Focus Groups on Second Life
Jack Tatar, CEO, GEM Research Solutions
BACKGROUND:
The iAsk Center is celebrating its second year of performing qualitative research on
Second Life. During this time, the Center has performed numerous focus groups at its
facility on Second Life for clients of all sizes. As the owner of the longest running focus
group facility on this virtual world, I feel that I’m uniquely qualified to discuss the
strengths, weaknesses and opportunities associated with focus groups in a virtual
community such as Second Life
The iAsk Center on Second Life allows for the research of Second Life “residents” as
well as real-life respondents who become part of the virtual world for a research study.
The iAsk Center allows for respondents who are physically located in various countries
and locations throughout the world, to interact in a secure single environment that mirrors
the environment of a real life focus group facility. The various clients who have used it
have called research efforts at the iAsk Center “awesome”, “mind blowing” and “the
most innovative use of technology for research.”
In this paper, I will discuss the history and motivation for the creation of the iAsk Center
on Second Life. I will also discuss the Second Life environment and point out many of
the myths, truths and challenges associated with it as a forum for performing qualitative
research. As many researchers are either considering or already building facilities on
Second Life and other virtual communities, it is my hope that these insights will help to
enlighten and inform others on the lessons that we have learned from being a ‘trail
blazer’ in this technology.
This paper also includes case studies which will show how qualitative research efforts at
the iAsk Center allowed real life clients to grow and innovate their businesses. I will also
discuss how the iAsk Center has been used for my own business purposes to meet with
clients and associates from various worldwide locations.
www.iAskCenter.com
1
WHAT IS SECOND LIFE?”:
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Second Life is a virtual community that currently has over 9 million registered residents.
Residents utilize 3-D “avatars” that interact in a world with other residents. Residents
come from all over the world. Currently a quarter of residents are from the US.
Residents can have free accounts and explore the world. Those who pay a monthly fee
can buy and sell real estate and other goods. They can also build businesses or houses in
this world. The currency is Linden dollars, which can be converted back to real dollars
through banks set up in this virtual world.
The Second Life website contains this definition :
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents. Since opening
to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions
of Residents from around the globe.
From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent,
teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've
explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or
business. You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because
Residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade
with other Residents. The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly
transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the
Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online
Linden Dollar exchanges. Welcome to Second Life. We look forward to seeing you in-world.
.
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Here are some demographics compiled about active Second Life residents:
66% of residents are male
51% are under 29 and 49% are 30 plus
65% are college educated
40% have household incomes of $90K plus
70% are married or have a partner
60% have one or more children
(Thanks to Jim Bryson of 20/20 research for compiling these stats for a recent
QRCA Webcast).
The following is from an article published online in March 2007 by Meetings Industry
Megasite. It details some unique learnings about Second Life that have intrigued me as a
researcher (bolding done to highlight content):
"What's unique about Second Life is presence," says Donald E. Jones, a graduate
student at Georgetown University who is writing his master's thesis on Second
Life. "Instead of doing a virtual meeting on the Web, where you'd just see a
list of names of attendees, with Second Life you actually see a body"—in the
form of an avatar—"next to you. There's a sense of being there with other
people, which gives you a totally different experience."
Last November, Samuel Palmisano, the CEO of IBM, became the first major
corporate executive to appear in Second Life, when his avatar (appearing onstage
in an online re-creation of Beijing's Forbidden City) announced that IBM would
be investing $100 million in virtual business ventures. But that's hardly the
technology giant's only use of virtual reality: Chuck Hamilton, who spearheads
Big Blue's endeavors in Second Life, leads training sessions and orientation
meetings for IBM's new hires who would not otherwise be able to come together.
