Cellphones top list of business travelers gripes

DDI: 81/100

Carlson Wagonlit Travel included global prospects and customers in its respondent base -- a good sign to balance the potential results bias toward heavy travelers. The inherent value for marketers here might be what is positioned as a pet peeve among travelers -- that 61% of respondents would like to see the end of cellphones on planes. Those attempting to reach business travelers with text-to-cell messages might put this data in their back pocket before planning their next campaign.

Kiss Off Data in Valentine's Surveys

We expect a crop of surveys to emerge this week on the consumer spending patterns and totals around Valentine's Day. Marketers should be cautious of the data sources, which have been notorious for their overabundent use of convenience samples and loaded questionnaires to generate dubious results. The above links are two such examples that showcase how companies leverage the holidays to push hidden product promotions among vacuous factoids. How sweet it is?

Survey on Video Games Scores Lots of Media Points

DDI: 70/100

Lots of coverage to be found in print, online, and over the airwaves for this little diddy on daddy's and mommy's attitudes toward gaming. But unless the full AP story appears, marketers might miss the full picture: that respondents were surveyed just prior to the year-end holiday buying rush when video games are top-of-mind for purchase intent; their answers might have been justifying the large expense on the product.

55% of U.S. Small Business Owners Expect Strong Valentine's Day Sales, According to Survey

Data Dump Index: 39/100

Watch out when vendors survey their customers to create fodder for promotional and puff pieces pushing their business -- the data are fodder, too. Here we have an e-mail marketing list manager asking its clients about online campaign use and leveraging Valentine's Day as a hook. Fodder in, fodder out!

Super Bowl Ads Miss Mom Market, Says Survey

DDI: 38/100

Expect weak projectable data to the overall "mom" population from this haphazard study of mothers who watch the big game. For directional purposes, however, marketers interested in the sports and leisure habits of American mothers might glance at the press release (linked above) but nothing more. We find this study more about promoting the coalition that sponsored it than the motherly advertising media buying advice it portends.

Survey Houses Home Buyer Data

DDI: 67/100

With the seller's housing market waning, this survey of home buyers might have been done at an inappropriate time, although the respondent base is culled from a database of deeds and might not reflect attitudes of recent purchase experiences. Nonetheless, the demographic data alone is worth a look if marketers need information to complete their profiles of consumers of high-priced investments that require some kind of long-term commitment.

Too Many Disconnects in Sprint's Wireless Phone User Survey

DDI: 55/100

With wireless phones rapidly growing as a direct marketing and advertising channel, executives promoting products to technology-conscious consumers will find only a smattering of worthwhile data points in this study. Among them: Respondents use their camera phone while shopping (18 percent), to retrieve maps or directions (63 percent) and for business purposes (15 percent). But that's about it. Also note the sample favors females and consists entirely of current cell phone users.

Wealth Survey Fails to Hit Data Lottery

DDI: 48/100

Don't be persuaded by the headline to the story linked above about this survey that examines consumer wealth accumulation strategies. The 20% of Americans who claim the lottery will pave their way to riches are likely part of a convenience sample that Opinion Research used to gather data for this puff piece to promote a website called "America Saves," which incidentally is sponsored by its client and a host of others. Marketers who need data on consumer saving attitudes should seek more reliable alternative data sources.

Marketers Should Gobble Up Data in NPD's Eating Study

DDI: 90/100

Media Reach: 10
Sample Frame: 10
Interview Bias: 9
Chronology of Interviews: 9
How do the media interpret the results: 9
How do the media present the results to the public: 9
PR factor: 9
Public perception: 10
Weighting of data: 8
Sponsored survey: 7

Now in its 19th year, NPD's study of America's attitudes toward weight and eating habits continues to appeal to mainstream media and consumers alike. In the days ahead, expect a media onslaught, including many sound bites of NPD's President hawking this study and a few sparkling factoids that can sell it -- this year, it's the sudden change in opinion that "thin is in."

Nonetheless, we've poured through reams of articles on the survey, some well-written like the Washington Times piece linked here, and cannot discourage marketers from absorbing its findings wholeheartedly. Good tracking studies such as these are, especially on a topic that directly affects consumption of a multitude of products, from apparel to foodstuff.

Dig in!

Good Deal of Data in Dealmaker's Survey

Data Dump Index: 68/100

B2B marketers should take note of these survey results for near-term strategic planning of executions around customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics. Although the sample profile consists entirely of ACG customers, we trust that the landscape of M&A activity will continue to accelerate, thus directly affecting how customers of the businesses in the industries surveyed will continue to patronize them during at least the next three years.

CMOs Plan to Increase Online Ad Budgets by 30 Percent

Now and then we react to news affecting marketing professionals. Here we have a survey of CMOs that shows they plan to up their online ad spending by nearly a third this year. Although we cannot assertively back the validity of the findings, we believe wholeheartedly the marketing spending mix is veering towards online for the foreseeable future.

You'll Need to Dig Deeper to Find Nuggets of Death Data

Data Dump Index: 71/100

The AP story linked here does little to convey the goldmine of data Pew reveals on American attitudes toward right to life and dying. Marketers of financial products or luxury items looking to build risk assessment profiles of seniors are apt to find valuable numbers in the full report (at http://people-press.org/reports/tables/266.pdf).

And The Survey Says: 'GENTLEMEN, SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS!'

Data Dump Index: 23/100

This survey earns one of the lowest Data Dump Index scores in months due to the lack of methodology or sample profile insights in the press release and several media reports to date. We have had a difficult time uncovering more information on the validity of these data and urge marketers of feminine products and services to ignore these data when planning near-term campaigns for Valentine's Day. No doubt better holiday-related survey data will emerge soon.

Back to Work: Survey Shows Inadequate Email Storage and Search Features are Hampering Employee Productivity

Data Dump Index: 84/100

The inherent value in these results, we feel, is not in the e-mail archiving dilemma this summary professes, but rather in the potential opportunities for marketers to target affluent, well-educated adults via e-mail campaigns to their employment addresses. Coupled with these data, and given that a large percentage of similar employees conduct online shopping at the office, a well-crafted message with click-throughs to retail sites would likely be highly successful.

Poll Finds Chinese Citizens Happier in 2005

Data Dump Index: 71/100

Government sponsored surveys like these, unless administered for census purposes, tend to underrepresent certain demographic segments, such as financial status, to optimize impact on public opinion. We are dubious of the figures quoted here on material life and education level and encourage marketers planning Asian-focused campaigns to cautiously tread here.

Investors Fail "Survivor Skills" Test

Data Dump Index: 92/100

A treasure-trove of unique data points on consumer attitudes and behavior toward personal finance and investors awaits executives and marketers who need only skim through the bullet points in the summary (linked above). We applaud Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)/Investor Protection Trust (IPT)for its well-thought methodology, particularly its openness with the 4 percent error margin on the critical data that could largely affect marketing messages aimed at money-conscious consumers. Bravo!