Cowes Week used for SMS survey trial

Cowes Week is this year for the first time trialling mobile SMS survey technology to provide race information and garner competitor feedback.

The technology, originally designed to provide customer market research to retailers, is being used to gain information from the 8,500 competitors participating in the races taking place over the eight-day event.

Organiser of the annual sailing regatta, Cowes Combined Clubs is providing the text-based service to competitors who have registered to receive racecourse details while out on the water.

And at the end of each day a series of short questions relating to that day's sailing is sent via mobile SMS to each of the competitors. Topics covered range from questions on the quality or difficulty of the course to the accuracy of the weather forecasts and the standard of stewarding.

The responding data is correlated by specialist software developed by online and digital survey specialist, eDigitalResearch to provide accurate and up-to-the minute information about each race. And responses gathered are then used to modify and improve on the next day's courses.

Lisa Bonczyk, eDigitalResearch marketing manager told IT PRO the service has had a fantastic response with over a third of competitors using the service and offering feedback. "The main benefit is that fact it can collect information instantly so it can be used for the next day's racing," she said.

The instantaneous nature of the feedback is also used by Cowes Radio as content in its shows, some of which are broadcast live from a commentary boat that speeds amongst the fleets racing each day.

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