Clad in a virtual kilt and appearing online as "Longg Weeks," Hamilton took
Welchito Apparatchik on a recent tour of the boardroom where IBM's new
employees meet for the first time. "We're hiring people from China, India, Brazil,
Russia, so it's often not economical or feasible to bring them physically to IBM
for their first orientation session," Hamilton explains. "So as an experiment, we're
using Second Life for them to meet virtually first, exchange ideas, ask questions,
go look at some IBM spaces, and generally get familiar with the company."
IBM's virtual boardroom looks like a real boardroom, complete with a table and
chairs where avatars sit, talk, and watch videos and other presentations together.
Participants communicate via the "chat" feature, which posts written
comments on the screen for all present to see, but if people want to talk
privately, they can use the "IM" feature to directly contact one another without
others reading their posts, and without interrupting the main discussion.
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Besides practicality and cost savings, Hamilton sees numerous advantages to
doing such meetings online: "There's a sense that you're actually at the
meeting. If I stop moving my mouse, eventually my avatar will slump forward,
and the other people in the room will say, 'Hey, Chuck, are you still there?' " he
says. "If I have to get up from my computer, my avatar can leave the virtual room.
When I come back, people can say, 'Welcome back. We were just discussing
such-and-such.' "
The written language used in Second Life get-togethers has advantages over
spoken language, believes Claus Nehmzow, expert on virtual worlds at PA
Consulting Group, a London-based management consulting firm that advises its
clients on how to use Second Life as a business tool. "Especially in international
settings, [writing] can be much easier to understand," he observes. "We've also
found that if [communication] is via text, the threshold to speaking up is
much lower. That helps open up communication." In other words, a Second
Life meeting might shift the focus away from the glib, gabby types who tend
to hog the spotlight in real-life meetings, thereby allowing for a whole new
dynamic in online gatherings.
Second Life confers a relative anonymity that also encourages openness, say
experts. "Studies have shown that people are more honest with their opinions
in [virtual] spaces because their identity is somewhat protected, so they can
take more risks," says Georgetown's Jones. "If I'm standing in front of you, I'm
picking up on your body language and other clues that might prevent me from
being as honest as I could be. Also, we judge people by their appearance—
whether we want to or not—and in these spaces, we're judging them by their
avatar's appearance, which isn't the same thing, because it's something they have
control over. So it levels the playing field in some ways."
Get a (Second) Life: Online Meetings at a Whole New Level
http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/articles/article_display.jsp?vnu_content
_id=1003558402
www.iAskCenter.com
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CREATION OF THE iASK CENTER:
I have always felt that it’s important not only for my business, but also in my role as a
qualitative researcher, to to be as knowledgeable and fluent as I can in the latest
technologies. I became aware of Second Life in late 2006 and immediately saw the
implications for using it to conduct research.
The ability to perform focus groups and discussions with people from all over the world
in a single place was the most compelling factor for me. The ability to reach
demographics such as “early adopters”, tech-savvy, young adults, gamers, and online
visionary entrepreneurs seemed to be a reality in Second Life.
In 2006, there were a few companies involved in Second Life and I questioned the
business implications and opportunities in this world. But the the idea continued to
intrigue me. I was impressed by Starwood’s venture to test a new hotel chain by building
a virtual hotel in which you could experience the hotel and provide feedback. Toyota’s
Scion line also did a similar experiment, allowing SL residents to test drive their, new
auto lines. Yet, the results seemed mixed and companies began to question the value of
these investments.
I enjoyed my visits and discussions with other residents. It amazed me how people were
very open about their own real lives, even though their clothes and appearance on screen
seemed more in tune with their fantasy side. Sensing that a business opportunity could
exist for conducting interviews with residents, I did my own research in this world and
realized that, at the time, there was no focus group facility in Second Life.
In Second Life, you can visit and explore the world for free. You can only buy and build
real estate if you are a paying member. Not being savvy enough to understand how to
build buildings, I reached out to find developers who could help with my concept for a
virtual focus group facility that would resemble one from real life. At the time,
developers were scattered and not as well structured and accessible as they are now. I
reached out to a company that seemed to be aggressive in building a development
business on Second Life. I contacted them and discussed my idea.
