For surveys, and for centralized info-gathering, FluidSurveys provides an excellent solution. There are other programs out there which provide a wider range of solutions (i.e., they can be used for surveying AND comprehensive online engagement, rather than just a data-gathering type of consultation); however, for programming and implementing surveys, FluidSurveys has an effective variety of strengths and options that make it optimal for users who are focused specifically on surveys.
If you are new to an consumer-facing industry and want to get the lay of the land, this would be a great product for you. It could help you understand consumer wants and motivators, and would be helpful for keeping up with an industry, and for developing your own stance within that industry. If you're an agency, supporting a brand, Mintel is helpful when trying to develop brand strategies (branding, which claims are best to highlight, consumer profiling, etc).
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User-friendly. For the majority of the general and basic tools you can use with FluidSurveys to build surveys are simple to use and intuitive. When certain issues come up, the service is quick (chat room) and effective.
Anonymity: the software has the reputation of being safer in terms of safeguarding private information the respondents share by answering surveys (this is mainly due to the fact that the servers are in Canada). Thus, indirectly, they increase response rates.
Extensive possibilities: FluidSurveys offers a plethora of possibilities and options that really renders the experience interesting in terms of micro-managing each details of the surveys you are sending out there. When the invitation leaves by email, it is exactly how you want it.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
it would be nice if Mintel got even more specialized with some of their industry/product groups. For example, we wanted to do research on what was happening in the consumer orthodontia space, but the best we could do is get info on consumer feelings around oral healthcare products like toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
If they offered a B2B version of this tool, that would be game changing.
Affordability. Individual reports are quite expensive, but getting an annual subscription is probably also prohibitive for smaller businesses
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Note: I am responding to this question as a user of the system and not a representative of my organization.
On a personal level/as a user only, I would definitely continue to use FluidSurveys.On a personal level/as a user only, I would definitely continue to use FluidSurveys.
I think the average person can very quickly pick up on the basics of the system: they would have no problems programming and launching a basic survey. Organizations may benefit from having people of different backgrounds getting their hands dirty in the system: at a minimum, both web programmers and opinion research advisors should be solicited for input or help.
Although I do not have much experience with Survey Monkey, the only two reasons why I choose FluidSurveys is that clients demand it (privacy and anonymity) and because managing multiple surveys at a time is easier. As for ODK Collect, I think it is a valuable alternative to FluidSurveys if you have time to learn the coding (not very complicated). ODK is a little less user friendly and you cannot address small details as you can with FluidSurveys (e.g.: formatting).
Mintel industry data has been the backbone of our agency's blog, email and marketing eblasts, which helps position us as a thought-leader.
I can't say that Mintel stats single-handedly won some new business pitches for us, but adding Mintel stats to a pitch (especially one that we might be somewhat new to), has certainly strengthened our pitch and made us look like confident experts.
when we've supported a client with a new product launch, we've used Mintel to develop an actionable plan about brand positioning, which claims to highlight and how their product will fit in the competitor landscape.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
