Blog | Symmetric Sampling

Improving Sample Sustainability: An Industry Imperative

June 1, 2023 | Jason Thomas

It's been almost 30 years since online data collection revolutionized our industry.

Running Complex In-home Use Tests (iHUTs) - and 10 Tips for Living to Smile About It!

May 4, 2023

iHUTs yield wonderful insights, but they don’t always run smoothly.

Four Ways to Win the B2B Data Quality War

January 11, 2023

We can win the war to improve B2B data quality by improving B2B samples. These are the battles that we need to fight:

Don't Stop Market Research in a Recession: Here's Why

October 19, 2022

Here are six tips for market research to conduct in a recession.

Four Important Factors in Choosing the Right Survey Method

September 7, 2022

Marketing problems are so variable, and respondents differ so greatly, there cannot possibly be a one-size-fits all methodology

The Simple Solution to Sample Quality

August 15, 2022

Sampling is one area in research where you get what you pay for.

8 Ways to Absolutely Ruin an IHUT Every Time

July 13, 2022

In-Home Usage Tests (IHUTs) are one of the most proven methodologies for testing products.

5 Ways to Build Your Sample Safety Net

June 15, 2022

Here are five ways to build a sample safety net for your project:

The 4 Imperatives of Panelist Tenure

April 27, 2022

If you are investing in developing a customer community or panel, there is one key factor for on-going success… you want to keep your members for as long as possible.

7 Tips for Sampling IT Decision Makers

March 28, 2022

Technology undeniably rules the world today. Whether a company is a technology seller or user, IT Decision Makers (ITDMs) are highly desirable and sought-after marketing research respondents. However, finding a good sample of ITDMs is easier said than done.

The New Way to Improve Data Quality: People

February 23, 2022

One Key Question to Improve Data Quality

To Weight, or Not to Weight (A Primer on Survey Data Weighting)

December 9, 2021

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when you are thinking about weighting survey data.

Continuing the Conversation: The Mandate for Demographic Evolution

November 8, 2021

The topic of demographic questions and how accurately they reflect society is critical for the insights industry.

No Tricks, Just Treats

October 1, 2021 | Becky Crane

It's that time of year again: time to dust off the costumes, carve the pumpkins, and select the candy of your choice. As we gear up for the one night a year when costumed children shout, "Trick or treat!" as loudly as possible, we hope you will also take a few minutes to stop and reflect on the sample plans you have chosen for your research projects. Why is that? Because the fielding process can often get a little "batty."

Have A Low-Incidence Sample? Don’t Take No For An Answer!

September 21, 2021

Whether your sample is constrained by geography, by product or brand usage, attitudinally, or by some other characteristic, don’t give up when your sample provider tells you that it can’t be done at all, or that you can’t get the sample size you need. It can be done!

The Key to Sampling Success? Get Creative! #3

August 9, 2021

Mixed-methodology studies always come with unique sampling challenges and can result in headaches for researchers and sample companies alike. However, thinking outside the box and really understanding different methodologies can help solve these problems.

Key to Sampling Success? Get Creative! #2

July 7, 2021

If sample providers want to meet their clients’ more complex needs and demands, they must find creative ways to apply traditional sampling approaches to find difficult-to-reach and hard-to-convince respondents.

Key to Sampling Success? Get Creative! #1

May 24, 2021

If sample providers want to meet their clients’ more complex needs and demands, they must find creative ways to apply traditional sampling approaches to find difficult-to-reach and hard-to-convince respondents.

Data Quality

January 25, 2021

Beyond Checking for Duplicates and IP Addresses: 10 Ways to Deep Clean Your Data

When Results Lie: Tips for Overcoming Questionnaire Bias

January 22, 2021 | Audrey Snowden

Biased questions increase respondent confusion which then increases error in their responses. This in turn reduces the strength of the relationships between variables. In worse case scenarios, biased questions can return results that may be untrue which favor a specific outcome. So what can we do to avoid bias in surveys?

9 Tips for Conducting Market Research With Contractors

October 27, 2020

Although market research with contractors is challenging, it can be done and can deliver important and insightful results. Here are 9 proven tips to help.

Survey Error and Polls: What You Need to Know Now

July 22, 2020

This blog highlights some of the most critical errors that are rampant in polling data.

Get To Know Your Project Manager - April Shaver

July 6, 2020

A successful project is not just the result of good tools and technology. At Symmetric, the real reason for successful projects is our people. They are the ones who work tirelessly to complete your projects to your total satisfaction. But you know that... because that's what our clients tell us every day. So, we thought you might like to get to know some of these dedicated, talented professionals! This blog post will go out each week in a series to introduce you to our team of Project Managers over the next 6 weeks.

Get To Know Your Project Manager - Candace Shores

June 29, 2020

A successful project is not just the result of good tools and technology. At Symmetric, the real reason for successful projects is our people. They are the ones who work tirelessly to complete your projects to your total satisfaction. But you know that... because that's what our clients tell us every day. So, we thought you might like to get to know some of these dedicated, talented professionals! This blog post will go out each week in a series to introduce you to our team of Project Managers over the next 6 weeks.

Get To Know Your Project Manager - Jacob Fike

June 22, 2020

A successful project is not just the result of good tools and technology. At Symmetric, the real reason for successful projects is our people. They are the ones who work tirelessly to complete your projects to your total satisfaction. But you know that... because that's what our clients tell us every day. So, we thought you might like to get to know some of these dedicated, talented professionals! This blog post will go out each week in a series to introduce you to our team of Project Managers over the next 6 weeks.

Get To Know Your Project Manager - Ingrid Thomas

June 15, 2020

A successful project is not just the result of good tools and technology. At Symmetric, the real reason for successful projects is our people. They are the ones who work tirelessly to complete your projects to your total satisfaction. But you know that... because that's what our clients tell us every day. So, we thought you might like to get to know some of these dedicated, talented professionals! This blog post will go out each week in a series to introduce you to our team of Project Managers over the next 6 weeks.

Get To Know Your Project Manager - Sarah Witherspoon

June 8, 2020

A successful project is not just the result of good tools and technology. At Symmetric, the real reason for successful projects is our people. They are the ones who work tirelessly to complete your projects to your total satisfaction. But you know that... because that's what our clients tell us every day. So, we thought you might like to get to know some of these dedicated, talented professionals! This blog post will go out each week in a series to introduce you to our team of Project Managers over the next 6 weeks.

Four Critical Tips for Moving from In-Person to Online Qualitative

April 27, 2020

Here are four tips to help prepare you and your team for a successful project and to help you get the most from your first online qualitative projects

Building Panel Tenure

April 2, 2020

If you are making the investment in developing a customer community or panel, there is one key factor for on-going success… you will want to keep your members for as long as possible.

Documenting Bad Respondents to Improve Sample Quality

February 24, 2020

Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if researchers could identify and completely remove the bad respondents from their sample source by having more information on why the respondent was a poor complete?

7 Tips to Cure Your Medical-Marketing-Research Woes

November 13, 2019

Medical marketing research presents many unique challenges. Here are some tips to help you navigate these turbulent waters

8 Lessons Learned to Improve Your B2B Research

October 18, 2019

While there are many pundits arguing that the differences between B2B and B2C marketing are decreasing due to technology, there is one area where the differences are not decreasing: marketing research.

All Sample Sources Are Not Created Equal: How to Select the Right Sample Source

August 20, 2019

Panel and river samples have become very popular, and we are now seeing growth in panel aggregators. None of these sample sources are inherently good or bad, but it is important to understand their differences – and how to choose the best sample source for your project.