Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Dear Luis,

Most of the surveys that offer prizes are designed to bring in huge amounts of data, data that allows marketers to direct their efforts to sell more stuff. The prizes and cash are designed as bait to get people to respond.

Surveys of this kind are also used to help build lists; the questions help to refine the aim of the marketing the survey will then go on to address, while also collecting information such as names, addresses, buying habits, and so on, all of which is then used to direct appropriate offers, goods, and services to the people completing the survey: the information gathered helps match products to potential buyers.

Detailed surveys also reveal who is buying what, where they're buying it from, when, how often, and compared to what in terms
of brand to brand comparison.

This kind of information helps marketers, brand managers, store owners, and product manufacturers refine the best use of their marketing money, so that they get the best possible return on their marketing investment.

I'm sure that in comparison to many of my colleagues, this answer is a little thin on details, but I hope this helps you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Basically, they want to know, learn or discover something: What that is (whether category usage, brand awareness/imagery/preference, share of wallet, etc.) can be discerned from the types of questions asked.

If it's exploratory in nature (few to no brands named, more focused on usage needs, solutions and habits) - it's meant to garner information about problems, opportunities, solutions gaps, substitutions, etc. and is more likely to be new-product oriented.

If there are many brand-related questions, it's likely more positioning-oriented to assess how an existing / particular brand fits within the user mindset and preferences relative to competition. This could be to determine how well marketing efforts are working, or just to determine where a brand fits in the category.

Either situation will likely have many demographic / socio-economic questions associated with it to determine whether a respondent fits a particular target profile (or to develop the same).

-Steve