At about that same time, however, I mentioned my intentions to a staff member on my
team who was technologically advanced. He offered to look into the idea and explore
ways to develop my concept. He was more successful than I was in locating a freelance
developer to consult with and we began to develop the initial iAsk Center using our own
resources.
The impetus for my moving aggressively forward on the idea was due to the success of
our in-house efforts and the announcement by the company of the developer I had
initially contacted that they had selected a winner in their business plan contest. They
had been conducting a contest to find the best business plan for a viable business in
Second Life. It turns out that the winner was a rival market research company that had
decided to build a focus group facility in Second Life.
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At this point, we moved aggressively to not only complete our facility but began to reach
out to residents to visit and be involved in our weekly focus groups. In early 2007 we
began weekly focus groups each Thursday in an effort to test the facility and refine our
research methods, as well as to better understand the Second Life residents.
These weekly groups allows us to publish quarterly research reports about our findings
on Second Life residents. It also allows us to build our base of respondents for recruiting.
And, it provides visibility, credibility and ultimately positions us with our real life clients
as a company that is knowledgeable in this space.
With the iAsk Center and our research efforts there, we can state that we are a “real
world” company making money in a virtual world.
www.iAskCenter.com
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THE iASK CENTER:
The iAsk Center was built with the real life focus group facility in mind. It was
imperative for us to recreate the “mirrored room” that all qualitative researchers know.
As we learned the capabilities to create this environment in-world, we decided to take it a
step further and utilize this “mirrored room” effect throughout the building.
Aside from an observation area where clients and observers can see into the focus
discussion area, the rest of the facility is structured to allow those inside to see out but to
prevent those outside seeing in. In this way, we not only give our respondents the one
way mirror effect while in a group, but the whole facility feels more open and filled with
natural light. We were proud to make a facility that would be impossible (or cost
effective) to create in the real world.
Clients can be seated in one of four observation areas behind this wall and observe the
group. They can chat with each other and the moderator without interfering with the
group’s dialogue. In addition, the client can be on the phone (actual real-world phone,
that is) with the moderator who is running the group. This provides a unique capability
that is not available in a traditional focus group. This connection between client and
moderator that can allows for more client-driven groups. It is imperative, however, that
the boundaries/rules for this contact be defined and clarified prior to a group so that it
does not interfere with the moderator’s ability to run the group effectively.
Client Observation Area, iAsk Center
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Our facility is secure and a password is needed to enter and leave it. This precaution is
required to keep out those who haven’t been given the facility coordinates or who have
not been transported directly there by our staff at the time of a session. This allows us to
protect a group from being interrupted and having non-respondents enter a group.
Keeping with the “real life” focus group facility, we built a client lounge where clients
can relax on comfortable couches or at the fully stocked bar (equipped with a bartender if
wanted). What we have found is that this lounge not only provides a neat place to talk
with clients, but it has become our primary place to conduct IDIs, as respondents feel
most comfortable sitting at the bar or on the couch.
Client Lounge, iAsk Center
There is also an office area for our own company purposes, as well as a conference room
where we hold company meetings. We have also installed virtual computer terminals n
these rooms, which allow us to watch videos or view websites. We have used these
capabilities for some small-scale web usability sessions and are continuing to test these
capabilities for appropriate research opportunities.
Company Office, iAsk Center
www.iAskCenter.com
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Conference Room, iAsk Center
Although most of our groups are done with respondents and moderators “typing” their
responses, the introduction of voice in Second Life further expands the capabilities to do
research. Not everyone in Second Life is voice enabled or comfortable with voice and
thus the best mode of communication (voice or typing) needs to be considered when
recruiting and notifying recruits about a group.
www.iAskCenter.com
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HOW A GROUP WORKS:
After contact with a client, we discuss the objectives of the group which, of course, will
lead us to address the recruitment needs, the number of groups, and number of
participants. For the client who wishes to gain access to respondents from all over the
world, the use of the iAsk Center provides a cost effective way to conduct focus groups.
