Google let the secret out several years ago that it is in the business of advertising. Now the search giant is getting serious about offering better analytical tools for businesses and brands to gather more insight about its offerings and what people think about them. Google has just launched Google Consumer Surveys, a cost-efficient survey platform where organizations can employ micro-surveys and where businesses willing to host these surveys also receive revenue.
Retail Wire, one of the sources covering the launch, also reveals that companies are able to ask their own questions or customize existing templates.
Below is a video describing it.
"Customized market research made easy."
As marketing and advertising professionals, no doubt we all see the value of market research. And the ability to make something like this starting at only $.10 a response (for general population, $.50 for targeted demographic studies) can definitely make us take a step back. And we bet some market researchers we know are not going to be too happy about this; already they fight the good fight against the SurveyMonkeys of the world. Now Google?
Note that in the video, Google didn't hide the fact that it was going after the traditional research models. It's true; market research as we know it hasn't changed for a very long time, and as fast as the business world operates today, many research firms do seem less efficient and slower than what they should be.
Looking at the screenshot Google provides of the analyzed data, it doesn't look like you get anything really fancy, so those firms and survey software that provide SPSS-like analysis will still have the upper hand. However, for those marketing teams that need to collect information but are on a tight budget, Google Consumer Surveys could be the answer.
Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.
Google let the secret out several years ago that it is in the business of advertising. Now the search giant is getting serious about offering better analytical tools for businesses and brands to gather more insight about its offerings and what people think about them. Google has just launched 
