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In Europe this weekend, 400 citizens will be invited to participate in a deliberative poll. This is a technique that has been around for more than 15 years which gives people the chance to voice their opinions about issues in a moderated debate.

People are organized in tables, each table has it’s own moderator and the large group follows a discussion guide. As the discussion progresses, comments and ideas and suggestions from each table are sent to the central stage and shared with a large group.

The European debate is a response to the fact that citizens rarely debate European issues with citizens from other countries and that European politicians want to go beyond traditional polls to hear the real issues.

What’s interesting is that this group of 400 citizens, selected randomly from all 27 EU member states will meet in the European Parliament and EESC buildings in Brussels and Europe’s politicians will be in attendance.

It’s interesting that deliberative polling has been used fairly frequently to understand political issues, but what about brands?

Could a brand face up to scrutiny and questioning from a large group of customers and prospects gathered in a room engaged in a deliberative discussion?

Given that brands today are so keen to embrace the consumer and bring them into the marketing process, from a research perspective deliberative polls what seem to be the way forward and something that would go beyond traditional qualitative and quantitative research.

Anyone brave enough to try?



Posted by Ed Cotton "We built the store inside a warehouse. We claimed it was a movie set so that people would deliver all these goods and not think it was us. We had to borrow products from other retailers because we hadn't at that stage developed any products. We took ordinary people in, and they really, really liked it."

Sir Tim Leahy-Tesco (on his company's research for the US launch)


Posted by Ed Cotton This month's Fast Company has an article about the resurgence of Disney. However, reading a recent blog post from FC about the President of ABC-Disney television group, Anne Sweeney, Influx wonders were the insight comes from.

The post references Anne's recent trips into the field and onto college campuses, where she witnessed first hand the changing media habits of this new college generation.

"Even on days when she's being a mom instead of a high-powered executive. Sweeney, who's based in Los Angeles, was on the East Coast primarily to visit college campuses with her daughter. Seven colleges in a week. Sweeney couldn't help but notice how ubiquitous laptops were and which shows resonated with students (the lounge TV on one campus had a sign that read, "Reserved for Lost"). "The trip has definitely given me a view of this younger group's experience with media that I don't normally get," she says. "It's first-hand market research. I've got a thousand ideas from this."

Not to mention a new appreciation for that generation's WiFi expectations. "Last night, we checked into the hotel, my daughter said, 'Oh, I’m so happy.' I said, Because you’re in New York? She said, 'No, because I finally have a signal.'"

Sweeney had to grin. "Yeah, that’s what I said to my mother on my college tour."

It leaves us thinking:

1. Should we assume that all this was new news to her?

2. Based on this illuminating experience, shouldn't she be getting out of the office more often?

3. Shouldn't her research folks be doing a better job of bringing their targets to life?

This is a tale about experiences counting for far more than listening to a research debrief.

It's a big challenge for all planners, agencies and consultants.

How do you get the client to understand it, if they don't experience it?

You have to try and make the client a part of the process and you have to bring creativity to your findings; bring them to life for those who didn't experience it first hand.

Make the research, creative.


Many brands jumped onto Second Life because of the PR impact; there was a time when a mere appearance in the virtual world guaranteed a story. Brands were attracted because for limited out of pocket they could break through and garner attention. Obviously, things have moved on a little and the PR impact is no longer there, so brands need to consider a strategy for SL.

Starwood is one company that’s always been thinking of SL as something more than PR. The company has been using SL to test out its new aloft concept and get feedback on improvements. Quite simply, it’s been using it as a research tool.

Tomorrow, Starwood is introducing a new version of aloft on Second Life, based on the suggestions from Second Life residents. These are pretty smart and practical suggestions and include:

-    Radios in the showers
-    Additional lobby seating
-    Local art on the walls of the lobby

In addition, Starwood is going to donate the land from the hotel, once this project is done, to a member of the Second Life community. All people have to do is send in a best use suggestion in 500 words or less.

Second Life has been bashed in the media in the last couple of months with a consequence that many media planners are taking it off their schedules. Clearly, Second Life is not a brand launch play; it’s an environment to test out new ideas and to have a permanent brand presence. This should be about a short-term idea to support an ad campaign, but it needs to be considered within the context of long-term brand strategy.

Influx readers will get the chance to learn more about the future of brands in Second Life at the Influx Ideas 07 conference. Rueben Steiger, the founder of Millions of Us, one of the leading creators of Second Life environments, will be one of our speakers.