Thought Piece
It’s no secret that the insights landscape is changing, and we are in the midst of this evolution.
Greenbook’s IIEX NA took place earlier this month and I attended on behalf of Swytchback. The insights and perspectives I gained were truly eye-opening, challenging conventional wisdom and solidifying the exciting trajectory of our industry.
While many of you may be well-informed regarding these emerging trends, read on for our take of key insights that are shaping the future of insights.
As many of you know, better, faster, cheaper has become the expected. It is no longer what sets you apart from the sea of other insights companies. What does stand out are companies who provide unique ways to interact with consumers. Visual. Easy to use. Deep. Accessible. (Sounds like Swytchback doesn’t it?)
The driving force behind this movement: Rehumanizing data. Brands are increasingly recognizing the need to weave the human element back into their quantitative data. This is being achieved through innovative engagement methods such as gamified experiences that make participation more enjoyable and interactive, the inclusion of open-ended questions that allow for nuanced and qualitative feedback within quantitative frameworks, and the use of imagery to evoke real emotion and elicit richer, more authentic responses.
Swytchback is not just adapting to this movement; we are at its forefront. When we launched Swytchback, we consciously moved away from the limitations of traditional surveys, creating a platform designed to capture deep, human-centered data through the power of vivid imagery and gamified interactions. Consider this: research indicates that humans can grasp concepts 98% faster when information is presented visually compared to text.
Incorporating visuals rather than relying solely on text in surveys significantly deepens the respondent experience and, consequently, the richness, accuracy, and human-centricity of your data. When you embrace this approach, it will yield results that truly surprise and enlighten you.
AI is not so slowly seeping into our everyday lives and a recurring theme at IIEX was the enthusiastic reception of AI-moderators. It turns out that the consumer sentiment surrounding it is surprisingly positive. Rising AI-powered qual powerhouse Conveo reports that 94% of their respondents prefer AI interviews, with users seeing a 50-90% reduction in time to insights.
Attendees shared compelling examples of participants not only demonstrating increased engagement but also interactions that were often more candid and insightful.
This is what convinced me to believe: Have you ever Googled your medical questions as opposed to going straight to the best source, your doctor? I have. There's a sense of comfort in the anonymity, free from any perceived judgment, offered by your trusted search engine friend.
This mirrors the experience many participants are having with AI-moderated interviews. AI, in its objective nature, doesn’t inject unintentional reactions or subtle biases into the conversation. Instead, it focuses on asking relevant questions, assessing responses, and thoughtfully following up to dive deeper. When the right platform is used, the AI-moderator acts as an unbiased and thorough interviewer, creating a safe space for participants to share their genuine thoughts and feelings.
With all of the discussion around the AI-qual movement, the topic of synthetic AI panels was consistently a point of debate and uncertainty. While AI-moderators appear to be gaining traction and solidifying their place in brands’ qualitative research strategies, there remains a level of resistance and skepticism surrounding synthetic panels. This hesitancy is understandable given the strong industry emphasis on re-humanizing data and capturing genuine human experiences.
While synthetic panels provide an opportunity to speed up certain processes, there is a group hesitancy in adapting them because of losing that authentic, real-life feedback. The nuances of human emotion, the spontaneity of genuine reactions, and the richness of lived experiences are difficult to fully replicate through synthetic data generation.
Our ability to consistently engage high quality respondents ensures that our clients receive timely, authentic feedback directly from consumers. This commitment to real-life data allows us to effectively address brands’ most pressing questions with confidence and accuracy.
While there's no inherent concern about AI's ability to help manage qualitative data, the rise of AI bots alongside plummeting survey response rates presents challenges to overall survey data quality. We anticipate the industry will develop robust tools to ensure data integrity, but in the meantime, researchers must critically evaluate their data sources and consider tools that will ensure reliable insights. Specifically, a heightened focus on human-centric design and multi-method approaches is essential to maintain the integrity of survey findings.
What are your feelings about synthetic panels? How are you combatting AI-bots? We’d love to hear your perspective.
IIEX served as a powerful affirmation of the direction Swytchback has been heading since its inception. Our foundational principles are deeply rooted in groundbreaking design and rigorously tested scientific research principles. We are not simply reacting to the evolving insights landscape; we were built for it.
The future of insights is undeniably intertwined with technological advancements. However, the key takeaway from IIEX is that technology should serve to enhance, not replace, the crucial human element in understanding consumer behavior. At Swytchback, we are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Our commitment remains clear: to provide our clients with deep, accessible insights that are not only data-driven but also fundamentally human. We are ready for the future of insights, and we invite you to join us on this exciting journey.
