Adapt or Die!
Before there were personal computers, cell phones, smart phones, tablets, etc., there were small armies, mostly house wives, prepared with a sampling map, clipboard, pencils, and a good pair of walking shoes.
Their job was to knock on the doors of total strangers, and when answered, ask for their opinion on a new topic, product or idea. They battled the elements in cities throughout the US, working diligently to meet quota, while providing regional or national representation. With the introduction of the enclosed shopping mall, door to door interviewing quickly became the dinosaur. Face to face interviewing could now be done in these malls, free from the weather conditions or unsavory neighborhoods, and with an almost captive audience. F2F along with focus groups, mail surveys, and telephone interviews were “THE” market research techniques and Quick Test/Heakin was the largest and most experienced.