We’ve done in-depth interviews (IDIs), small groups and large groups. Typically, the
most effective size for a focus group in this environment is 4-6 participants and will run
60-90 minutes.
We recruit various ways. Some clients want to involve real life respondents and we will
recruit from their lists or other means. When we recruit from “out of world” (real life)
we will need to work with each respondent to address the needs to set up an account and
download the Second Life software to their machine. We do maintain a list of user
names that real life participants can use, but all need to install the software, which
typically requires a username. These accounts are free.
When we recruit from within Second Life, we utilize our existing base of respondents
build up during our time of doing groups. Since early 2007 we have conducted weekly
groups and this has helped us to build our base of respondents. We also recruit from
various interest groups within Second Life. For instance, if we have a research project on
gardening, we will recruit from a group on Second Life interested in gardening. This
recruiting method requires credibility and deftness in order to navigate through these
Second Life interest communities and their leaders to announce our need for respondents.
Our length of time in Second Life and the contacts we have built greatly benefit us in
these efforts. This may not be an effective method for those new or “transient” in Second
Life.
Although the recruitment of respondents incurs a cost, they are typically less than for a
traditional focus group recruit. Admittedly, some traditional focus group recruiters may
be able to work from larger databases and perhaps obtain a stronger recruit because of the
depth of questioning that can be done in the real world.
www.iAskCenter.com
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Incentive amounts at the iAsk Center tend to be significantly lower than for traditional
focus groups. Currently participation in a one hour focus group at the iAsk Center costs
100 to 1000 Lindens (or about 85 cents to $8.50) per respondent. This cost can be
different when you recruit for “real life” respondents who are “visiting” and not active in
Second Life.
We communicate with respondents via e-mails at regular intervals prior to a group to
ensure the best participation. Although we provide our coordinates to respondents we
will also teleport them directly to the iAsk Center when a group is beginning.
The client who uses the iAsk Center is reminded that although the experience will be
unique and rewarding, currently it should not be a substitute for real world research. In
fact, many groups done for major corporate clients at the iAsk Center are part of larger
research efforts that often include real-life quantitative and qualitative components.
The group is run like a typical focus group. A warm up is done at the beginning of the
group to clarify the process and intent of the group. This is a critical step in the process
as it is imperative to remind respondents that you are seeking their real life reactions, not
those of any fictional character they maintain in Second Life.
Groups should begin with the orderly introductions of respondents. This allows for the
building of discussion decorum in the group. Respondents will be shown typing their
responses when they are engaged in the discussion. The ability to see respondents typing
creates a natural decorum in the group for respondents and encourages them to interact
and allow others to “speak”.
The room can be modified in many different ways to support groups of various sizes.
Different chairs and seating arrangements can be employed if needed.
If an incentive has been promised to a respondent, payment can be made directly at the
end of a group in the form of Linden dollars.
At the end of a focus group session that utilizes typing, the entire chat history of the
group can be captured and saved to a document. This is a great feature of Second Life, as
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it reduces the need for transcription and allows the researcher to immediately deliver a
full transcript to the client or report writer.
www.iAskCenter.com
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APPLICATIONS:
The use of the iAsk Center as a place to have people gather from all over the world in one
place and communicate together is compelling for a variety of business applications not
only for focus groups, but for training and meeting purposes.
Some of our customers have used the iAsk Center for ad hoc groups and panel
discussions. Some have used the facility for meetings that can be facilitated by our staff
or done on their own. Organizations and associations have used our facility often on an
on going basis for subcommittees or task forces that are examining the use of technology
and cyber communities for the benefit of their members.
We have the capabilities to show videos and solicit feedback in our main iAsk discussion
area. This has led to applications for showing advertisements, film trailers, corporate
videos and training efforts. We can also show websites in the main area and in two other
areas of the Center. This is allowing us to reach more clients who have needs for our
web usability research.
