“Where Are We Going?” From Market Intelligence to Market Surveillance

Abstract

This concluding factor speculates on the future of the field of opinion research. Much has changed since the days of straw polls and random scientific sampling was the turning point in establishing the profession. In some ways, we may be at a similar crossroads. The chapter addresses the latest innovation driving the practice of understanding public opinion such as big data analytics and Data Management Platforms. It suggests that the highly technical nature of those innovations is improving the quality and depth of the data and offers the potential for very targeted, granular, and actionable insights. Moreover, the complexity of the new techniques and approaches are forcing the different dimensions of opinion research: media, commercial, and political, to re-coalesce and bring in new players to challenge what lay ahead.