New Technology Transforms the Voice of the Customer

Gongos Research Leverages the Internet to Introduce “Gongos i?Communities” and “Active Intercept”

Auburn Hills, MI – November 10, 2006 – As society transforms and is transformed by technology, so too does technology elevate the impact of marketing research. As a marketing research company who partners with major worldwide brands, Gongos Research is transforming the voice of the customer by leveraging the Internet to develop technologies that lead to deeper levels of insight.

Gongos Research introduces Gongos i?Communities, a custom platform that encourages consumers to interact with one another in an interactive, online environment; and Active Intercept, which offers real-time qualitative interaction with respondents during quantitative online surveys. Developed by Gongos Research, both innovations leverage the Internet and proprietary programming to yield a more immersive exchange between marketing researcher and consumer.

Gongos i?Communities engage select customers in a web-based environment where natural dialogue allows them to take an interest in the direction, and even the success, of brands. Usually a six-month period of engagement, Gongos Research analysts continually facilitate communities while guiding interactions such as live chats, flash polls and online surveys designed to enrich the dialogue.

“i?Communities create an environment to uncover those ‘aha’ moments that every company needs to quickly and cost-effectively develop better products and services,” says president John Gongos.

Gongos i?Communities offer a more holistic approach than independent point-in-time marketing research, allowing companies to continually observe and interact with consumers.

Active Intercept, a program initially developed for a study for Hallmark Cards, allows moderators the ability to “live probe” select respondents as they participate in an online survey. The program facilitates real-time exchanges between researcher and respondent – a feature that allows qualitative analysis to be injected into traditional quantitative online surveys.

“We always look for the story behind the numbers,” said Beth O’Shaughnessy, Research Project Leader for Hallmark Cards. “Active Intercept allows us to uncover invaluable qualitative insights, bringing new life to the quantitative study.”