4 major developments in market research tech for 2023

Discover the latest must-know tech updates on topics including the metaverse, holograms, and biometrics

NOVA, MMR's in-house tech innovation team

11 Dec, 2022 | 8 minutes

AR humanizes quant with ‘holograms’: boosting insight and almost doubling average verbatim word count

While online quantitative survey is a market research norm, human connection is completely absent in most quantitative surveys – and the use of it could make a crucial difference to the insight obtained. Could Augmented Reality (AR) be the solution?

As presented by NOVA at the 2022 Society of Sensory Professionals Conference in Savannah GA, this presentation highlights the effective incorporation of Augmented Reality into consumer research to drive engagement and deliver crucial additional insight.

Catch up on the presentation below.

View presentation

Biometrics such as facial coding will NEVER measure emotion

Understanding emotional associations is often thought of as the holy grail in the market research industry. Whilst MMR and NOVA do not offer facial coding and have always been keen to share our reservations about the technologies with enquiring clients, the UK Government’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have now issued a dire warning on the topic.

“You can’t predict emotions from facial expressions… or any other physiological measures!”

MMR Research’s Founder and Chairman Professor David Thomson provides further insight and understanding on the topic below.

Read now

AI creative generators to inspire rapid pack and product design

AI-powered text-to-image generators create original, realistic images on any theme in seconds. You’ve likely heard about or tried one already! But as with any new tech, the implementation of possible use cases in the world of market research is currently being built out, tested and developed. And whilst clearly not a replacement for talented creatives, these tools such as Dall-E 2 represent an opportunity for rapid pack and product inspiration and design – to get a high-speed head start in concept development by aligning with consumer expectations based on early-stage ideas (at both a qualitative and quantitative level).

Want to see it in action? Stream MMR’s End of Year Show from December 7^th below, featuring a spotlight on how tech will change the way we create and a live demo of Dall-E 2.

Stream on demand

MRS Metaverse Conference: Healthcare research in the metaverse

The world appears to be going metaverse-crazy at the moment – but is it worth the hype?

Our sister company in healthcare research, HRW, will be featuring a case study at the upcoming Market Research Society (MRS) conference on the topic of the metaverse.

They will be sharing results from a pioneering study using focus groups conducted in the metaverse, exploring a women’s health condition with patients and healthcare professionals.

Save the date, January 19^th 2023, to understand the real potential of the metaverse and any obstacles that need to be overcome to ensure its success as a research platform.

But wait, there’s more! MMR recently went live in the metaverse for Stardate 2030, an event for FMCG brands that looked at how we can speed up adoption of future innovations like cultured meat, skin rewilding, animal-free dairy and other more sustainable solutions. On top of the exclusive new research results from a study on the topic, Stardate 2030 gave attendees the opportunity to experience the metaverse first-hand. Check it out by clicking here.

Call for collaboration!

We’re looking for brands to collaborate with as we uncover the technology that makes a real difference to the quality and depth of consumer insight - avoiding tech for tech’s sake and paving the way for market research. The future is in your hands; put the risk in ours and get in touch to grab the following opportunities before they go.

Real time consumption behavior

Child-friendly research

Your products are talking – we are listening

Do you want to uncover how consumers really use your products, without relying on reported data? We are currently looking to collaborate with a client on understanding real time consumption behavior through a range of exciting smart solutions. Sound like something you’re interested in? Reach out to us to find out more.

Get in touch

Child-friendly research

We are looking to pilot several new approaches and measure the impact on engagement and quality by incorporating animations and games into research for kids. Please contact the NOVA team to discuss this in more detail.

I'm interested!