When considering some of the recent online surveys that I’ve seen or been involved in setting up, I’m reminded of the saying:
Never assume. It makes an ass of u and me.
Anon
It may be hackneyed, but it does ring true for many of the observations I’ve made around surveys. Here’s my list of the 10 most common assumptions to avoid when conducting an online survey.
Today I found myself in the opulent surroundings of Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel for a breakfast seminar, run by Precedent, on creating dynamite campaigns. The following are some of my notes.
The seminar was lead by John Campbell and Mark Baillie, and John began by considering the good, the bad and the ugly. Examples of good campaigns included:
Coca-Cola’s 80s/90s “Can’t Beat the Feeling” adverts – a tune that many of us still recognise today and an excellent example of strong branding.
The University of Birmingham’s Circle of Influence campaign to raise £60 million. Astonishingly, they’ve already reached the £50m mark, combining online strategies with a more traditional print campaign.
Drinkaware’s drink diary, which allows you to monitor your drinking and compare with friends, adding a social element to the mix. You can even download a phone app. I couldn’t help thinking this could backfire though – imagine people using the diary to compare how much they could drink in a week and actually trying to beat each other!
Volkswagen’s Fun Theory website, featuring various viral videos aimed at making people change their behaviour for the better:
John notes that common factors to all of these successes were creativity and innovation.
RT @LockhartL: Just blogged: Leith pilots The Good Gym. Get involved on February 11th! http://t.co/GmLxJi8f @goodgym @allytibbitt @tracy ... #, 2012/02/04
Disclaimer
The views expressed here are entirely my own, and do not represent the views of any company or organisation with which I may be affiliated.