As CEO of GEM Research Solutions, I need to manage my team and partners who often
are located in various locations throughout the world. We’ve scheduled regular and “as
needed” meetings for us to meet at the iAsk Center as a way for us to stay in touch, share
ideas and discuss projects. We also have our team and partners use the Center to meet
with transcriptionists, recruiters and report writers when they are traveling.
The iAsk Center is a secure environment and members of GEM Research Solutions are
able to provide tours with clients and prospects from all over the world. These
discussions can continue in a unique setting and allow for interaction with no geographic
restrictions.
As a business, the success of the iAsk Center has provided us the ability to differentiate
ourselves from other researchers and research firms. It has also given us press visibility
and provides an additional revenue source. Moreover, it lets us position our company as
a provider of innovative solutions to our clients and prospects, which further helps
business.
Often, we work with consultants and clients who are anxious to gain PR for their efforts
at the Center. This helps them to be viewed as innovative and progressive, as well as
significantly benefiting our PR, as well.
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Online Articles
CNN.com
Blogs
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CASE STUDIES:
Since the creation of the iAsk Center we’ve used it as a place to learn about the residents
of this unique world. From Day One, we’ve been amazed at the ability to have people
from different countries sitting next to each other in a “virtual” room. Since we began
our efforts in early 2007, we’ve been uniquely able to understand the needs, complaints,
and opinions of Second Life residents during some major changes “in world” (including
the introduction of voice, numerous ‘outages’, and the ‘bad news/good news’ associated
with Second Life during that time).
I’d like to highlight two recent projects we conducted with Second Life residents that
resulted in valuable findings for real life clients.
Restaurant of the Future:
As mentioned earlier, for the majority of our clients who use the iAsk Center for focus
groups, we discuss the benefits of Second Life focus groups with the caveat that they
should be done in conjunction with other research efforts as well. This allows for us to
do focus groups that will often launch, complement or reinforce the learnings from other
quantitative or qualitative research efforts.
A recent project shows the range and capabilities of the Center to provide a cost effective
and unique approach to larger research efforts.
Our client is a leading restaurant in a major US city. They were presented with an
opportunity to expand their presence and create an entirely new and unique dining
experience and environment. They were essentially looking to create the Restaurant of
the Future.
Although the client had ideas for what this would look like, they fantasized about the
ability to ask people throughout the world what they would envision as the Restaurant of
the Future. An international ideation session was what they dreamed of.
Since we can recruit respondents from all over the world at the iAsk Center, we discussed
the use of the Center as a place to conduct just such an ideation session or sessions. We
recruited respondents from food groups throughout Second Life and conducted groups in
which we gathered ideas and concepts from respondents all over the world.
These groups provided us a laundry list of ideas and concepts that were passed on to
consultants who then distilled the list to a manageable level. This list was then used as
the foundation for real life focus groups in various cities that were under consideration by
the restaurant chain. These real life groups allowed us a deeper understanding of how the
ideas and concepts would work in these different real life cities, where tastes and cultures
varied.
This provided the client with the ability to define the most effective offering for each
location and to conduct quantitative surveys with diners in those cities.
www.iAskCenter.com
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As the restaurant moves forward with its efforts, they will be highlighting these research
efforts that they undertook to create this new concept. This will underscore the
auniqueness and “hipness” of the restaurant, as well as providing PR for both of us.
Garden products:
A long time client was faced with a situation that required them to respond quickly to
changes in their packaging. As soon as they realized they had a problem, the client
approached us to gain insights into their current packaging and how it could be changed.
They were seeking not only direction on what was ‘good or bad’ but needed qualitative
feedback on language and nomenclature used on the packaging. They wanted it to be
done in the most cost effective manner possible because they are a small growing
company.
