Online Communities

When ThinkNow set out to build what became one of the first nationally representative Hispanic online panels in 2008, we thought a lot about what type of communication would work best with Hispanic panelists. While the concept of online research panels was mature by that time, it was a relatively new concept for Hispanic panelists, specifically first-generation U.S. Hispanics. At the time, email was the primary and usually exclusive mode of communication from the panel to the panelists. Interestingly, not much has changed over the past decade. Email is still the primary mode of communication from a panel to a panelist in 2018.

The good old days of six-figure ad tracking studies are long gone. A remnant of recurring revenue for market research firms may have existed on the fringes but has since been replaced with more affordable, and at times more accurate, ad tracking solutions such as Lucid’s Proof and Connect by Cint. These new players are hell-bent on disrupting the status quo, leaving legacy models behind to catch up. So, the question is, do market research firms fit into the ad tracking ecosystem? Before we answer that question, let’s define what ad tracking is.