In real life, Tracking or monitoring studies are used to follow information in real time. They enable to carry out instantaneous measurement (several waves), follow evolution over time, uncover trends and proceed with comparisons. Tracking helps heads of Marketing gain insight into WHAT and HOW rather than WHY… Such a process thus provides an assessment of the evolution of product performance, of a communication strategy or of a company within its competitive environment.
This is a quantitative approach that requires a solid sample of respondents to obtain statistically significant results.
The timing and frequency of the various Tracking waves must reflect the speed with which the information that is to be measured changes. Monitoring of brand performance, advertising impact, satisfaction surveys or product/service usage are the types of Tracking studies carried out most often. In Healthcare Market Research, we perform tracking studies with HCPs and patients to monitor the launch of a new product, follow the evolution of medical prescription, assess the impact of a manufacturer’s communication strategy, etc. The results of our Tracking studies enable our clients to undertake corrective action in real time and identify new opportunities.