Maktoob Research the regional online research company has launched two new initiatives in consumer communications – Online Research Communities, an online market-research, community-building tool, and Mobile Research, a SMS-based research initiative.
 
The Online Research Community initiative will make customized virtual consumer societies that provide companies immediate access to product feedback.
 
“Recent times have seen a dramatic change in new media-based market research techniques, as companies seek newer, more effective ways to reach out to consumers and to understand their needs and expectations better,” says Tamara Deprez, research director of Maktoob Research. “It is this growing demand for inventive methods of research that Maktoob Research hopes to address by launching the Online Research Community and SMS-based research initiative.”
 
The Mobile Research initiative allows clients to receive responses for targeted queries. An SMS invite with a WAP (Wireless Access Protocol) link to a short survey is sent to pre-targeted mobile users, who then reply with their responses. Mobile research is beneficial to companies requiring instant feedback on live or just-concluded events. The tool can be used to ascertain brand awareness of sponsoring brands right after a football game, a concert or a conference.
 
The concept of online research is growing in the Middle East, due to a steady growth in internet penetration and increased awareness of global research techniques. The Internet is estimated to be gaining 10 million new users in the region every year. The UAE already has an internet penetration of 54%.