Demographic criteria

• Age, gender, income, education level
• Region, urban/rural location, household makeup

Behavioral elements

• Shopping frequency, product usage, purchase triggers
• Online activity, brand engagement, device usage

Attitudinal markers

• Lifestyle preferences, values, interests
• Brand perceptions, product beliefs, decision-making mindset

• Adults aged 25–44 living in the UK, France, or Germany
• Who exercise at least 3 times per week (behavioral)
• And are currently not using any fitness tracking devices (attitudinal)

How Dynata panels work

• You define your audience criteria – age, country, purchase habits, etc.
• Dynata pre-targets these panelists with profiling data already on file
• Screeners confirm whether respondents currently qualify
• Your survey is deployed to that targeted, qualified group

What Dynata panels can do well

• Large-scale quantitative studies, especially when targeting general populations
• Simple to moderately complex audience segments across common consumer categories
• Rapid concept testing, message evaluation, and usage & attitude surveys

Where you need to be careful

• Low incidence audiences (e.g., rare medical conditions, niche job titles)
• Extreme multi-country sampling with strict quotas in smaller markets
• Targeting based on factors Dynata doesn’t pre-profile for, like emotional values or life events

Start With What You Truly Need to Know

Building an audience frame starts with a clear, realistic definition of your target audience. Whether you're running a brand tracker, concept test, or usage and attitudes study, your audience targeting choices directly impact data quality, cost, and timing. Especially when working with a large platform like Dynata, it's essential to align your research goals with what’s actually feasible in their global market research panel.

Three Types of Criteria to Consider

There are three pillars of effective audience design that help researchers define who they really need to speak to:

• Demographic criteria: These are your basic building blocks – age, gender, location, household income, education levels, and more. For example, asking for “parents 25–44 in the U.S.” is a demographic frame. These criteria are typically the easiest for global research panels like Dynata to fulfill.
• Behavioral insights: Behavioral criteria focus on actions such as “shopped for skincare in the last 3 months” or “orders food delivery weekly.” These offer purchase and usage context, especially useful for segmentation or product-related research.
• Attitudinal targeting: This relates to mindset, values, or preferences – like “environmentally conscious grocery shoppers” or “tech-savvy early adopters.” While desirable, these are harder to find reliably in panels and often require careful screening.

Balance Ideal vs. Realistic

A common misstep is trying to build the “perfect” audience – one so precise it severely limits feasibility, especially in smaller markets. A better approach is to prioritize your essential criteria, then layer in secondary qualifiers during screeners.

For instance, you might define your core demographic (e.g., adults 35–54 in the U.S.) and gather attitudinal insights through smart screener questions. Avoid overly narrow combinations like “vegan parents of toddlers who live in urban areas and regularly buy organic snacks online” unless you’ve confirmed feasibility through Dynata tools first.

Write Smart Screeners

Once your frame is defined, your screener should reflect realistic paths to qualification without leading respondents. Use straightforward language, avoid double-barreled questions, and never “teach” people how to qualify.

Screeners in market research serve as your gatekeepers. And in global studies, subtle differences in phrasing can impact qualification rates in key markets – so always test and review locally where possible.

Best Practice Recap:

• Use panel-friendly demographic targets first
• Confirm feasibility before layering behavioral/attitudinal filters
• Avoid over-narrow frames that restrict sampling speed
• Craft clear, bias-free screener questions

Designing audience frames isn't about perfection – it's about fit, feasibility, and function for your research goals. The better you define what matters most, the clearer your path to high-quality, actionable data.

DIY Tools Speed Things Up – But Can’t Replace Strategic Thinking

Today’s DIY research tools make it easier than ever to launch surveys, define your own sample, and analyze data – all with a few clicks. But while tech platforms like Dynata offer incredible reach and agility, they also open the door to errors if used without expert guidance.

Put simply: technology can execute – but it’s up to humans to interpret, adapt, and ensure the research stays rooted in business goals.

Risks of “Set It and Forget It” Sampling

Without oversight, DIY studies often fall into these traps:

• Overly niche targeting: Users may select too many filters without checking panel feasibility, leading to delays or unusable sample sizes.
• Leading or biased screeners: Poorly written questions can introduce response bias or allow unqualified participants to slip through.
• Global sampling missteps: Cultural differences, translations, and internet access variability make audience targeting harder across regions.
• Misaligned objectives: Without a research expert, survey goals, targeting strategy, and platform setup can drift apart.

Why Expertise Matters More When Timelines Get Tighter

In a fast-paced environment, every round of reprogramming, sample extension, or ineffective screener costs time and money. That’s why pairing DIY tools with expert guidance often leads to faster results, not slower. Professionals with deep knowledge of market research sampling and global panels like Dynata can:

• Validate feasibility based on historical panel data
• Right-size your target audience against budget and timeline needs
• Write screeners that filter cleanly without bias
• Troubleshoot sampling issues mid-field to avoid rework

For rapid-turn or iterative research, those small tweaks make a big difference in keeping the research on track and useful.

Behind Every Great Tool Should Be an Experienced Researcher

Think of DIY platforms as a studio filled with all the instruments – but the impact comes from someone who knows how to play. As tools get more sophisticated and AI plays a larger role in survey testing and targeting, the quality gap will come not from what tech can do, but from who is guiding it.

Flexible Expertise That Improves Every Stage of Audience Design

The rise of agile tools and shrinking budgets has put pressure on insights teams to do more with less – and do it faster. That’s where SIVO’s On Demand Talent solution becomes a game-changer for many consumer insights departments.

Our On Demand Talent network includes seasoned market research sampling professionals, audience targeting experts, and brand-side researchers who’ve run countless global studies using platforms like Dynata. These experts can help you avoid common pitfalls and drive smart design – even when you're working with minimal time, support, or internal bandwidth.

Here’s How On Demand Talent Can Step In and Help

• Audience Definition: Our professionals help you build a target audience that’s not only aligned to strategic goals but also achievable within panel limits and timeline constraints.
• Screener Development: They write and review screeners that get the right participants without introducing bias – an often overlooked skill that can make or break your research.
• Feasibility Assessment: Before launching, our talent checks global reach, incidence rates, and quotas – helping you avoid under-sampling or over-spending across markets.
• Training & Uplift: Our professionals don’t just execute. They coach your teams on how to better use DIY tools, making your internal capabilities stronger long-term.

A Smarter Alternative to Freelancers or Temp Hires

Unlike freelancers or junior hires who require onboarding or oversight, SIVO’s On Demand Talent professionals are ready to hit the ground running. They bring years of experience across industries, company sizes, and methodologies – instantly enhancing your team’s horsepower without permanent headcount.

Maybe you need an audience design expert for two weeks to support a brand tracker refresh. Or maybe your team is rolling out DIY tools globally and needs guidance on best practices. Whatever the scenario, our flexible talent model means you get the right skillset, right when you need it – without long-term commitment.

Driving Confidence and Success in Every Launch

When you pair the power of DIY platforms with expert audience targeting and screeners market research expertise, you unlock the real potential of tools like Dynata. With On Demand Talent, you're not just filling a talent gap – you're building confidence that every survey launch will deliver meaningful, reliable data.