Fans at Comic Con are there for the show, not a survey. They’re queuing, shopping, or in full cosplay. A survey host has a few seconds to stop someone and make it worth their time. Get that right and face-to-face research gives you something online panels can’t: real people, at the moment they care most.
- 20,000+iPad surveys
- 15MCM shows
- 10iPads a day
Use the same approach at every show
A fan research agency wanted to know how pop culture fans discover, play and buy, asked face to face. MCM London Comic Con runs twice a year at ExCeL, so it needed a team it could book show after show and trust to collect the same data the same way.
If the approach drifts between shows, the numbers stop meaning anything. So we keep the same opening line, the same kind of person, the same parts of the hall and the same times of day, and the agency now has 8 years of comparable data on the UK’s pop culture audience.
Test the kit
The night before each show, ten iPads are set up on the agency’s survey app, charged and tested, so the team starts on time. The app changes between seasons, so every update gets checked before doors, not discovered at 10am. Bring chargers, power banks and a plan for the iPad that dies at 2pm.
If the approach drifts between shows, the numbers stop meaning anything.
Work the crowd before the doors
At 9.30am the team works the crowd in the central atrium, waiting for the gates to go up at 10am. It’s the one time fans are standing still with nothing to do. Then an event manager places a survey team of up to six around the halls through the day, moving them to wherever the right people are.
Hire from the audience
The survey hosts who do best at MCM are part of the fan scene. They know which costume is from what, and fans stop for them. A five-minute survey is a big ask in a busy hall; it’s a small one from someone who clearly gets it.
Data capture is personal data
Sign-ups and lead capture are different from anonymous surveys. If you’re collecting names or emails, the person needs to know what they’re signing up for, the consent wording needs to be right, and the data should go straight into your system, never onto paper. Brief the team on what to say when someone asks what happens to their details.
Checklist
- The same opening and approach at every show
- Devices set up, charged and tested the night before
- A plan for working the queue before doors
- Surveyors who know the audience
- A clear privacy message for any sign-ups
Common questions
How much data can a survey team collect?
At MCM London Comic Con our teams have run 20,000+ iPad surveys across 15 shows.
When is the best time to survey fans?
While they are waiting. At MCM the team works the crowd in the atrium before the gates open.
Is a sign-up different from a survey?
Yes. If you collect names or emails, the person needs to know what will happen to their details.
Tell us what you need to know and we’ll plan the team, kit and approach.
