Abstract:

Imagine asking 20,000 Iranians about the future of their country - in 12 days; or people across Latin America about the Zika virus outbreak - within 24 hours of the WHO declaring it a global health emergency; or citizens in 51 countries about potentially highly divisive issues such as LGBTI rights. Welcome to the new era of Global Consumer and Citizen Voice. This session will be presented by Eric Meerkamper, President of RIWI, which collects people's opinions via an innovative online software called Random Domain Intercept Technology (RDIT) for global clients including Ericsson, Freedom House, MasterCard Foundation, Procter and Gamble, WalMart, and the World Bank. Initially used at the University of Toronto for global pandemic surveillance, RDIT has been applied to various consumer research objectives, as well to understanding and addressing global challenges such as: women's rights in ISIS influenced countries, mental health stigma, creating an Arctic sanctuary, women voting initiatives in Indonesia, youth optimism in sub-Sahara Africa, and many others. So, what do you want to ask the world?