Fast Tracker, a new online brand research and tracking platform, has launched offering both quantitative statistical data and qualitative verbatim insights. The platform utilises AI technology to deliver traditional brand tracking reporting and insights akin to consumer focus groups.

Developed over two years with research conducted in Australia, USA, and UK, Fast Tracker aims to provide a more affordable and comprehensive solution for brand research. Co-founded by Ian Smith and Dr Dorian von Freyhold, Fast Tracker was designed to fill a gap in the market Smith said, highlighting the high costs of traditional research methods. “Most marketers agree that focus groups are where the real nuggets of gold are usually uncovered but at an average of $8,000 per group of eight people, added to the $100,000 plus charged by research firms to do quant brand tracking surveys, brand research budgets are soaked up pretty quickly,” Smith said. He said Fast Tracker offers a more cost-effective solution costing less than $20,000 per year for full and continuous research and tracking for a client’s brand, plus six of their competitor brands. The platform operates on an 'always on' research model, delivering fresh data 52 weeks of the year via a secure, intuitive, and interactive portal. Dr Dorian von Freyhold, who holds a PhD in Consumer Psychcology & Data Science and has over 20 years of experience in data collection and analytics, emphasised the importance of qualitative input in brand research. "Prior to this, brand tracking researchers have stayed clear of any qualitative respondent input, except for the odd ‘word cloud’,” he said. “Because it’s just been too hard and expensive to collect and analyse. Conversely, we are able to encourage people to express how they ‘feel’ about brands as much as how they ‘think’ about them. Getting the full picture is where the real, actionable consumer insights are discovered.”