By Vassilis Moustakoudis

Τhe most insightful learning in this first year of the research hive life, is the importance of transforming theory into action, daring to move forward, even when conditions are not always favorable or the outcome always guaranteed. Because this is the only way to attribute value to an idea or a plan, to understand how far this idea can go;

by testing it in real life conditions and fine tuning it in the process of development.

The idea of developing our own software, a platform that would satisfy the imperative need of communicating with our respondents in real time and in a much more natural for them environment, was at the beginning a challenging undertaking. But, we felt that it was worth taking the risk.

After numerous meetings, revisions and trials with our technical partners, our platform, hive live, was ready to host the most intuitive discussions with our consumers on a 24/7 basis. We experienced firsthand, along with our clients, the merits of turning consumers into protagonists, letting them take the lead and revealing aspects of their lives that we would not have encountered any other way.

But this was only the beginning, as this experience gave birth to new plans. The idea of overcoming the space barrier & reducing the costs of conventional CATI was our next challenge. Bringing to life an on line CATI, based on our software, would allow clients to have access both to the interviewing process & feedback reports at any time, throughout the project lifespan. Tel hive was conceived at that very moment.

Making our clients partakers of the research procedure was the vision behind hive on air service. Our clients would be able to watch the discussions with their consumers on line and interact with the moderator, at the comfort of their office, via the hive live platform.

Today, 1 year later, we feel really happy that we did not listen to the “voice of reason”. And this has become our philosophy. If you believe strongly in an idea, dare to implement it and this may become the beginning of an exciting journey.

On average, Greeks possess 1.7 technological devices. 35-50 y.o. are determined to “go with the flow” and compete with younger audiences in technology devices possession.

Focusing on apps, each user has downloaded approximately 4 types of apps, with social media and gaming apps being universally appealing across age groups.

But, technology is also changing the way we are getting informed, with social media establishing itself as key sources of news. Let’s take a closer look . . .

If somebody asked you a few years ago what "ratatouille" is, it would be highly unlikely for you to know the answer. Today, chances are you have already experimented with numerous ratatouille recipes in your kitchen. The meaning of cooking for Greeks is changing. And so are the motives which drive men and women in the kitchen. Creativity and inspiration are key words in the cooking vocabulary of Greeks, with a breadth of on & off line sources battling for the attention of the "new breed of chefs". But how do brands stand in this new cooking reality? Is their presence enchanting enough to make consumers relate?

We wanted to gain an insightful and realistic view on what actually happens in the S/M battlefield. We invited 16 mothers to track their shopping behavior for a period of 2 weeks and share their experiences with us via our on line platform, hive live. What they found out about themselves was quite revealing, not only for us, but for them as well. Do they really stick to the list & budget? Are they as disciplined as they claim to be? Let's find out . . .

The diffusion of the Internet in our lives has not only enabled the free & instant access to all kind of information, but, it has also affected the way people express themselves and communicate today.Consumes - citizens are not passive observers and recipients of information.

People today flirt with the more active and dynamic role of commentators, influencers and co-creators.

At the same time, people find themselves sharing their everydayness between the on line and off line world, to the extent that it is becoming hard to discern between the two. The psychology of the consumer-citizen is changing, along with the perception on his own image, his role in the “universe” and of course his behavior.

It’s been quite a while since researchers started questioning whether research, as we know it, can effectively incorporate the new emerging role of the consumer – citizen and to what extent existing research approaches grasp the new means of expression and communication, reaction and behavior of consumers

One has to wonder if traditional research continues to face respondents as passive transmitters of information, disregarding their new empowered status; whether it places focus on the playback of past experiences and interact with respondents with the intervention of the researcher.

Could it be that we are missing opportunities which emerge from this new more expanded and empowered role of respondents, who act as conscious researchers of their own behavior, seeking info and responding to stimuli, using a vast range of expressive means, from videos and pics, to symbols and abbreviations?

One thing is certain. If we continue ignoring respondents’ new role, we distance ourselves from the wealth of experiences and emotions which can be shared only through direct and continuous interaction with the consumer in his own environment.

Research can no longer be a snapshot of the past. Research owes to itself to become a continuous, systematic and direct form of interaction with the consumer, an imprint of many smaller moments in people’s lives eagerly shared between respondents and researchers.

It is of ultimate importance to enrich our methodologies so as to grasp the new reality. Market research is challenged not only to adjust to the new reality, but to take things a step forward, develop new methodologies and software that can more effectively deal with the new consumer reality.

As more and more consumers enthusiastically embrace Internet in their everydayness and immerse in the on line world, barriers against on line and experiential approaches lose ground and the need for researchers to become more resourceful becomes imperative.

Vassilis Moustakoudis

It seems like we are, if we take into account that consumers today are more likely to talk about a brand in a positive manner, contrary to the earlier years of the crisis, where consumers were turning their backs on the brands.

40% of consumers have discussed with friends their positive experience with a brand. Another 12% does not hesitate to suggest a brand to their friends

Women 25-34 were the target most likely to spread around their positive feel about the brand.

Promos is the most popular topic amongst 45+ consumers, who consistently admit informing their friends on offers and promotions. This is the target who have higher chances to become PL ambassadors as well.

1 in 2 people are likely to place new products in their basket during a visit to the super market.

If we were to interpret these figures a few years ago, we may be discussing about experience seeking consumers, eager to discover and embrace the new and inspiring.

But, within today’s context, what could be the conclusions drawn?

Could this mean that as we distance ourselves from brands, we are becoming more open to new in the lookout for more value for money propositions? Promos and offers account for 25% of new products trial.

Could it also mean that we are in need for unique and novel propositions that make us feel that things are moving forward despite the crisis? Uniqueness & novelty enchant 25-34 y.o targets. Especially if the new proposition is presented in an impactful manner on shelf which can convince 20% of trialists

For sure, the presence of kids in household is a crucial factor of trial. 65% of parents with younger kids have bought a new product in the last couple of weeks.

Friends’ advice and suggestions persuaded 2 in 10 consumers to try out a new product, a percentage marginally higher than TV advertising.