Thinking outside the box is most comfortable when the box is not filled to the brim with urgent deadlines and a multitude of competing priorities. Often the realities of business mean professionals are stretched for time and resources to brainstorm and implement solutions. When it comes to marketing research, project criteria may be inflexible—the research report must be in front of stakeholders by Friday, the client budget is set in stone, PII collection is non-negotiable, etc. An error in project management can impact more than just the timeline and hurt client relationships in the long-term. For these reasons and more, it is not always possible to think outside the box. Paradigm Sample enables researchers to meet the demands of multiple stakeholders, high-priority projects, and tight timelines with creative, forward-thinking solutions. Read on for a recent real-world example:

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Our client, a global film and television production company, utilized in-person screenings with live test audiences to assess the viability of new programs and promotional efforts. In-person efforts offered several advantages related to security, including the ability to confirm research participant identity and secure intellectual property; however, the cost and turnaround time made this approach challenging to execute without significant planning and financial investment. The client approached Paradigm Sample seeking a solution that would enable them to perform “quick pulse” studies with shorter turnaround times while still maintaining the rigor, security, and reliability of their in-person work.

From the Silver Screen to the Blue Screen

The Paradigm Sample team recommended shifting to an online research methodology, with a plan to address the unique challenges and needs of entertainment test screening:

• Participant Validation: To validate potential research participants’ identity and personal information, they would need to provide a copy of their driver’s license or submit social media verification. This method would help weed out potential fraudsters and narrow down to participants serious about taking part in the research program.
• Content Security: Film previews are a hot item for leaks and theft, a primary concern for the client. Paradigm Sample crafted a participant policy and NDA to address the legal considerations specific to this research type. The start and conclusion of the survey contained reminders to participants of their obligation to maintain the privacy of the study materials. Media assets utilized watermarks, and survey programming featured proprietary security measures to help prevent piracy.
• Custom Profiling and Targeting: In addition to the typical profiling on demographics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, location, etc.) required for representative sampling, many of the client’s screening tests required entertainment-related targeting; for example, some studies required participants to have seen a movie in a theater in the past 6 months, others required fans of specific genres of entertainment or to have familiarity with a particular film franchise. To address this need, Paradigm Sample implemented custom profiling for the sub-panel community of validated participants. This profiling allowed the client to target and access the specific segment of the market they were interested in for a given study. Employing this profiling before the project went live meant the client could save time screening participants and helped increase conversion, resulting in lower costs, increased engagement, and ultimately netting higher quality data.

Qual Quality Online

Beyond security measures, the research needed to be defensible to the client’s internal teams. They needed to feel confident in bringing the voice of the customer to their stakeholders to mitigate risks and drive smart business decisions. Paradigm Sample’s research design included qualitative aspects such as open-end questions and video submissions to help tell the story of the research results. Participants described their reactions to the media presented, touching on the aspects that did (and did not) resonate with them. These stories formed an impactful highlight reel to guide the program’s go-to-market strategy.

That is a Wrap

Delivering an innovative approach to solve real-world problems is at the core of Paradigm Sample’s DNA. When research professionals face a set of challenges, they can count on the team at Paradigm Sample to deliver creative solutions. Before a project kicks off, the team employs a comprehensive logistics review to ensure the timeline and deliverables are feasible. A commitment to a collaborative partnership with regular communication ensures alignment throughout the project field time. Innovating is the fun part of the research; let the team at Paradigm Sample get creative and think outside the box to meet your confines.