Leeds neighbours Spark Market Research and Audience Collective have teamed up to launch a new market research app which promises to help brands generate consumer insights in a quicker, simpler, smarter and more cost-effective way.
LifeStars is an ‘always-on’ research software and app that puts customers at the heart of the decision-making process. Unlike traditional market research techniques, the creators say the speed and convenience at which responses are garnered through the LifeStars platform mean that businesses can now keep up to date with ever-changing needs in real-time as the app delivers insightful, reliable and comprehensive data tailored to their needs.
LifeStars is a web application seamlessly delivered to consumers’ mobile devices through a native app. Its self-serve technology empowers users to conduct market research surveys and pose questions directly to a panel of consumers, who are continuously prompted to share their opinion 24/7.
Companies using LifeStars have complete control of the questions asked, the target audience, and the timing of surveys through a monthly subscription model, resulting in transformative insights. Consumers are incentivised to participate, earning financial rewards for sharing their opinions, with a diverse array of over 180 brands integrated into the app, ranging from Costa to Uber.
The app empowers companies to adopt a truly consumer-centric approach and make informed, evidence-based decisions that shape both overarching brand strategy and day-to-day operations by leveraging consumer responses.
In contrast to the weeks typically required by traditional market research methods, LifeStars can answer burning questions within minutes.
LifeStars operates a three-step process:
- The LifeStars team offers a consultation service to businesses, tailoring LifeStars to suit their specific needs. This may involve segmentation, targeting multiple markets, or accommodating various languages, all of which are feasible. Upon activation, valuable insights begin flowing from day one, facilitating informed decision-making processes.
- The LifeStars team then helps the brand invite its customers onto LifeStars via the requisite GDPR checks. If necessary, LifeStars can assist with recruiting a panel. Once they join LifeStars, they’ll undergo basic screening questions, after which they’ll be primed to participate in surveys.
- Companies have full control over asking questions as often, as quickly and as easily as they like to generate speedy answers that bring customers closer.
Spark Market Research founder and LifeStars MD Justin Healy said: “We developed LifeStars to bring brands even closer to their customers – giving them a seat in the boardroom and a voice to support key decisions. Research has changed, especially since the pandemic. Marketing and Insight managers are under increased pressure to do more with less resource. As we live in a fast-paced world where things go viral and trends develop in a blink of an eye, having access to quick, bite-size responses, keeps opinions relevant and timely and will allow brands to be ahead of the curve and reap the benefits. From our own research, barriers to entry in conducting consumer research are often time and money – LifeStars has been developed to tackle these issues head on making market research more accessible and affordable.”
Rob Wescott, CEO of Audience Collective, added: “This is an extremely exciting phase in the development of the group. Each of our agencies is driven by consumer insight, and with LifeStars we can now offer instantaneous first-party data to our clients. This gives them and us a real competitive edge and will strengthen the work of each agency.”
LifeStars has been developed by Spark Market Research, a full-service insights and research agency run by a team of marketers, psychologists, data scientists and researchers working with global brands including Kellogg’s, Amazon, Pizza Express and Accenture.
