Decision Insight is one of a few market research companies in the country to offer computer-aided interactive multimedia research. Its version, called Virtual Insight, combines sight, sound, and animation to facilitate buyer testing of concepts, packaging, and design features for consumer products. With conventional research methods, buyer testing usually involves using concept boards or story boards, or developing actual prototypes of the new product. If the intent is to test the new product or design concept in several markets, several copies of the concept board or prototype must be created. Then they must be transported to the target cities and presented to focus groups, where respondents provide quantitative and qualitative feedback by rating the product or concept on its appeal and by answering questions posed by the group moderator.
Conventional methods can be a strain for respondents, too.
In order to save time, focus groups may be asked to evaluate many concepts or designs in one session. This can lead to boredom or fatigue, which can impact their objectivity and discrimination, coloring their responses. By contrast, multimedia research allows automated testing in multiple markets simultaneously, in a far shorter amount of time than conventional buyer testing methods. Instead of sending company staff into the field to conduct interviews, data collection firms already located in the targeted market cities can do so. Furthermore, interactive multimedia research offers a lot of flexibility within the survey process itself.