In an ESOMAR conference, February 2001, two papers focused WAP phones
and market research. The first author Jamie Cattell writes “This paper
demonstrated that the mobile internet is an excellent tool for carrying
out research. The key benefits are reach and speed. The main
disadvantage is reduced richness due to device limitations. The mobile
internet may be used both as a substitute to conventional methodologies
and as an extension of them.” Cattell did the testing among I-mode
users in Japan. The second authors, Matthews et. al. also did
successful testing and conclude that; “The biggest improvement that
technology will provide for mobile internet interviewing will be
through GPRS technology. In the test they used the former protocol
wap1.0. In a more recent paper by John Weisberg in the Canadian Journal
of Marketing Research (volume 20, 2002), the terms MCAPI and MCASI are
being used. Weisberg writes "MCAPI (mobile computer-assisted personal
interviewing) and MCASI (mobile computer-assisted self interviewing)
are CASIC (computer-assisted survey information collection) variations
that add mobility. This enhancement enables survey researchers to reap
the benefits of CASIC in many situations in which paper and pencil
interviewing was previously the only viable option. As a result, the
possibility exists for researchers to improve on current practices and
engage in new forms of research."
In 2003, the use of both the mobile internet and MMS's has increased. There are a number of reasons for this development. An important factor is the promotion from the telecom industry, media companies and companies offering mobile services. Moreover, the new mobile phones introduced into market place are GPRS-phones and in Norway in 2003 approximately 1.6 millions mobile phones were sold. When wap was developed and launched it was tried by a number of users of mobile phones. However, the users experienced a number of problems, and the number of services were also few. With GPRS, some of these problems are or should be solved.
From the perspective of a market research company there are in this
contexts two key questions. First, in what manner should respondents be
contacted and recruited as survey participants? And secondly, what kind
of data collection method should be used? Moreover, what are the
factors influencing response rates, the willingness or ability to
complete a mobile survey, what are the human and technical problems
with regard to this new method? This is some of the research questions
addressed in the project. For a market research company it is both a
strategic and an operational question if and how MCASI should be
included in their portfolio.
The two mobile surveys
In the project, two applications of a mobile survey, an MCASI survey, have been developed and tested. The first, MCASI 1, is a short and simple wap-based questionnaire primarily with single-response questions. SMS's are used to give instructions about how to start the mobile survey. The second, MCASI 2, is a more advanced wap-based questionnaire that also contains fill-in text boxes (open questions). MMS's are use to give instructions and to present pictures (entertainment) from the Norwegian Broadcasting. The test-participants were recruited by TNS Gallup from a national representative panel.
Members of the panel with GPRS-phones were invited to test a mobile
questionnaire. In the second test, only those with at least some
experience with MMS were included in the sample frame. The Norwegian
Broadcasting (NRK) was responsible for the content of the two surveys.
NRK is focusing on mobile services and has a high number of subscribers
to their MMS service, and is one the largest media companies in Norway.
|
|
MCASI 1 |
MCASI 2 |
|
Participants in the test (by
using the mobile phone) Sub-group
– answered the follow up questionnaire |
155 127 |
145 121 |
|
Non-participants (did not take
part in the test) Sub-group
– answered the follow up questionnaire |
196 120 |
433 329 |
|
|
