sens helps get you precise data at about half the cost 

sens is a market research platform that uses artificial intelligence to detect and interpret verbal and nonverbal cues from respondents. It is a joint venture between communication agency F/NE and YellowSpot.

sens has the ability to understand emotions, interpret tone and read physical reactions. Its approach to data collection enables more precise marketing and gathering of insights at about half the cost of conventional market research.

F/NE’s Mandi Fine says: “From a data collection perspective, not much has changed over the years. Respondents are required to either sit through lengthy focus groups or answer surveys or questionnaires. It is time the science behind the structure of these interactions and the way we capture the inputs were disrupted.

“Why can’t respondents share answers by voice input, or even better, by video feed? Why should a market research experience feel any different from a friend asking you an opinion over a video call or from dropping your thoughts on a voice note?

“Another limiting factor in terms of data collection, particularly with qualitative data, relates to scale. Senior researchers who can conduct qualitative interviews do not come cheap, nor do astute facilitators who have an ability to navigate a focus group scenario.”

Fine says that by introducing avatars (life-like computer renderings) that can conduct AI-driven one-on-one or group sessions at scale over a short time coupled with deep listening, you can fundamentally bring down both the timescale and the price points of what has been a lengthy and expensive exercise for marketers.

There is also a hybrid approach, in which you amplify the scale of your human research by using human facilitators to do the deeply nuanced data collection work and then create scale for the more repetitive type of data collection activities through avatar-led interaction.

How exactly does the new approach work? Fine says: “We digitised and AI-enabled what is known today as focus groups, interviews, and surveys end to end. They have been reimagined as digital experiences during which consumers can interact with and discuss a brand, product or service.

“Through deep digital listening we can now really understand what people are saying and what they mean in answering questions like: ‘Do they really trust the brand?’, ‘How crazy are they about the product?’, ‘How deep is their loyalty?’ This makes both the intangible and the subjective tangible and actionable.” 

Competitors in the market research space are watching this development closely. Tank Research founder Nomfundo Dlamini says AI in the research space is having an effect that is mostly positive for marketers and researchers alike. It allows for the “simplification” of big data and for speed in analysis, which is often one of the biggest barriers to research. And, importantly, it allows for better accuracy. But, Dlamini says, there will always be a space for face-to-face research, as there are some nuances that one can get only  from personal interaction.

Natalie Botha, director of media and creative insights at Kantar, says: “The trick with all these tools is that they need to be continuously taught and informed by humans. The use of AI is not a threat to traditional research at all. In fact, it often brings to life the obvious more quickly, and has significantly helped us improve our offer over the past decade. But if used irresponsibly, AI is a threat to brands that use the technology without deeply considering the pros and cons. After all, at the end of the day it is a machine and is not consuming your product.”

Jason Stewart, co-founder of HaveYouHeard, says the objective of the industry needs to be to provide accurate, deep and actionable insights that can lead to an output such as increased sales or changing perceptions. He says that if any tool can assist with this, it will only help make the research industry more useful and more relevant and will be used more often.

AI will not be a replacement of human beings, but a tool that works alongside humans to make them more effective at their jobs, he points out. 

Source: Jeremy Maggs, Business Live