We used the iAsk Center to conduct focus groups with respondents from various
gardening groups in Second Life. These groups were conducted quickly and provided
enough qualitative feedback and learning to create a quantitative online survey that was
targeted to customers and potential purchasers of their product.
These results allowed them to make changes to their labels in a timely manner, thereby
responding effectively to the challenges of the situation. This research produced valuable
insights for both product and branding and helped them grow their business.
www.iAskCenter.com
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THE FUTURE:
Focus groups on Second Life will not replace real life focus groups, at least not in the
near future.
I do believe that you will see more such virtual focus group facilities in the very near
future. These facilities may not be found in Second Life exclusively. They may exist on
their own. For years, the appeal of being able to engage respondents in a single
discussion from all over the world has been the reason that online bulletin boards and
virtual meetings are used for qualitative research. Many researchers and companies will
see the virtual community as the next extension of these technologies.
The ability to have an avatar in Second Life is an important difference from other
methods. The avatar requires more interaction and forces the respondent to be more
engaged compared to other current online methods.
Although not widespread, there have been efforts by other research facilities to conduct
research in Second Life. An article posted online in 2007 was very insightful as it
discussed the challenges experienced in doing a group in Second Life and what they
learned from it. I agree with many of their comments and findings about the focus group
experience. What’s interesting about this effort is that they conducted the Second Life
group in parallel with a real life focus group. They report that the “results from the virtual
focus group were very similar to that of the real life focus group… and perhaps not too
much of a surprise after all.”
Going into the presentation I was somewhat skeptical about how they might have
conducted the evaluation, but by the end of the session I was really very engaged
and intrigued.
The Focus group in Second Life was conducted as a trial to test its feasibility for
future use, and as such a second focus group was conducted in parallel, in the
physical world. This allowed them to benchmark the findings gathered in Second
Life against those that were recorded during the traditional focus group session.
The Session in Second Life was run similarly to how we would conduct a focus
group ‘in real life’. Participants were recruited (as they teleported in), screened
and scheduled for the session just as we normally would.
During the session, participants signed a code of conduct and consent forms, and
received instructions on how the session would be run. ‘Virtual Participants’ were
recruited from both Australia and the UK, with the focus group being recorded
with a media camera and chat logger.
Things that worked
There was a high level of feedback
Participants were comfortable
There was a good level of interaction with the participants
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The focus group had an international reach, which was a requirement of
the testing
Findings of the online session matched those recorded in the offline
session
Things that didn’t work so well
Online sessions took about one and a half times as long (i.e. 1.5 hrs online
and 1hr offline)
There were multiple conversation threads running at the same time, which
were difficult to track
The response time of some participants was slow
It was confusing if participants weren’t identified directly by name during
discussion, as it was at times difficult to indicate who the focus
group facilitator was addressing
Lessons Learned
Fewer participants (maximum 4) would be easier to manage
There was a need for more facilitators than usual (minimum two)
More time was required than usual
Using coloured text instead of everyone having the same colour would be
useful, particularly between facilitators and participants
Payment to participants must be immediate in the virtual world or people
get nervous
It’s essential (as in the real world) that the screener isn’t leading, as it’s
impossible to know what the participants are really like
Get the right people – open, talkative, respectful and interested
Facilitators must be able to type quickly, multitask and know the platform
Give a focused response – use the participants name when addressing
them
Summarize the participants feedback so that they know you have heard
and understood them (eye contact isn’t possible online)
Be clear that you’ve finished talking about a particular topic and that
you’re moving on to the next one.
From my perspective, the biggest barrier to entry would be setting up the virtual
space and building the focus group facilities online. As an independent consultant,
that’s a massive effort that I’m unlikely to invest in. Even for smaller companies
it’s a huge amount of work.
But it is interesting… *very interesting*.
It’s an example of how technology is allowing us to change the way we work. No
doubt there are a lot of questions about the validity of the participants recruited
for the Second Life Focus Group. But I’m a firm believer that most of what
happens online can happen offline and vice versa. I’ve interviewed a few doubtful
characters myself over the last few years, despite rigorous screeners. So Hyro’s
report that results from the virtual focus group were very similar to that of the
real life focus group is a good sign and perhaps not too much of a surprise
after all.
