Leveraging AI in Market Research: Insights from Industry Expert Jay Gangi

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Artificial intelligence has been making waves across various industries, and market research is no exception. As businesses seek to gain deeper insights into consumer behavior and market trends, AI for market research is emerging as a game-changing tool. To explore this exciting intersection of technology and research, we sat down with industry expert Jay Gangi, founder of NovaQuant and a seasoned market researcher with decades of experience.

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Watch the full episode here:

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The Evolution of Market Research

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Before diving into the AI revolution, it's essential to understand how market research has evolved over the years. Gangi provides a historical perspective, noting that when he started his career, research was primarily conducted door-to-door, in malls, or via telephone. The advent of online research about 25 years ago marked a significant shift in the industry.

"Initially, online research wasn't well accepted because the online population wasn't representative of the U.S. population," Gangi explains. "But as more people came online and methodologies evolved, it really started to take off."

While online surveys represented a major leap forward, Gangi believes that AI has the potential to be truly revolutionary for the market research field.

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Current Applications of AI in Market Research

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As researchers begin to explore AI tools, several "low-hanging fruit" applications have emerged. Many are using ChatGPT to gain quick insights into categories or target audiences, summarize data, and brainstorm survey questions. However, the real excitement lies in more advanced applications.

"What I'm really excited about is the opportunity to use chatbots either in a survey or as a way to replace open-ended responses," Gangi shares. This approach allows for more engaging interactions with respondents and moves away from traditional, static questionnaires.

Benefits of AI in Market Research

The integration of AI into market research processes offers numerous benefits:

1. Improved data quality: AI-powered tools can help weed out professional respondents and encourage more thoughtful, in-depth responses.
2. Enhanced participant experience: Chatbots and dynamic surveys can make the research process more engaging for respondents.
3. Efficiency gains: AI can speed up analysis and streamline various research processes.
4. Blending quantitative and qualitative insights: AI enables researchers to conduct qualitative research at scale while still allowing for quantitative analysis.

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Case Studies: AI in Action

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Gangi shares two compelling case studies that demonstrate the power of AI in market research:

1. A/B Testing Chatbots vs. Traditional Open-Ends: In this study, researchers compared responses from a chatbot-driven survey to traditional open-ended questions. The chatbot approach yielded more in-depth responses, providing richer data for text analytics tools.
2. Concept Testing with AI-Powered Interviews: Using AI-driven interviews, a client was able to gather both qualitative and quantitative feedback on a new concept from 100 customers. This approach provided valuable insights for concept refinement before moving to a full-scale quantitative test.

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The Future of AI in Market Research

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While excited about the potential of AI, Gangi remains cautious about some proposed applications, such as synthetic data and respondents. "At this point, I'm not convinced that's an effective approach," he notes. "I'm not yet ready to step away from real respondents to guide that process."

However, he sees immense potential for AI to enhance the role of market researchers. "I think it's a great opportunity for researchers to be more strategic and more creative," Gangi explains. "These AI tools are going to make it easier for researchers to get through a lot of the nuts and bolts stuff and really rise to the level of being more of a strategic partner to their clients and internal stakeholders."

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Researcher Attitudes Towards AI

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In a study conducted by Gangi, he found that most market researchers are generally excited about the potential of AI. While there are some concerns about data sources and representation, most researchers see AI as a tool to help them rather than replace them.

Advice for Researchers Exploring AI

For researchers looking to leverage AI in their work, Gangi offers the following advice:

1. Keep an open mind and experiment with different tools.
2. Create a strategic roadmap for AI adoption in your organization.
3. Collaborate with colleagues and share insights about different AI tools.
4. Stay curious and enjoy the learning process.

"Researchers in general are a curious group," Gangi reminds us. "Allow your curiosity to take you where you want to go and learn about some of these new things. Enjoy the journey."

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of market research, it's clear that those who embrace these new tools and approaches will be well-positioned to deliver more valuable insights to their clients and organizations. By blending the power of AI with human expertise and creativity, market researchers can elevate their role and drive more impactful business decisions.

Are you ready to explore how AI can transform your market research practice? Get in touch with us at Reveal AI to learn how we’re enabling research teams to conduct qualitative research at scale.

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