Meyer Prinsloo, Brand Planning and Research Specialist at Intekom, South Africa. When we look back at the twentieth century in the new millennium, it is possible that 1998 will be considered the turning point of Internet development. The Internet is having significant impact on global society and culture, not only as a communications and information medium, but also in terms of consumer and business commerce. Steadily, consumers are overcoming security and privacy concerns and appreciating the convenience of online purchasing. Many mainstream industries and businesses are now following the lead set by the early initiators and deciding how to maximize their online presence.
Market research is no exception.
The Internet represents not only a new survey tool, but also a new medium in itself to be researched. However, relatively few of the thousands of market research agencies worldwide are currently conducting online market research. Most of our industry remains cautious about the impact of the Internet and the best way to capitalize on it. Into this vacuum, a new breed of online information collectors has emerged and many online marketers themselves are directly seizing the opportunity to survey the online customer. The seminar examined some of the basic issues of process and technique and was essentially a sharing of basic knowledge of how to conduct research on the Net.