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Between an MROC and a hard place

Robert - very interesting post. I agree that useless buzzwords should die a quick death, but I wouldn't be too quick to judge "MROCs." Until recently, all "online communities" were grouped under one umbrella, whether the intention was market research, marketing, or customer loyalty. The term MROC helps distinguish true research communities from others where research is an afterthought. I too think Hall's point oversimplifies the situation. Whether a community is branded or not is not the most important question. A true research community may have core features that are truly relevant for research, but more importantly, the community includes active facilitation and activities designed to elicit insights on the issues that clients want to explore. It is designed to deliver research value. If you wanted to explore the needs/lifestyle of avid pet owners, you could do it in a "Pet Parents" community or a "PETCO Parents Community." People can and do join communities to participate in research and connect with others that may have a similar shared passion. To me, just calling it a branded community may contribute to the confusion, since people may assume it can be used for marketing or other non-research related objectives. At least MR clarifies the purpose, which is helpful give all the OCs out there... Ben (www.pluggedinco.com)

13-Oct-2009

3:31 pm