Now used by many Public and Private sector organisations worldwide. These innovative polling methods and tools provide not only provide powerful, quality, and detailed market research, but also combine this, if applicable, with market and sales generation, promotion of market awareness, and general market promotion and publicity.
Micro-Polling provides the ability to carry out dynamic polling of a particular targeted group eg this could be a specific geographic area – perhaps a NI council area, or sub-area (based on postcode analyses). It could also be a specific demographic group eg 18-24 year-olds in Northern Ireland (NI), Females in the West of NI, ABC1 socio-economic groups in Belfast, – or a particular industrial group eg NI Teachers etc. Micro-Polls aim to achieve a representative sample of opinion within the targeted group based on a mathematical analysis of the structure and Nos of the targeted group – this usually involves achieving 500-1,000 complete opinions (regarding the issues being researched).
Micro-Polls also facilitate the establishment of Micro-Groups which can allow ongoing and regular polling over a period of time, whilst the group is ‘active’. This therefore can ascertain trends, and changing trends and opinions, over a period of time, within the targeted demographic group eg geographic area, age-group, and/or gender group. These target Micro-Groups can/could be set-up as a direct output from a Micro-Polling project, and could represent a particular group, or be representative of a specific opinion related to the clients business.
As part of the contacts LucidTalk make during polling projects, including micro-poll projects, LucidTalk (in agreement with the client) also collate a database of poll participants who would like to also participate in future ‘Live’ events e.g. Focus Groups etc. These groups (reserached from the target demographic of the micro-poll) usually involve 70-100 participants, and would/could focus on particular issues of interest to the client.
Active Participation Polling (APP) is applicable to targeted groups who have a high or ‘active’ interest in a specific topic/issue, or a set of topics and issues.
For example, this particularly applies to groups who are engaged in a specific activity as a career eg Teachers – researching views on education issues, Doctors/Nurses – researching views on medical service delivery, etc.
It usually involves a mixture of Micro-Polling and other direct Face-to-Face research eg Focus Groups, thus gaining a good set fo Quantitative and Qualitative data related to the topics being researched.
Use of IT and Internet Technologies is increasing rapidly, and the penetration and use of the Internet is now widespread in Northern Ireland – with practically everyone from 9years to 90years having an email address, and over 75% of NI adults owning and/or using a smartphone.
LucidTalk Polling Projects allow the facility for participants to complete a poll-survey online in a secure environment, using unique identifiers. LucidTalk have an established representative online NI Opinion Panel of NI citizens (now over 10,000 members) who have registered with LT to participate in LT’s regular market research and polling projects – this is a unique and powerful resource which can be used for any LT client project. See: LucidTalk Opinion Panel Polling.
Many LucidTalk Polling Projects use a mixture all polling communication channels, including Direct Door-to-Door, Telephone, and Confidential Direct Mail, i.e. as well as Internet. This approach in terms of using a ‘mixture’ of Communication channels ensures that Polling Projects produce the highest possible accuracy in the results, and projects which will fairly represent the targeted polling group.
Deep Polling is used when an in-depth analysis of opinion is required in a specific targeted area. It is particularly used by e.g. political parties, when they require an in-depth analysis of a specific constituency.
A combination of all LT polling and market research methodologies is usually used for these projects dependent on the specific project requirements.
Research, and setting-up of Focus groups –5-9 members per group, with each Focus group collated as a targeted group, again tailored towards client requirements (see Micro Polls above) e.g. geographical – Key areas of N. Ireland etc.
Interaction with Focus Groups can involve direct ‘Live’ meetings, where we can offer the facility of carrying out ‘Live’ Polling at these events. As an example, following presentations from the client & other personnel etc., polling would/could take place via the use of hand-held devices (Audience Response Systems) held by each member of the audience, so that immediate feedback can be obtained.
These immediate results would/can then be analysed instantly in terms of statistics etc., and either presented directly back to the audience for further discussion and evaluation, and/or kept confidentially for further discussion later, or a mixture of both! See: LT Audience Response E-Polling
In particular, Focus Groups provide the additional advantages of: