Surveys, Quizzes and other Questionable Memes

A group within my company is in the process of creating a web survey that would give them statistical data on our audience's comedic preferences. The goal isn't to better know our audience, but really just to use this data for marketing and press releases. As in, they could send out a release or make an on-air spot saying "4 out of 5 viewers prefer jokes about people getting hit in the crotch," or "dentists from the northeast prefer relationship comedies, while lawyers in the west like sarcasm."

I'm not quite on board yet with the concept. I just don't see the value, especially when I know what they're paying for the development. But they'll hopefully prove me wrong and this thing will become a smash success. I don't mind being wrong when it helps the company pay my salary. There are shows or sites that we put out every year that I have no faith in. I'd love to be wrong all of the time about such concepts, since every success for the network helps my own financial cause.

Anyway, one of the struggles this group is running into while creating their "humor survey" application is that they want it to be scientifically accurate. Even though the goal is PR (with a sub-goal being to create a quiz/survey that users enjoy and will maybe even post results from--i.e. a meme), they seem to want this to be as accurate as possible. They want to create something that real doctors can sign off on so that they can quote said doctors in the spots and releases.

The problem with that is that the questions you need to ask for the sake of science aren't exactly the questions that make a quiz/survey fun. And the answers those questions give you aren't really the results people want to post on their blogs. I mean, how many people do you see with Myers-Briggs personality results on their sites? Now how many do you see with results from "Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You?" or "What's your color?" quizzes? This comedy survey, despite the fact that it's going to live on a comedy network's site, is much more like the Myers-Briggs than like those other personality tests. I've taken a beta version of the survey, and at this point in its development, it's way too long and boring. I get paid to play with things like that, and I still barely made it through without quitting.

The good news is that the group making the survey knows it's not yet compelling. The bad news is they want to somehow fix it without skewing the scientific results. Time will tell if they're able to serve both masters--entertainment and research.

Which all leads me to the following: Today, I got a newsletter from OkCupid.com, a social networking/dating/quizzing site that we've done some work with in the past. Although I'm currently more of a Facebook guy (with a little Myspace on the side), I usually log into OK Cupid when I get their mailings, if there's something interesting to do. Today, there was a "what's your dating persona" test. Although I'm no longer in the dating scene, the weak comedy survey had me eager to take a more enjoyable test, so I dived right in.

My results (below) were less than accurate. They're really more reflective of how I was when I was single, probably due to the fact that I answered the dating questions as if I was actually in the dating world, trying to think back to that long ago time. (Yes, I was sort of a man-whore before my wife showed me a better way. Don't judge.) The persona it assigned to me was sort of funny, and the quiz was interesting to take. I'd probably recommend it to friends/family. I think it's a good example of how to write a survey/quiz/meme. Users don't care about scientific accuracy, do they? Web surfers want to kill time with enjoyable pursuits, and they want results that are easy to understand and worth talking about with their friends, not boring data that's only interesting to the company asking the questions.

Would you agree? What kinds of quizzes do you tend to take online? Do you like the pop culture-based, just-for-fun stuff, or would you rather take longer, more intricate and more accurate quizzes? I mean, I know there's room for stuff like that--I actually like taking scientifically accurate stuff once in a while. But would you want/expect to take something like that on a comedy website?

I'll let you know when the comedy survey is available to take. Let's all hope we get it right and it's worth taking. I'm looking forward to being proven wrong.

The Vapor Trail
Random Brutal Love Master (RBLM)

Here today, gone today. You are The Vapor Trail. Are you in a relationship now?

What about now?

Vapor Trails can be highly charismatic people--unpredictable, confident, and magnetic. You're experienced. You know how to handle yourself in a relationship, and many people appreciate that. Many people, all in a row.

You've had your share of blissful beginnings, to be sure. But things almost never turn out how you'd like, do they? The problem is you're never happy with someone for an extended period of time. Relate to the following:

Positive Feelings		HER
		YOU
Time

Vapor Trails especially need a girl who will laugh at their jokes. They're also the most likely male type to be haunted by serious regret.

FACT: A few of your exes, the ones you were best to, will always love you. Nice going.

Your exact male opposite:

The Backrubber

Deliberate Gentle Sex Dreamer

Always avoid: The Intern (DGSD), The Maid of Honor (DGLM)

Consider: The Sudden Departure (RBLM)

Link: The Online Dating Persona Test