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Tom Bates
Managing Director
STRAT7 Audiences
STRAT7 Audiences specialise in running trackers, monthly and globally. We have successfully migrated over 30 trackers in the last 4 years, whilst retaining every tracker we run.
- How to migrate trackers
- Three steps to migrating a tracker
- Tracker migration in action
- About
01
How to migrate your trackers
Our commitment to every data migration
There are natural concerns to have when looking to migrate a tracker, so to ease your mind, here are some of the things we can commit to with every migration we carry out:
- Migrating and onboarding pre-existing trackers at a global level.
- Managing this process from start to end, including liaising with the current data providers.
- Merging previous data sets, so future waves merge seamlessly into the data deliverables.
- Matching current sampling methodologies or looking to improve the process and ensuring quotas are matched.
- Improving the integrity and thus, the confidence in the data, with the latest survey fraud techniques.
- Matching timelines/SLA’s.
- Price matching.
So, how do we do it, and what do we keep in mind during the process?
02
Three steps to migrating a tracker
Data data data. When migrating a tracker, you need to have a data first approach throughout the entire process.
Outputs
Start at the end. Outputs can often lead the first stage of the porting process. There might be redundant historic data, in which case it’s best practice to only bring across what you need and archive the rest. Either way, taking an outputs-first approach can help streamline the entire process.
We can use back data to ensure the output from the very first wave we run can contain all data from previous waves, whether in files or tables. This is a holistic process, and in line with the data-mapping stage at the beginning. It is also a consultative process to identify redundancies or reports/outputs that would be made more relevant following a review.
Data mapping
When we start to onboard a pre-existing tracker, we make sure to acquire the latest questionnaire and historic raw data files. Using this, we programme the survey so the data map matches the pre-existing file, and ensure we keep labelling and numbering across all files as cohesive as possible.
This helps with mapping questions and slotting our new output seamlessly into the pre-existing data structure. In effect and outcome, it’s a newly programmed survey, matching the data map and copying the variables of the previous survey.
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Step change
Moving providers, in terms of both the fieldwork agency and sample providers, commonly sees a step change in the data, no matter how similar the survey is in nature. Because of this, it is important to consider whether calibrations will be required, or maybe parallel runs with the incumbent supplier before fully porting are necessary, as is often best practice.
The devil is in the details, and the key to migrating trackers lies in a series of considerations. Discuss the end result first, and critically appraise your tracker rather than leaping in with the scripting. Recognise there’s more than likely going to be a step change in the data. Embrace it and take this opportunity to really look at your tracker. Is it fit for purpose? Is it delivering what you want? Are there redundancies? Migrating a tracker can be an opportunity for a clean break, otherwise, you might risk your trackers going stale.
03
Tracker migration in action
Case 1: The tracker
A leading media agency ran the Westfield brand tracker with another supplier for several years. We had worked with this client for many years on their ad-hoc campaign effectiveness studies and they wished to migrate the tracker to us for operational ease and a more communicative service.
The tracker ran monthly in London, with postcode catchment sample, with specific weekly targets. They wanted to begin having monthly, quarterly and annual rolled up data deliverables as well as a monthly, custom file shared with the Planning team at Westfield directly. The tracker had ran for 3 years prior to this.
How we successfully migrated it
Firstly we worked with the client to fully update the new master questionnaire, which had become very bloated.
We then had to manually merge 6 separate files into one master data map. Once this was signed off, we then began programming the survey from scratch our side using the master data map as the structure. We championed this, so every single wave since has seamlessly merged into a now global, historical data set.
We also mirrored exactly the previous survey link from an aesthetic perspective, so it would cause no artificial uplift in the data as it was quite outdated.
We have now successfully ran this for 4 years since migrating the tracker in 2019.
Project details
12 weeks
£200k+
51 markets, across 5 continents
N=1,000 per market
45 minute LOI
“We initially made the smooth and successful transition to STRAT7 Audiences due to their superior levels of service and competitive pricing structure.
Having developed the relationship over several years now, they never fail to provide flexibility and best-in-class strategic research support to facilitate the build and delivery of our flagship solution as well as for all our ad-hoc needs.
Communications is excellent and they always act efficiently which is essential given the fast moving nature of our industry.”
Case 2: The tracker
A world renowned insights and consultancy group ran a global sports tracker across 50+ markets for several years. Due to increased ambition for the project and general service, they wished to migrate the tracker to us.
We had to migrate 6 previous years’ worth of surveys, replicate the survey look, feel and translations to manage step change as well as create a new master, custom file which could be then uploaded into their specific data system.
This survey was a syndicate piece, meaning several clients bought different level of questions making the questionnaire both extremely long (660 questions) & complex.
How we successfully migrated it
Firstly we worked with the client to fully update the new master questionnaire, which had become very bloated.
We then had to manually merge 6 separate files into one master data map. Once this was signed off, we then began programming the survey from scratch our side using the master data map as the structure. We championed this, so every single wave since has seamlessly merged into a now global, historical data set.
We also mirrored exactly the previous survey link from an aesthetic perspective, so it would cause no artificial uplift in the data as it was quite outdated.
We have now successfully ran this for 4 years since migrating the tracker in 2019.
Project details
2 weeks
£65k+
UK, London catchment area specific brand tracker
Monthly sample, 12 months exclusions
20 minute survey / 60% IR
“We had previously been using another supplier for a long-term brand tracking project who we found to be very inflexible and weren’t particularly happy with.
Changing suppliers after 3 years of tracking was nerve-wracking, but STRAT7 Audiences helped pull it off without a hitch and barely any difference in the data, which filled us with confidence that we’d made the right choice.
They made the process easy, with regular communication and clear instructions on what was needed to make it work. We’ve now been using STRAT7 Audiences for longer than the previous supplier!”
04
About STRAT7 Audiences
STRAT7 is a global tech-enabled strategy, insights and analytics group. We help our clients ‘win at change’ by putting customer and market insight at the heart of growth strategy. The data that drives these insights comes from our global data collection solution – STRAT7 Audiences.
Without reliable data, data-driven decisions become risky guesses. Our superior survey technology and data integrity methodology empowers you to make bold choices with complete confidence. At STRAT7 Audiences we guarantee operational excellence, allowing you to focus on strategic thinking.
