Traditionally viewed as an industry that evolves, rather than innovates, market research is now embracing the latest technological advancements.
The fastest developments are taking place in the mobile space, where brands can pull together data in real-time. For example, Cobra beer worked on a six-week project last October to measure the effectiveness of its ongoing sponsorship of TV channel, Dave.
Developed in conjunction with MESH Planning, this study involved 300 respondents using their mobile phones to text in simple codes to express their views on the brand tie-up.
'Traditional research always asks people to recall what they've seen and done in the past few days or weeks, which can lead to post-rationalisation,' says Andrew Nunney, head of insight and planning at Cobra. 'Whereas this (study) allowed us to cover a variety of touch points and pick up some of the lower level interaction that previously we'd struggled to measure.'
As mobile internet speeds improve and more consumers use the phone as a mobile computer, WAP-based research has opened up fresh opportunities.
Some of the potential of this method of contacting respondents will be limited by regulatory restrictions on random dialling and the potential abuse of GPS, wi-fi and other location-based data. Also, the current cost of mobile browsing and the profile of its users - who tend to be young, early adopters - remain barriers.
Yet a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive into the prospective use of WAP-based surveys, showed that there is a potential pool of 38% of the UK population that can already be researched in this way.
'It's not a mainstream method at this point in time and it's best if the subject matter is related to the mobile medium,' says Diana Miktov, Harris' senior associate director. However, she predicts that in the future, the out-and-about nature of the channel will be well-suited to instant polling and researching marketing activity in-store and around events.
Another innovative development is the growth of research 2.0, which uses the latest generation of web-based tools and services, commonly called web 2.0. Here, practitioners develop dedicated social networking and blog formats to encourage respondents to keep online diaries, post video content and share the views of friends and family.
Nintendo has taken this development one step further, working with research specialist Intrepid to observe the extremes of how people behave in cyberspace based on the principles of anthropology.
'With the phenomenal success of Wii, Nintendo discovered that it had alienated some of its old-school gaming fans and wanted to find ways to reconnect with them,' explains Liz High, managing director of Intrepid.
'By standing on the fringes and collecting virtual artefacts such as video clips and blog comments, we found a whole subculture of Nintendo body art and personalised skateboards, which provided a completely different insight into the problem from that which would have resulted if we had adopted a more traditional research format.'
Others are finding new ways to measure how consumers interact with brands online and are seeking to tie this to buzz monitoring. Hall & Partners, for example, is working with various panel providers to place cookies with respondents, to identify when they are exposed to a particular piece of marketing information.
'It involves a lot of collaborators, because we have to approach clients' media or digital agencies to tag online ads or microsites in advance,' says Jane Bloomfield, the firm's global head of innovation.
'But it's really efficient as we can pre-identify who these panellists are and that they're happy to take part. Plus, by using unique codes, we know that they have been exposed to a particular piece of information, which takes away all the problems of relying on intercepts, such as pop-up surveys, to find the right people.'
With similar objectives in mind, TNS has introduced word-of-mouth measures to its online brand tracker surveys. 'It is interesting that, at about 21% to 22%, awareness levels are comparable to mainstream media exposure,' says TNS head of branding communications research, Sue Burden.
TNS has also found that up to 85% of the word-of-mouth activity reported by respondents is positive. 'It shows that it is a force for good, not just an early-warning system, and it's a good way for marketers to see how, where and which brand activity is creating buzz,' adds Burden.
Developments are also reaching out beyond web 2.0. Recent advances in medical technology are encouraging researchers to use physiological indicators such as sweat, heart rate and neural activity to measure what shapes people's feelings toward certain brands and experiences.
Research specialist Nunwood has launched Bioshopping, which combines fingertip biometric technology with traditional shopper research to probe the emotions behind what prompts consumers to buy.
Intel has also worked with HPI Research on a neuro-marketing project, using sonic technology to scan respondents' brains to uncover the factors behind their key purchasing decisions.
Innovation is aiming to bridge the final frontier for researchers: the gap between what people say and what they really think. In these uncertain times, it is more vital than ever for brands to understand and better connect with their consumers.