Univision appears to be using Google Consumer Surveys to test how recognized its talent is, and separately to test different Pay-Per-View pricing levels for Telenovelas. We see the following hub and spoke questions in rotation:

Univision is a $2.5 billion media company with $300 million a year in profits. Univision can afford to hire any market research company in the world to conduct its talent studies, so it is striking that the company is using Do-It-Yourself Google Consumer Surveys #gsurveys, with English Language questions, to test different pay-per-view pricing. #gsurveys can conceivably be written in Spanish, but Univision would have no control over which publisher websites the questions would show up on.

As always, questions outlined in red are the “hub” questions (the first of two questions that any one respondent will see), and questions outlined in purple are the “spoke” questions, the second question that any given respondent may see. Reminder that no one respondent sees more than two total questions.

Google Consumer Surveys #gsurveys are priced in such a way that iterative research is almost inevitable. In hub image #3, “no” and “yes” are not capitalized. In hub image #2, “Yes and “No” are capitalized and so is “Language” in the non-hyphenated “Spanish Language” construction. By the time Univision’s copy editors had iterated to hub image #1, “Spanish-language” had been hyphenated, “yes” and “no” were back to lower case, and the word “telenovela” had been removed from the question text.

Do you think Univision will rely on the results of Google Consumer Surveys to make any substantive business decisions? Do you think that Univision is conducting this research to see how #gsurveys results foot to other market research Univision is conducting using traditional methods and traditional vendors? Or, do you think that this research is not being conducted by Univision, but rather by some other entity that hopes to use the results to make a pitch to Univision?

Here is a real question that someone paid to ask using Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys):

What is it possible to learn from a survey that includes this one Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys) question?

Would the information be of value More »

Anything you can make small, I can make smaller, I can make anything smaller than you. No you can’t. Yes I can.

Up for examination today is parallel research being conducted using Google Consumer Surveys on the Garnet Hill catalog and the Sundance catalog.

Nothing wrong with the concept here: showing respondents a page from your catalog is a great way to get respondents to react. But in execution, showing Google Consumer Surveys respondents an illegible page from your catalog can only antagonize respondents, and disrespect them. Same with this copy-cat execution from Sundance:

Given that Google’s question type has such a small window for an image to appear, Do-It-Yourself researchers are encouraged to be ruthless when deciding what image (or what kind of image) might work in that space. Respondents will be able to make out about as much as they could on a postage stamp at 24 inches. Go get a postage stamp, and put it into your hand, extend your arm as far out as you can, keeping your elbow straight, and then stare at the stamp. That is about what the typical respondent will see when using Google Consumer Surveys to look at an image. They’ll be able to tell Elvis from the Liberty Bell, but not much more.

If you are not sure whether your logo, or your advertisement, or your catalog will show up well in Google Consumer Surveys Do-It-Yourself tool, talk to a professional researcher. A professional researcher can help you in two seconds make a judgment about what will and will not work in DIY.

Back to the examples at hand, it appears that an outfit called Webster Capital in Waltham MA is the common link between Sundance and Garnet Hill. Based on this, be on the lookout for similar research on the Frontgate, Ballard Designs and Norm Thompson catalogs. Tell us if you come across Google Consumer Surveys (GCS) examples from any of these catalog houses, and whether the art is legible or illegible. As always, make a note of when you see what you see and where you saw it.

Here’s an almost great use of Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys).

A company that helps those in the job market prepare for their job interview by giving them a critique on their job interviewing skills wants to know what you think of their online webcam service. Here’s what respondents are seeing on #gsurveys:

Problem #1: the word “job” does not appear anywhere in Question #1. So we were flummoxed as to what kind of interviewing skills the question might refer to.

Yes, we understand why the word “job” does not appear, but would a respondent understand?

The word “job” does not appear because Google limits your question length to 100 total characters, including spaces. And Question #1 (above left) as written, is 99 total characters. So, the word “job” doesn’t fit, and there are no obvious other words to delete.

So the DIY-Researchers in this case were SOL. Right?

Wrong. More »

Pinal County adults approve of the job Paul Babeu is doing as Sheriff by a 2:1 margin, according to this SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KNXV-TV in Phoenix. Today, 56% approve; 28% disapprove. Subtracting disapproval from approval yields Net Approval; Babeu today is at Plus 28. Babeu has a lower but still positive Net Approval among Hispanics and moderates.

Babeu's decision to end his 4th Congressional District campaign and instead run for re-election as Pinal County Sheriff has broad support; 60% say this was the right decision, 30% the wrong decision. 57% say Babeu deserves another term as Sheriff; 34% say he does not. Opposition to a second term is highest among moderates, seniors, and independents.

63% say Babeu's sexuality will not be a factor in their vote for Sheriff; 20% say it will be a minor factor; 16% say it will be a major factor. Pinal came out as gay three months ago.

This research was conducted bilingually. SurveyUSA interviewed 500 Pinal adults in Spanish and in English 05/11/12.

Ongoing SurveyUSA reaction to Do-It-Yourself research created with Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys) and similar DIY tools will be highlighted with these icons.

As you come across examples of DIY Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys) in the wild, More »

Who do we think is conducting this Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys) research on heart disease?

Let’s stipulate that the #gsurveys research is probably not More »

There is nothing wrong with showing a respondent a pair of logos and then asking the respondent which one of the two logos he/she prefers. By iterating, you can discard your losers and zero-in on your winner, just like an optometrist zeros-in on a patient’s most optimal eyeglass prescription by asking, “Better ‘A’? Or Better ‘B’?”

The problem here, with Release 1.0 of Do-It-Yourself Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys), is that More »

52% of registered Minnesota voters say they would vote for Barack Obama in a general election today, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KSTP-TV Minneapolis / St. Paul.  38% say they would vote for Mitt Romney; 10% are undecided. Among women, Obama leads by 20 points; among men, Obama leads by 9. Among voters under age 50, Obama leads by 19 points; among voters 50+, Obama leads by 10. 8% of Democrats cross over to vote for Romney; 14% of Republicans cross over to vote for Obama. Independents break 4:3 for the incumbent.

52% of voters also say they agree with President Obama’s statement that same-sex couples should be able to get married. 42% disagree.

Cell-phone and home-phone respondents included in this research: SurveyUSA interviewed 600 state of MN adults 05/09/12 and 05/10/12. Of the adults, 516 were registered to vote and were asked the questions contained herein. This research was conducted using blended sample, mixed-mode. Respondents reachable on a home telephone (74% of registered voters) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer. Respondents unreachable on a home telephone (26% of registered voters) were shown a questionnaire on their smartphone, laptop, tablet, or other electronic device.

Public opinion pollsters must decide whether DIY Google Consumer Surveys (#gsurveys) represent an opportunity or a threat. Google seeks to disintermediate public opinion pollsters by telling those who want to ask questions that they can use Google Consumer Surveys to access directly those who want to give answers, bypassing the middle-man research companies.  Do-It-Yourself #gsurveys appear to be positioned primarily at businesses who want to learn something about their customers, and/or their market.

But: consider these #gsurveys now in rotation, which seek to measure preference for Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney.

In example #1, on the left, any breathing human is asked whether he/she prefers Obama or Romney. In theory, this question has all kinds of limitations, including … More »