Marketing research of innovative products in the online environment: opportunities and prospects

The aim of this study is to analyse modern innovative approaches to marketing research of new products using online communities. The concept of a marketing research online community (MROC) as a specialised virtual environment created to conduct in-depth marketing research by engaging the target audience in long-term interactive interaction is disclosed. MROC is seen as a modern tool for qualitative consumer behaviour research, combining elements of social media, gamification, digital data analytics and continuous feedback. The main elements of MROC are an online platform, participants and a team of moderators. The effectiveness of MROC depends on a systematic approach to its organisation, content management, moderation of interactions, and analysis of the data obtained. The study highlights the main stages of MROC functioning, from strategic planning and community design to analysing the results and integrating them into the company’s business processes. Particular attention is paid to the factors that influence the engagement of participants, including the variability of activities, personalisation of experience, gamification, and value creation for participants. The study emphasises the critical importance of sustained participant engagement in ensuring the validity, analytical depth, and reliability of research findings. Unlike one-off data collection methods such as surveys or focus groups, the MROC methodology is based on continuous interaction between researchers and respondents. This approach facilitates dynamic tracking of shifts in consumer preferences, the analysis of evolving behavioural patterns, and real-time testing of products or ideas.The level of respondent engagement is directly correlated with the quality of the data collected: highly motivated participants tend to provide more in-depth, authentic, and reflective responses. Maintaining active participation over an extended period also enables a more comprehensive understanding not only of consumer expectations but also of the context in which decision-making occurs. This is particularly relevant for the study of innovative products, which necessitate a multidimensional analytical framework. The results of the study demonstrate the high potential of MROC in researching innovative products, providing a deep understanding of consumer behaviour and effective interaction with the target audience. A promising area for further research is the development of a methodology for integrating MROC results into strategic business processes and improving the mechanisms for transforming the obtained consumer insights into specific product innovations.