Non- participants |
Participants MCASI 1 |
Non- participants |
Participants MCASI 2 |
|
Women Men |
32% (63) 68% (132) |
23% (36) 78% (119) |
24% (102) 76% (330) |
28% (40) 72% (102) |
|
Age 15 - 19 years old 20 - 19 years old 30 - 39 years old 40 - 49 years old 50 - 59 years old 60 + |
10% (19) 20% (39) 34% (65) 20% (39) 13% (25) 4% (7) |
10% (16) 23% (36) 43% (67) 19% (29) 3% (5) 1% (2) |
10% (45) 23% (97) 33% (144) 24% (104) 7% (30) 2% (10) |
10% (15) 27% (39) 41% (59) 15% (22) 6% (9) 1% (1) |
|
Level
of education Primary
education Professional
training University
or college, 1 - 4 years University
or college, more than 4 y. |
13% (25) 39% (77) 30% (59) 18% (35) |
14% (22) 35% (54) 27% (42) 24% (37) |
14% (61) 38% (166) 32% (139) 15% (67) |
13% (19) 43% (62) 27% (39) 17% (25) |
|
Personal income Less than 12.500 euro 12.500 – 24.999 euro 25.000 – 37.499 euro 37.500 – 49.999 euro 50.000 – 62.499 euro 62.500 or more Not willing to give information |
13% (25) 11% (21) 16% (31) 19% (38) 11% (22) 13% (25) 17% (34) |
12% (18) 4% (6) 15% (24) 22% (34) 10% (16) 14% (22) 23% (35) |
13% (57) 7% (28) 16% (71) 23% (101) 11% (48) 12% (53) 17% (75) |
17% (24) 8% (11) 17% (25) 21% (30) 15% (21) 9% (13) 15% (21) |
|
Kind of mobile ”subscription” Pre-paid Post-paid Don’t know |
11% (21) 88% (173) 1% (2) |
7% (11) 92% (142) 2% (2) |
11% (47) 89% (384) % (2) |
10% (15) 88% (127) 2% (3) |
|
Payment,
the mobile subscription/bill I
pay the bill myself Parents/spouse
pay the bill partly/completely Employer
pays the bill Employer pays
partly the bill Other |
57% (112) 5% (10) 29% (57) 8% (15) 1% (2) |
46% (72) 6% (10) 37% (57) 10% (15) 1% (1) |
63% (273) 5% (20) 22% (96) 9% (41) % (1) |
59% (86) 3% (5) 28% (41) 8% (12) 1% (1) |
|
In what kind of industry do you work? ICT/data/telecom Other industries Not answered |
7% (13) 42% (82) 45% (101) |
19% (17) 54% (73) 42% (65) |
7% (30) 48% (209) 45% (194) |
14% (20) 54% (78) 32% (47) |
|
|
196 |
155 |
433 |
145 |
|
|
MCASI 1 |
MCASI 2 |
|
The invitation, to get an
invitation by SMS or MMS? Very negative Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
2% (3) 5% (6) 28% (36) 58% (74) 6% (8) |
2% (2) 6% (7) 36% (42) 51% (60) 6% (7) |
|
The instruction in the invitation (easy to
understand, not easy to understand)? Very negative Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
2% (3) 5% (6) 24% (31) 63% (80) 6% (7) |
2% (3) 13% (15) 19% (22) 58% (68) 8% (10) |
|
To start the survey, the on-logging
procedure (open wap or to click on a wap-link)? Very negative Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
2% (3) 12% (15) 31% (39) 51% (65) 4% (5) |
4% (5) 10% (12) 42% (49) 36% (43) 8% (9) |
|
The way the questions and
answers were presented (the display)? Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
2% (2) 13% (16) 31% (39) 51% (65) 4% (5) |
3% (4) 20% (24) 30% (35) 41% (48) 6% (7) |
|
To be able to fill in the questionnaire
when it suits yourself? Very negative Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
2% (2) 1% (1) 14% (18) 62% (79) 21% (27) |
1% (1) 2% (2) 18% (21) 58% (69) 21% (25) |
|
The time (number of minutes) of
answering the survey? Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
3% (4) 9% (12) 37% (47) 44% (56) 6% (8) |
8% (9) 20% (24) 35% (41) 33% (39) 4% (5) |
|
To participate in a survey by
using the mobile phone? Negative Neither negative or positive Positive Very positive |
4% (5) 16% (20) 23% (30) 47% (59) 10% (13) |
6% (7) 22% (26) 31% (37) 33% (39) 8% (9) |
|
|
127 |
118 |
|
|
MCASI 1 |
MCASI 2 |
|
Are you interested in participating in
surveys on the mobile phone in the future? No Don’t know |
75% (95) 9% (12) 16% (20) |
49% (59) 28% (34) 23% (28) |
|
|
127 |
121 |
Technovate 2 - conference web-site
Norwegian Computing Center (NR)
Contact person: Svein
Thalberg (TNS Gallup Norway) and Ingvar Tjøstheim
(Norwegian Computing Center)
The project is co-funded by the Research Council of Norway, the PULS
program about services, commerce and logistics.
Web-site: the
PULS program