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Mobile surveys yield best response from under 25 year olds Lightspeed Research evaluates the effectiveness of mobile market research LONDON – 17 January 2007 – 16 to 24 year olds have shown the highest response rate and the fastest completion time of surveys conducted via mobile phone, according to Lightspeed Research, a leading interactive online market research provider. The research explored the acceptance and effectiveness of mobile surveys and confirms some of the assumptions. However, technology issues, cost for participants and the novelty factor of mobile market research needs to be addressed properly in order to gain an understanding of this methodology. Young and tech savvy mobile users most willing to take part Compared to online surveys where the younger age groups tend to be less active, surveys conducted on the mobile phone seem to benefit from handsets being one of the must have accessories that most under 25 year olds carry with them at all times. This age group achieved a response rate of 39%, while the over 55’s had a response rate of only 17%. These older respondents also showed a high incompletion rate of 47% compared to only 14% for 16-24 year olds, indicating the older age groups were less comfortable using this method of survey completion. David Day, CEO of Lightspeed Research says “Mobile market research shows enormous potential especially for capturing the opinions and attitudes of the younger generations. However, more scrutiny is necessary to ensure that these high response rates are not only a result of the novelty factor but remain stable over time.” Lightspeed Research evaluated the feasibility of mobile market research by running trial surveys in the UK. The research was carried out in three stages: Stage 1 - members of the Lightspeed online panel were asked if they were willing to take part in Stage 2 - a mobile survey. 39% of them agreed to take part in the second stage and have questionnaires sent to their phones, showing a healthy enthusiasm for this method. Finally, in Stage 3 - participants were sent a further online survey to ask them about their experience and opinion on using their mobile to answer questions. Half of mobile responses (50%) within the first hour By definition mobile surveys can be answered at home, on the bus, at friends or in the pub. Combined with the brevity of the survey (in this case six questions) the expected speed of responses was confirmed with 45% of responses arriving within half an hour of sending out the survey. Within 24 hours 85% of all respondents had taken part in the survey. A few days after the survey was carried out, all participants were asked their opinion and nearly all (97%) said they enjoyed taking part. 98% of all who completed the survey said they would do it again. Even 65% of those who dropped out of the mobile survey said they would try to take part the next time. The main two reasons people didn’t complete the survey were because of technical problems (50%) and concerns about the cost of participating (13%). Mobile surveys are still relatively new to people, which may be why heavy users and those with monthly contracts were seen to be more likely to take part than customers using pre-paid mobile phones. David Day concludes “From online market research we know that new technology can be used to overcome some of the issues of traditional research, but only if it is done properly and to high quality standards. To ensure this, we are conducting further in-depth mobile survey research before deciding if using mobile research should become part of our offering in the future. The results partly confirm our expectations that there could be significant benefits in using this approach for key target markets, however, some of the questions raised needs to be considered honestly and thoroughly to ensure the high quality results on mobile panels that our clients have come to expect from all of our online panels.” Lightspeed Research conducted the initial and final online survey amongst 2550 people in the UK. There were 1007 participants in the mobile survey. About Lightspeed Research
Lightspeed Research is a global interactive market research solutions provider delivering effective online panels for effective business solutions. Through its network of proprietary panels and accredited panel partners, Lightspeed Research can provide access to consumers across 34 countries in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Lightspeed Research's proprietary panels are recruited and maintained to ensure quality and representative sampling to support studies that range in scope and complexity across most industry sectors. Lightspeed Research operates specialty panels covering healthcare, financial services, automotive, B2B, telecommunications, family and more. The company also provides custom panel solutions for clients, building customised panels to address specific client needs. Through Lightspeed Research, clients can reach both low-incidence and large samples cost-effectively, access extensive background information, and find their target audience through unique screening capabilities. Lightspeed Research is a member of WPP, one of the world's leading communications services companies. For more information, please visit www.lightspeedresearch.com or send an e-mail to
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