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User testing in Second Life by Lisa Herrod
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2007/09/25/user-testing-insecond-life/
I believe that in the very near future, you will see the big name focus group facility
companies and research suppliers open their own focus group facilities in Second Life or
other virtual communities. This will increase the “credibility” of this approach, and
probably the price as well.
What about concerns regarding respondent truthfulness in these communities?
My own experience suggests that the concern about truthfulness of the online user is
mitigated by the effectiveness of the moderator and the process employed in a group.
Isn’t that the same in a real life focus group? I’m confident that studies will be conducted
on this point and they will prove that truthfulness of the “virtual” respondent is
comparable or superior to that of the respondent in a real life group.
Most importantly, the use of facilities such as the iAsk Center will provide cost effective
ways for companies of all sizes to gain qualitative research data. These efforts will
ultimately benefit our industry and will lead to additional research in the real world.
www.iAskCenter.com
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Jack Tatar
GEM Research Solutions
403 Burd Street
Pennington, NJ 08534
609.818.0899
Jack Tatar, Chief Executive Officer, brings over twenty years of experience
in the retail, entertainment and financial services industries to GEM
Research Solutions. Prior to running GEM Research Solutions, Jack
held executive positions at JP Morgan, Avon Products, and Merrill
Lynch.
He is a frequent speaker at conferences ranging from customer
relationship management, strategic marketing and marketing to the
online consumer. Featured in numerous publications, Jack has been
involved in designing, developing and implementing award winning
websites, implementing innovative market research solutions, working
with start up businesses and coordinating numerous non profits.
Jack is involved in all aspects of qualitative studies
(www.GEMResearchSolutions.com), usability studies, quantitative
research (www.iAskResearch.com), meeting and event facilitation. He
has also worked with legal firms doing mock juries and litigation
research (www.FocusOnTrials.com).
Jack is a member of the QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants
Association). Jack received his BA from Stony Brook University (1977)
and his MBA from Pepperdine University (1981).
In addition to his work with many Fortune 100 clients, Jack has also
worked on research projects with universities such as Stony Brook,
where he serves as an alumni advisor, John Jay College, and McGill
University, where he recently assisted in a Canada nation-wide
research project on alumni issues.
Under Jack’s guidance, GEM Research has created the first focus group
facility on Second Life, providing innovative and cost effective research
services to all size companies for world wide participation
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(www.iAskCenter.com) .
Jack is also the author and creator of the CEO (Client Experience
Optimization) Approach which is used by numerous consultants to
improve customer service and improve the tracking of customer
satisfaction (www.CEOApproach.com) .
GEM Research Solutions also provides a seminar series to companies
and universities called “Learning to Listening, Listening to Learn” which
instructs individuals on how to improve their listening skills for client
interaction, business management and student improvement. Trainers
in this program provide this series nation wide.
Recent Press on Jack and his iAsk Center efforts:
This link describes a recent effort with PR professionals at the iAsk
Center. This appears on the blog of prominent new media expert,
Adam Broitman of Morpheus Media :
http://amediacirc.us/2007/08/10/blame-second-lifei-am-gettingsome-focus/
For a recent article published in the Weekly e-Newsletter 1 to 1 Weekly
about a recent research project between Terracycle and GEM Research
Solutions at the iAsk Center, simply click here:
http://www.1to1media.com/PrintView.aspx?ItemID=30387#first
www.iAskCenter.com
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For more information on Jack Tatar and the services of GEM
Research Solutions, contact info is:
Jack Tatar
GEM Research Solutions
403 Burd Street
Pennington, NJ 08534
609.818.0899
609.504.2341 (cell)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.gemresearchsolutions.com
®
www.iAskCenter.com
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