All about market research screening surveys: Why you need screeners and how AI can help

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What are screening surveys, and how do they impact your market research?

Finding the right audience to survey can be tricky, but it’s critical for actionable insights. While some surveys can go to the general population or other pre-built panels, others require a unique, targeted audience. That’s where screening comes in. 

Depending on the tool you’re using, the process for screening for your target audience can vary. For most market research tools, where respondents come from third-party panel providers, screening happens at the start of each survey, using terminate logic to screen out any undesired respondents. However, because Suzy owns our panel of 50MM consumers, our screening works a bit differently. To filter that audience, we tap into screening surveys.

Screening surveys are 20-question surveys used to identify respondents based on criteria beyond our built-in demographics. For example, you can use a screening survey to identify consumers who have purchased your products, who are loyal to one of your competitors, or who are new to your category. You can then retarget respondents in your future studies based on how they answered questions from your screening survey. 

So, how do screeners work and how do you write one? And how can AI help optimize the process?

Screening in Suzy

Because screening surveys play such an important role in how research is conducted within Suzy, it’s critical to ensure they’re crafted with care, intention, and expertise. Screening surveys are typically launched once every three months and allow up to 20 questions to identify audiences within our panel that can then be retargeted as many times as needed. However, because these surveys are launched quarterly, they require a great deal of foresight to be effective. 

When you’re used to project-by-project work or haven’t put together a formal research plan, it can be difficult to predict the full range of audiences you need to tap into for all your upcoming projects in one quarterly screener. And often, researchers don’t take advantage of the full 20 questions offered by a screening survey, which leads to missed opportunities to engage with valuable audience segments.

To help bridge this gap, Suzy offers intensive screener as part of the implementation process. In these training sessions, our team is on hand to help you explore  the intricacies of your upcoming projects, potential target audiences, key competitors, and data analysis needs. At the end of the session, you should know exactly how to craft a cohesive 20-question survey that targets all your necessary audiences, ensuring no potential segment is overlooked.

How can AI optimize this process?

Developing screeners is an art and a science, and getting them just right can be a time-consuming process. Enter Suzy’s AI screener generation. Like all of the tools in Suzy’s AI suite, this feature was developed by market researchers with extensive industry experience to ensure its outputs are comprehensive, accurate, and well-written. The feature asks you to submit a short brief, where you’ll answer questions similar to those asked in live screener workshops. And the best part: even if your brief is simple and can be executed in fewer than 20 questions, Suzy’s AI screener generation will fill gaps and identify other potentially relevant audiences to ensure customers get the most out of their screening surveys. 

In a matter of minutes, AI screener generation provides you with a 20-question survey that is pre-programmed and ready to launch. This innovation not only streamlines the screening process but also ensures that every survey is as comprehensive and effective as possible, marking a significant advancement in how companies set the foundation for their research with Suzy.

The Suzy Difference

We do things a little differently here at Suzy, starting with our owned panel of US consumers. If you’re used to screening with terminate logic to find your target audience, screening surveys may be a new way of working for you. 

At Suzy, you can ask up to 20 multiple-choice screening questions, allowing you to sift through 3,000 to 15,000 respondents to find those who meet your exact needs based on habits, preferences, or behaviors. Once your screener is live, you can immediately retarget respondents with other surveys. 

Plus, you can take advantage of our AI-powered screener generator and receive expertly designed screening surveys in as little as a few minutes. AI screener generation will create efficiencies in your screening maintenance in Suzy, eliminating the need for lengthy workshops and complex programming. With the power of AI, it’s easier than ever to identify your target audiences and ensure no segment is left untapped.

To learn more about Suzy and see AI screener generation in action, book a demo with our team today.