Mike Abel on making Sens of what customers want

What if you knew where and when to set up a food kiosk? You could make a killing if you had accurate intelligence about passing foot traffic and how much customers were really willing to spend. Much of such pavement entrepreneurship was based on guesswork.

The guesswork was eventually replaced by the focus group, which was once regarded as sophisticated, despite its flaws: consumer opinions expressed in the group could be influenced by participants with different viewpoints.

Mike Abel, nonexecutive chair of Ireland-based market research company Sens, has boldly gone beyond old-fashioned methods, harnessing science and technology. Sens’s innovations in assessing markets eliminate the hit-and-miss ways of the past.

Both Sens and Abel have vast experience of working in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. Abel is a 35-year veteran of the marketing and communications industry and is excited by the prospect of using the new technology in a country as diverse as South Africa. He is also executive chair of M&C Saatchi Abel.

The core of Sens’s business is market research. It uses behavioural science and technology to determine emotions, personality traits, physiology — all in context. If that sounds like mind reading, it’s pretty close to it. It can give an understanding of what consumers are thinking before they hand over their hard-earned cash.

It’s about “unlocking the truth in research”, Abel says. “It’s about conducting qualitative research in a more effective and efficient manner, leveraging cutting-edge technology to delve into the nuances of human behaviour.”

Traditionally, qualitative research has been limited by time-consuming methods such as interviews and focus groups. Abel says Sens bypasses these by using avatars equipped with advanced behavioural analysis tools. In that way it can capture nonverbal cues, assess personality traits and adapt questions to elicit more accurate responses.

A camera studies a respondent’s nonverbal cues and reactions to questions asked by the avatar in a survey. That strips away any contact with other people. A strong personality in a focus group can steer conversations and sway opinions, but working with this technology means a person can answer questions without interference or the influence of others. When verbal answers don’t match nonverbal cues, body language or eye movements, for instance, the technology can pick up on that and reframe or steer questions towards more objective and accurate answers.

“We’re not trying to confuse respondents [by making them think they are dealing with] a human. They’ll know it’s an avatar, but we’re able to elicit more accurate responses,” says Abel. “Sens will assess where you look and what your body language and personality are. Because of this it can adapt and change questions according to your answers.”

Abel says the benefits are faster turnaround times, higher data quality and the ability to conduct research at scale. He says the technology-driven approach benefits companies seeking market insights and allows consumers to provide valid feedback.

The processes are overseen by researchers and behavioural psychologists to ensure accuracy, reliable insights, privacy and security.

Will jobs be lost in such a radical transformation? Abel says it’s like moving from the horse and carriage to the motor car, or from basic cellphones to smartphones. He says some jobs may evolve or change, but new opportunities will emerge, driving growth and innovation.