Sample Blending – Where Art and Science Meet

If you’ve been following the EMI blog for a while now, you’ve probably read plenty of comparisons between online sample and wine, craft beer, coffee, and more. That’s because at EMI, we believe each of these things requires a delicate mix of art and science. Strategic sample blending (rather than simply stacking or aggregating) gives researchers the most accurate and representative data to base business decisions on. That’s because the selection and blending of each provider in the blend is done in an intentional and controlled manner. The providers are selected to complement one another while reducing the overall sample bias and any potential behavioral or attitudinal impacts a single panel can have. Blending shouldn’t be done just for blending’s sake. It should be done in a strategic manner.

Like most researchers, you’ve probably spent time poring over data and investigating the differences from one wave to the next. You likely reviewed demographic or attitudinal data to see why these differences may exist. At EMI, we know that another source of potential differences in data is due to the actual sample source used. It’s important to keep your sample as consistent as possible from wave-to-wave but can be challenging in a world with low incidence studies, a need for higher base sizes, hard to find targets, and the ever-evolving sample landscape as a whole.

We’re constantly conducting research-on-research to learn more about the differences between panels and what makes them unique. This helps us better understand the qualities of each sample panel we work with and how they’ll perform in a blend so that we can strategically select suppliers that will be best for your study.

There are a host of reasons why sample can look different from panel-to-panel and even wave-to-wave within single sources. A few of these include:

• Recruitment approach (and ongoing investment)
• Opt-in process and verification
• Incentive structure (points, cash, etc.)
• Sample source composition
• Panel management (tenure, profiling, targeting, community, etc.)
• Sample delivery mechanism (direct email/router/prescreen)

It seems logical that combining multiple sample sources would be the best way to overcome this, but not all techniques for combining multiple panel providers are created equal. Strategic sample blending is the best way to reduce the risk and bias of using only one source for your sample. When strategic sample blending, three or more sample providers are combined, but the selection and blending of the selected providers is done in an intentional and controlled manner. The benefits of strategic sample blending include improved feasibility, better consistency, reduced risk, faster fielding times, and more. Here at EMI, we’ve been using strategic sample blending for 20+ years and are experts in building strategic sample blends. We are also able to help you transition your existing sample plan to a strategic sample blend, giving you a better long-term option. Let us know how we can help!