to learn how to boil water when her and her husband first set up house. And I remembered my good friend Toby, who a few years back called me to ask if she needed to freeze leftovers from a restaurant carryout, even though she planned to eat them the next day. The first time she baked a potato, it was a major triumph. Rachel Ray speaks to these people. I hate to admit it, but she provides a valuable service. And yes Jackie, I know you and your foodie friends will cringe when you read this.

I think this is a valuable lesson that we need to keep in mind when designing surveys. Keep it simple. Too often, we, or our clients, assume the respondent knows more about the product or category than they really do. The next time you write a survey, stop and think how Rachel Ray may approach it.

How's business?

First, my apologies for being absent from my blog postings. I managed to post a new piece the first week of July, while I was on PTO, but nothing since. My excuse is that we are surprisingly, and gratefully busy with new projects. I’m also hearing from some other researchers that they have been very busy this summer. All of this is great news for our industry.

But like many people, I still worry about the economy, and I keep trying to find signs of a recovery. So I ask everyone I meet “how’s business”? During a recent visit to my doctor for my annual check-up, I asked my doctor the same thing. It may seem like a strange question to ask a doctor, but remember they are also in business. They have staff and bills to pay like any business.

I think he was a bit surprised by the question, but he had an immediate answer. Business has generally been good – people still get sick, but he did feel people were deferring preventive visits. The biggest surprise I got was his comment about their best customers – those with insurance. He is seeing that the insured, meaning those who are still working, are so busy (likely due to fellow workers being laid off) that they just don’t have time to get to the doctor. They wait until they absolutely have to go. That has impacted his business.

His observations are in line with a recent report that people who take prescription drugs for preventive purposes (such as blood pressure or cholesterol medicines) appear to be cutting back. They may take the drugs five days a week instead of seven. Over time, this saves them a bit on their co-payments.

So again, I am grateful that business is good for us right now. I hope I can hear more researchers say the same thing.