One increasingly critical area of big data is consumer behaviors tracked across computer and mobile devices by using metering technologies like that of Luth Research’s ZQ Intelligence platform. This type of data matters a lot because consumers’ life is deeply intertwined with digital technologies and media. In every minute: 

■ 2 million search queries take place via Google. 

■ 571 new websites are launched. 

■ People download 47,000 mobile apps from Apple App Store. 

■ Consumers spend $272,000 with online retailers. 

These mind-boggling numbers aside, what is noteworthy is all of these activities are trackable and are in fact being tracked. These data, existing outside of traditional research methods, create unique value to market research in a few notable ways:

■ Behavior-centric data free marketing researchers from having to do the job of recording what consumers do. Instead, survey and other research methods can focus on their true mission—getting to the why behind behaviors. 

■ It comes with precise big data, including time stamp and geo-location (in the case of mobile tracking). This distinct benefit provides contextual understanding of when and where behaviors and decisions take place, which has been long missing from traditional market research. 

■ Passive tracking generates a vast among of continuous data. The resulting data surpasses what surveys can provide without overburdening respondents.

Questions:

1. How can real-time tracking help marketing decision makers? 

2. Do tracking and traditional marketing research benefit each other? If so, how?