It’s undeniable that Viewing Facilities have been substantially affected by the Pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions on Face to Face research.
In response to this, Aspect, along with many of our peers in the Viewing Facility sector of market research joined forces in order to achieve a number of goals.
Primarily we worked together to ensure that we were sharing best practice principles across the network so that you would know that there would be parity in the procedures of any members of the group.
Similarly as a collective we also understood that we had more weight in advocating for our particular sector of the industry. This has proven to be to be exceptionally useful as we’ve received excellent support from the MRS, AQR and the VFA.
We are now launching our first official campaign to remind people of the importance of Face to Face research and integral role that viewing facilities play in that dynamic. Far from being bricks and mortar locations which serve as central hubs for travelling researchers; viewing facilities are places where ideas are tested, debates are had and through the collective thoughts of a room full of strangers, new and exciting insights are discovered.
Technology has clearly played an important role over the last 12 months with online platforms enabling research to continue and, in fact, gain access to participants who may have been previously discounted for their distance from viewing facilities. Whatever the case, technology will continue to be an invaluable tool for all those involved in research; what the VFAG is now advocating for is that we once again ‘make room for face to face’.
As life slowly begins to return to normal we thought that it was a good time to celebrate with one of our most popular promotions of recent years. Throughout the months of June and July, anyone who books in a project with Aspect, which subsequently goes ahead, will receive a £50 voucher from our team.
The voucher will be sent to the person who made the initial booking and the project can take place any time, so long as it is booked within the two months we’re running this campaign.
So if you have any research coming up, be sure to get in touch as you could soon be treating yourself or your loved ones to something special in one of the UK’s finest stores – and let’s face it, we could all use a treat after the past year.
It has been wonderful to hear from so many of our colleagues and clients over the past few weeks who’ve been in touch to discuss what we’re doing to provide a safe environment for their first projects with us since the easing of lockdown.
The dialogue, which we’ve been so keen to have, has helped us to ensure that we’re opening with the full confidence of those travelling to our venues, with every possible measure in place to ensure that your research is conducted successfully and, more importantly, safely.
Some of the measure that are in place are outlined below, but for a more comprehensive guide – along with pictures of our studios with appropriate distancing measures – please read our Covid Secure Working Practices Policy.
Additionally we’re also providing visual guides which highlight key considerations for participants and for clients.
Some of the measures we’ve put into place to support your research:
For more information on how we’re mitigating the risks of Coronavirus or to discuss a new project you are working on, please contact us by email or by calling the office 0161 242 7858
The Market Research Society has released guidance on best practice procedures on conducting Face to Face research in Viewing Facilities and research venues.
This guidance has been published to complement the existing information shared by both the British government and the World Health Organisation who have made a number of recommendations to mitigate the risks posed by Coronavirus.
Speaking about the importance of viewing facilities the CEO of the MRS, Jane Frost CBE, had this to say, “The reopening of viewing facilities and other venues is a welcome development, particularly for those businesses that have been unable to provide any services since the start of lockdown in March. Face-to-face research is a crucial part of our sector and the insight it yields will be essential in helping our economy recover and understanding the impact of the crisis on current business and society to build for the future.”
“As we move into this next stage in lifting lockdown, it is critical that research practitioners continue to prioritise the safety of their participants, staff, contractors and clients, so that they can grow and retain public confidence in the work they do. Given the fast pace of change, we will be continually reviewing the official Government advice and updating these guidelines as needed.”
To read the full guidance for Viewing Facilities and Research Venues please click here.
The MRS is one of the world’s leading market research organisations with members in over 60 countries. They support the industry with range of different membership options with access to training, professional qualifications and industry awards. And with members ranging from freelance researchers, through to established agencies, end-client insight teams and all of those who work within the market research supply chain, they are an invaluable resource for anyone either working in market research or those looking to conduct research.
For more information on how Aspect are enacting all of the necessary measures to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus in our Manchester and Stockport venues, please contact a member of our team who will be more than happy to help. Reach us by email or by calling 0161 242 7858.
We’re delighted to announce that Aspect will be opening both facilities, in Manchester and in Stockport, from the 6th of July 2020 but the Aspect team are on hand as of this week to take booking, address and queries you might have and respond to any requests that you feel will be important to the success of your project.
We also wanted to let you know what the steps we’re taking to provide a safe environment for our clients, staff and the many participants who will be visiting us in the coming months,
All of this information will be displayed throughout both of our premises, ensuring the all visitors are continually reminded of what they need to do to protect themselves and others.
Our teams at both of our facilities have been working hard since the beginning of the lock-down to ensure that we are fully prepared to deal with any of the usual research requests we receive, whilst maintaining only the safest environment for you, your colleagues and anyone else who is arriving at our venues.
Alternatively you can download our full COVID Secure Working Practices policy which provides further detail on the risk assessments we’ve carried out and how we’ve adapted our space to align with the best practice advise from Public Health England and the World Health Organisation.
If you still have further questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Aspect. We will be more than happen to explain the actions we’ve taken or collaborate with you if your require something out of the ordinary for your project.
Contact our team directly at enquiries@aspectviewingfacilities.com or by calling us on 0161 242 7858.
