Online Market Research not only Economical, but Ecological
A recent special entitled "The Human Footprint" premiered last Sunday on the National Geographic Channel, it's purpose to show how much American consume. It turns out that "Americans generated 251 million tons of trash in 2006"(National Geographic, April 2007). With these figures, as well as a new revival of ecological thought companies around the globe are trying to put on a new environment-friendly front. One particular way that several companies are trying to save excess paper/expenditures is by conducting online surveys for their market research.
The common assumption that only tree-hugging tech companies are switching to online survey formats couldn't be farther from the truth. From ladder companies to large Las Vegas casinos, most companies are phasing out paper and pencil questionnaires. Although ecological reasons are a large reason for this shift, the fact of the matter is online surveys are often cheaper. For example, recently a concert sponsor decided to use online surveys instead of pencil and paper questionnaires at one of their venues. Not only did they save on the printing and distribution costs, but they were also able to reduce the number of employees needed to process the questionnaires. (Most online surveys will provide you with statisical tools already built into the program.) Another example would be a city which sent online surveys to their citizens through email in order to ask them about a new development. Less employees and less printing equals less tax payer dollars.
Many of the companies who provide this software often provide free trials as well, like Qualtrics. So this new format for market research could even be free. Online surveys are clearly the ecological and economic choice of the future.