Ins & Outs of Oi
This page tells you more 'about us' and our intelligent, immersive and integrated approach to online market research. However as experienced researchers, account managers and innovative sample solution providers we are acutely aware there would be no 'Oi' without 'you': our Consumers, Customers, Responders, Partners and Clients. So within Ins & Outs we concentrated on explaining the benefits to you of building a relationship with Oi Research.
Here we try to answer your questions, and offer solutions and direction, whilst taking the opportunity to expand on the information given on the Oi Use Us! page about our approach, ethos and research capabilities.
- What are Oi Research's key points of difference?
- What is Oi Research's service proposition?
- What type of business would benefit most from using Oi Research's services?
- You offer Outside:In an "insourced approach to outsourcing" - what does this mean?
- How can you ensure that "the world is your oyster" when I need a specific sample to conduct my research?
- Does Oi Research support innovation and keep up-to-date with changes in technology?
1. What are Oi Research's key points of difference?
The following are just a few of the more compelling reasons that a marketing, research or advertising agency or department should consider using Oi:
- The delivery of bespoke client focused research solutions which can be delivered as single elements or an entire project.
- The ability to create surveys that really engage with respondents using advanced design and intelligent interfaces.
- Our 'Universal Sample Solutions' strategic approach delivers exceptional quality, value and time efficiencies and can be a source of considerable competitive advantage.
- Delivery of superior quality customer service whilst remaining accessible and approachable.
- The ability to engender trust by respecting client confidences and never 'confidentially speaking'
- 'Outside:In', our unique "Insourced' approach to Outsourcing", means that we can be positioned as an extension of our clients' research department, for sample selection, scripting and hosting services.
- We never lose touch with the fact that research is a people business and successful research will always be more than a simple data gathering exercise.
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2. What is Oi Research's service proposition?
For some clients we act as an extension to their research department by handling implementation - sourcing sample, building the questionnaire, scripting, hosting and then delivering the quota. A full service style solution that we refer to as "Outside:In". Our other clients simply need us to perform single or multiple functions that they require to develop and deliver their project. In all instances we try to add value by acting as an extension to our clients research function. We accomplish this by fully understanding their objectives, adapting our behaviour to fit their particular approach and accommodating each project's individual requirements.
The extensive experience we have of managing research programmes means that we are well equipped to handle projects extending from the very straightforward, right through to those requiring stricter controls and protocols to be put in place. Our "insourced approach to outsourcing" helps direct our actions and further heightens our awareness of the potential that exists for account sensitivities and conflicts and the need to champion, rather than just observe, client confidentiality.
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3. What type of business would benefit most from using Oi Research's services?
Any client marketing department, research or advertising agency who requires an agile and adaptive research partner that can deliver superior customer service and will work in confidence on a project-by-project basis at levels of visibility and integration pre-determined by them.
Research Agencies or Companies identifying that by challenging the rigour of their online research processes and sample selection control procedures that they can improve their own, and their internal or external client's confidence, in the quality of the end result. And that these processes can deliver a genuine point of difference over competitors.
Businesses that want each of their projects financial performance to benefit from the type of market knowledge that only an immersive and strategic buying approach, coupled with regular sample purchasing can deliver.
Research Departments or Agencies who believe that sample selection is an essential, but time intensive activity, which often diverts senior resource from other critical elements of the research process, or is too frequently placed in inexperienced hands.
Those who have recognised that by partnering with a company who genuinely understands the demands placed on research companies and the impact that new innovations can have on survey integrity, sample recruitment, and response rates they can access greater efficiencies.
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4. You offer Outside:In an "insourced approach to outsourcing" - what does this mean?
Many businesses because of size, access to resources or need for specialised services use outside suppliers. Because of the current economic position many more businesses are being forced to consider this route.
Their initial reluctance to outsource certain functions is either informed by their market positioning (i.e. high integrity research delivered in confidence), business strategy (e.g. integrated solutions), or fear of loss of control and the variability of the service they receive. Oi Research eases this transition by offering a highly professional and client focused service at every potential touch point and point of entry.
Our most comprehensive service is "Outside:In" , where we fully implement our clients operational strategy whilst conducting their project work. In practice this means we act as a preferred supplier to our clients whilst ensuring their guiding principles (e.g. only using high integrity sample and suppliers, questionnaires fully tested and checked by qualified individuals) not compromised, their core approach maintained and their anonymity retained.
Our "insourced approach to outsourcing" research has been the catalyst for change for several of our clients needing a full solution. For others, requiring a single element (sample purchase, scripting, hosting, questionnaire development), it has just been a source of reassurance, showing that we are aware of their business issues, the need to protect client confidentiality - theirs and ours- and provide efficiency and effectiveness at every level.
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5. How can you ensure that "the world is your oyster" when I need a specific sample to conduct my research?
We help you to make the world your oyster (or as we say “Oi-ster”) by monitoring the performance of a large number of the bigger global sample suppliers against a series of key criteria and metrics, and by seeking out reliable and trustworthy smaller suppliers around the world who specialise in recruiting discreet or difficult to reach audiences. When commissioned we review suitable suppliers and then purchase the requisite sample on behalf of our clients by applying our experience in evaluating each samples integrity and our negotiation skills in order to execute a fair value exchange. Our mission is to deliver added value to our clients - via the quality, time and value trinity of our Universal Sample Solutions - but we also understand the need to sustain the axis of integrity with our suppliers.
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6. Does Oi Research support innovations and keep up-to-date with changes in technology?
The last 10 years has been a period of rapid development in research techniques, business practices and technological innovation and our approach to surveying and sampling has closely tracked this speed of development and advancement. This is in essence why we say Oi Research is "built from 21st Century DNA".
As much of our recent growth has been driven by our early adoption of online research techniques, flexible working practices and a willingness to embrace and exploit global connectivity we are unsurprisingly big advocates of change. We are constantly monitoring advances in technological and market research developments to see if they can add competitive advantage or edge to our own and our clients businesses, or can improve research results. However, we do not buy, license or deploy innovations without considerable amounts of testing and scrutiny.
In respect of innovations specifically in the area of sample selection, an emergent issue is that of panel aggregation (i.e. the use of the spare capacity of multiple disparate and diverse international panels) in order to build a single project sample. As our approach applies a proven matrix that utilises the intelligence of bespoke selection and seeks to deliver quality assurance at a fair value price this technique would not be easiest for Oi Research to adopt.
Our positioning requires that we need to ascribe a quality score to each sample and this is difficult to achieve on a sample that is the product of an amalgamation of different panels - all applying varied and individually tailored CRM strategies, reward schemes and recruitment methods. That said, we see it as genuine innovation and are closely monitoring its development.