private online communities

© IDM Academy 2008

Private Online Communities

Best practices in running insight, innovation and advocacy communities

Charlie Osmond

© IDM Academy 2008

© IDM Academy 2008

A new frontier for qualitative research?

© IDM Academy 2008

The consumer is not an island

Quantitative interviewing Focus groups

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They’re already talking about you

© IDM Academy 2008

Online Communities

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For every taste

© IDM Academy 2008

Public networks are good, but…

Opportunities Limitations

Watch what consumers are talking about Can be difficult to enter a dialogue

See what issues are important Hard to guide conversations

Uncover views on recently launched products Can’t test new ideas pre-launch

What active users think Contributors may not reflect target group

Find out what people say about our brand Our competitors can see the same thing too!

Access a broad audience Tough to measure or quantify insights

© IDM Academy 2008

…research needs private online communities

• Invitation-only, branded online communities to engage customers

• Professionally facilitated

• High level of participation in three-way conversations

Brand

Consumer

Society

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But why do customers get involved…?

• Customers are vying for your attention

• They want better products and services too

• The ‘Insider Complex’

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WE are smarter than ME

© IDM Academy 2008

Thank You