Invoke
| Industry | Technology for market research |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Boston, USA |
Founded in 1999, Invoke® is a company based in the United States providing technology for a specific online market research methodology - large scale focus groups.
The company was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel and funded by Bain Capital Ventures. Since 2010, Invoke has been headquartered in the Boston area in the US and is supported by North Atlantic Capital.
E-Learning in Israel
Initially, the company founded as NetOnCourse by Aharon Ronen Mizrahi (Tenafly, New Jersey) and Amir Meir Weisenstern (Kfar Saba, Israel) with United States patents (07092821, WO/2004/042492, WO/2008/107880, US 20060155513-A1, 08549076) for large group interactions via mass communications networks. Patents were also received from other countries such as Singapore and Australia and were pending in Europe.
The patented technology was initially used for e-learning, but then adapted for market research. The company was renamed as Invoke Solutions in April 2003 after a round of $6 million in funding.[1] Tools were built around the core technology to support large scale focus groups and its associated applications.
Market Research in the United States
By 2005 the company was headquartered in Massachusetts[2] and marketed online hybrid qualitative-quantitative research under the name Invoke LIVE™. The ability to capture metrics while conducting discussion based interviews at a large scale combines focus groups, in-depth interviews, and online surveys.
In 2008, Invoke announced products to capture point-in-time retail experience using SMS mobile technology. However, SMS technology in the US was soon eclipsed by Smartphones and the resulting App Stores. As a by-product of the mobile venture was born Invoke Analytics, a business intelligence tool for market research that exports analyzed data into Microsoft PowerPoint slides.
In 2010, e-Bay and Invoke were finalists at the IIR Explor Awards for research to provide feedback on its feedback system.[3][4]
In the period 2010-2011, Invoke underwent restructuring with new rounds of funding and a new management team led by Basil Bennett as its chief executive.[5][6]
In 2012 Invoke announced:
- DataChili™ - an online survey tool supporting mobile browsers and available in over 40 languages. The data can be loaded into Invoke Analytics for a consolidated view of quantitative and qualitative data.
- RTQM™ - a real-time quota management tool that allows market researchers to micro-segment and tightly control the demographics of participants who show up for LIVE experience sessions.
In 2013, an advertising campaign by Orbitz that was market tested using Invoke technology won a David Ogilvy Gold award from the Advertising Research Foundation.[7][8] In this period, Invoke also introduced AdEnhance™, a methodology using large scale focus groups and provides brands with a predictable way to measure and capture advertising concept feedback.
References
- ↑ "Invoke Solutions Secures $6 Million in Series B Funding; Online Marketing Research Solution Provider NetOnCourse Re-Brands Itself As Invoke Solutions". Press release. April 14, 2003. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Software as a market research provider". Mass High Tech. July 25, 2005. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ↑ Mike Katz and Peter Mackey (April 2010). "How hybrid research allowed eBay users to give feedback on the feedback system". Quirk's Marketing Research Review. p. 26. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ↑ "The Explor Awards Finalists: eBay and Invoke Solutions". Market Research Event blog. September 20, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Invoke Solutions Names Basil Bennett as New CEO". May 5, 2010.
- ↑ "Invoke Brings In $3.8M". April 29, 2011.
- ↑ "Orbitz Takes Home Gold at 2013 ARF David Ogilvy Awards". Press release. March 20, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Case Study: Take Vacation Back". David Ogilvy awards. March 8, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.