The digital age is moving at an ever-increasing pace. This manifests itself not only in the speed of new technological innovations but also in consumer expectations. Companies like Apple, Tesla and Tencent are setting the standards for what consumers expect from all brands.
In 2016 we took home the Silver Trophy from the ESOMAR Congress for our SkyPriority panel, our highly innovative app-based research with SkyTeam. And while we were proud of the accomplishment and had already achieved many objectives for our research, we also knew that it was not the time to sit still. If we wanted to keep up, we needed to keep moving.

We continued InSites Consulting’s tradition of research on research by conducting a survey among our thousands of panelists to understand how we could improve the research experience on the app and continue providing fresh insights for SkyTeam. We wanted to ensure our continued relevance in this world of high-paced innovation. So, what did we learn from them and how did we create more future-proof research with their help?

1. Improved usability is just a hygiene factor.

Our participants expect continued improvements in the UI/UX of any interface – this is no longer a way to get ahead, it’s a bare necessity for survival.

2. This is a mobile first world.

People expect to be able to accomplish essentially any digital task on their phone. In fact, this is now the primary use case, not something we need to cater for after the facts.

3. People want a reason to give.

As researchers, we need to give our participants a compelling reason to participate. They need to feel that their participation is meaningful and serves a bigger purpose.

4. Time is an ever more valuable resource.

In research, we need to be incredibly sensitive to how valuable our participants’ time is – even when they’re stuck in an airport. Whatever we ask of them needs to be sharp and to the point.

5. It’s not spam if it’s relevant.

People are open to communication and in fact welcome it, as long as it is relevant to them.
With these lessons in hand, we developed our new SkyPriority research app.
First on the agenda was improving usability. Through feedback solicited from internal and external users, we found several ways to make the app more intuitive and user-friendly.
To align with the mobile first principle, we designed the app so users can sign up with their existing social media accounts and join the panel right there in the app rather than by filling out an online intake survey.

We also found innovative ways to make the research more rewarding – we gamified the experience to show them how they contributed and rewarded them for doing so; we added new topics and exposed the participants to new research methods for greater diversity, and we started sharing some of our results with them in the app so they could see how they were making a difference. We even incorporated rich media messaging so we could share news about SkyTeam, research findings and even the aviation sector in general, using more than just text.
We will continue experimenting with new modes and methods of research and we’re proud to say that the SkyPriority panel still stands as a touchstone for innovative customer research.
Want to discover more on our work for SkyTeam? Get your free download of the full bookzine Research as a customer service: How SkyTeam is creating truly consumer-centric research.