One of the top research trends is the need for a holistic consumer intelligence platform. To minimize risk and strategize better, a brand requires to pull data from all conceivable resources.  

As they say, “Sweat in peace than bleed in war”, consumer research keeps researchers well-informed and prepared for any shifts in market dynamics. But the main challenges faced by researchers are- 1) an overwhelming amount of siloed data, 2) poor quality data, 3) lack of actionable insights, 4) struggles to differentiate from competitors, 5) extended timelines, and 6) access to the right audience.

This is where the requirement for a unified research cloud, or rather an integrated research platform comes into play. Integrated research platforms optimize research processes to solve the above problems. They provide a holistic consumer research experience and provide agile, scalable and actionable insights.  

Let’s learn more in detail!

Integrated Research Platforms- What, Why and How

What are Integrated Research Platforms?

Integrated Research Platforms act as a single source of consumer intelligence for brands. It encapsulates all research functions in one place to provide a 360 consumer research experience.

It enables researchers to – 1) conduct research and store data in one place, 2) access online panels, 3) compare results to industry standards using benchmark scores, 4) correlate implicit and explicit responses with behavioral technologies like- facial coding, eye tracking and voice AI, 5) automate reports and charts and 6) conduct Quantitative and Qualitative research all in one place.

Why Integrated Research Platforms are more important now than before?

Consumer Research is a vital source of information. But researchers use traditional market research methods, which leads to a tangled web of redundant, scattered, unreliable and unusable data. This makes agile decision-making difficult. It is a pent-up resource that needs to be harnessed the right way.

Integrated Research Platforms untangle this web to enable researchers to conduct research more efficiently and confidently. Let’s learn how it is all set to change research-  

# Ability to conduct Quantitative, Qualitative and Behavioral Research

Integrated research platforms provide a single dashboard for all research needs. It helps you-  

• Gather surface-level data using quantitative research methods like surveys.  
• Dive deeper with qualitative research methods like focus group discussions and interviews.  

• Verify the reliability of the stated responses by mapping emotional journey, attention and engagement with AI-powered behavioral research technologies like facial coding, eye tracking and voice AI.

# Smart Analytics

A single view, customisable and collaborative dashboard makes data visualization and data collection easy. All decision makers and stakeholders get ready-to-act insights which enable them to understand where data cuts of different types can be configured and past data can be compared to solve present business problems without repeating research.  

# Research Repository

With a surge in data collection over the years, it has become impossible to use past data to solve present business problems. The time and resources wasted in repetitive research are also staggering, with over 21 days a year!  

Integrated Research Platforms help you conduct research and store all the data gathered. You can also upload your old research data and run real-time tests on them.  

To learn more about research repositories and how to get started, check out –

Creating a Research Repository with Quantitative and Qualitative Insights

# Transcription & Translation

Globalization helped brands expand across regions. But this expansion led to research being conducted in multiple languages. Integrated research platforms have automatic translation and transcription. This saves costs and time by reducing the manual efforts that go into transcribing hour long interviews. Automatic translation allows researchers to conduct research anywhere without worrying about language barriers or hiring translators.

# Benchmarking

Benchmark scores help researchers evaluate their gathered insights to industry standards. This reference point saves time and enables brands to stay ahead of their competition without additional research.  

# Access to Online Panels

Every research study is unique; this makes the audience pool diverse. Integrated research platforms either have their panel or partner with panel companies to provide a one-stop solution to all research requirements.

# Integration Capabilities

Integrated Research Platforms allow you to use the platform for hosting meetings and interviews. But it also allows you to integrate with the most commonly used applications like Zoom, Webex, Teams etc. This will enable you to use tools of your choice without worrying about manually uploading recordings to the platform for analysis.

# Cloud and SaaS-based

Integrated Research Platforms are mostly SaaS-based and store the data securely on a cloud. This makes accessing the platform straightforward. With only access to the internet, teams can quickly access any research insights. This reduces the time to onboard and train teams using the platform.  

Benefits of using an Integrated Research Platform

Integrated research platforms are not a “nice to have” but a “must have”. Consumer research is the core to building better customer relationships, delivering value, fostering innovation and beating the competition. With the existing loopholes in consumer research processes, it is essential to move past traditional methods and switch to a smarter, faster and more agile way of conducting research.

Conclusion

The world of research is headed towards agility, scalability and actionability. Integrated Research Platforms being a platter serving you all three, is a necessity. It combines all consumer research requirements into a single collaborative dashboard, leaving you with reliable and powerful insights. It streamlines your research processes, reduces turnaround time, improves cross-collaboration between teams and provides a high ROI on research investments.  

If you are still wondering whether it’s something you should evaluate, you’re lagging behind. Top brands are already using integrated research platforms to stay ahead of the game. Check out Entropik Tech’s integrated research platform!

{{cta-button}}