New Harris Tool Links Online, Offline Lives

Harris Interactive has gone live with its 'Research Lifestreaming' platform, which aims to provide a 360-degree view of panellists by linking the information they post online with survey responses and behavioral data.

The new solution connects participants' social media activities, collected from sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and links these social networking updates with their traditional profiles.

Panelists opt in to the platform and participate in online group discussions, blog or create photo diaries about experiences, and respond to questions about their status updates.

Through the solution, clients can listen to these unfiltered social media updates, observe mobile behaviors via GPS, engage in group discussions and survey panelists.

To help clients obtain deeper insights, Harris segments lifestreaming panelists by identifying them as an 'influencer' or 'follower', as positive or negative, a 'commentator' or 'reactionary', active or passive, or 'a joiner'.

If panelists agree to share their location, clients can observe panelist mobile activities via GPS technology, and they can also target individuals by location and invite respondents to take surveys via SMS.

'Examining and analyzing the comments that people post online creates an unprecedented opportunity to understand their passions - the ideas that drive them at a fundamental level,' explains Mike Saxon, SVP of Product Development. 'We can now leverage this understanding to answer critical questions about product choice, brand engagement, and political beliefs.'

Web site: www.harrisinteractive.com .