Relevance & Research Question
The amount of user-generated content (UGC) in social media is rising constantly. More and more consumers exchange their product and brand experiences using social media platforms. For this reason an in-depth analysis of content in social media seems to be an attractive alternative to traditional research methods because data is already available and at first glance it only has to be analyzed. A joint project between Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and the market research agency SKOPOS examines, whether and to what extent social media analysis is able to provide valid results to specific research questions. In what cases and when does social media analysis replace traditional research and when does it reach its limitations?
Methods & Data
Initially focus groups and quantitative online surveys were conducted in Germany and the U.S. to examine target group specific needs and satisfaction measures during different phases of the customer journey. Later social media was analyzed in order to check for the validity of the method and for additional benefits.
Results
There are numerous internet platforms which exclusively cover Porsche vehicles, service and the brand itself. They contain plenty of consumer opinions that are certainly worth noticing. Especially in this study the results of social media research could not replace the traditional research but provide valuable additional insights, e. g. ideas, explanations and backgrounds for the initial results.
Added Value
The presentation shows the advantage of mixing traditional research methods and the analysis of existing social media content. It identifies possible additional insights which complement traditional research results. The approach of creating additional value by analyzing existing data in social media focuses on innovative and creative insights in research questions.