News

Cell Phone vs. Landline Sampling
August 2008
The rapid growth of cell-phone use and cell-phone only households is forcing the market research industry to look at ways to adjust their surveying methods, which currently rely heavily on telephone interviews of people with traditional landline telephones.  The challenge of reaching the cell-phone population is made difficult by:

• Legal restrictions on use of automated dialing equipment
  
• The problem of contacting a very mobile group of people
  
• Cell phone owners' concerns about using up costly minutes in 
  their calling plans
  
• How to statistically blend cell phone results into traditional
  polls

To address this growing problem, WB&A Market Research (WB&A) conducted its quarterly MarkeTrak^® survey in the Baltimore area among both landline (listed/RDD) and cell-phone populations in order to gain insight into how effective is cell-phone sampling, as well as the similarities and differences between landline and cell-phone samples.  The results of this study are intended to guide decisions regarding cell-phone sampling and provide a starting point for future research into this issue.  Specifically, a telephone survey was conducted among a random sample (both listed/RDD landline and cell-phone) of Baltimore area residents, ages 18 and older. Overall, 692 interviews were completed: 402 interviews were completed among those in the listed/RDD (landline) sample and 290 among those in the cell-phone sample.  Of those 290 completed interviews in the cell-phone sample, 64 were determined to be cell-phone only households. 

Key Findings

Among the key findings from the administration of the survey to the two samples are as follows:

• Refusal/Cooperation rates were comparable between the two 
  samples called.
  
• Telephone interviewing production rates, when taking into 
  account various factors, were also comparable between the two samples.
  
• Interviewing in specific geographic areas can be difficult given the portability of cell phones and the lack of ability to target 
  geographically by exchange.
  
• Unlike when calling landlines, the cell-phone sample actually
  generated a higher proportion of males than females.

Similarities

The cell-phone only respondents were very similar to the traditional landline respondents in many ways:

• Ownership and usage of technology was very similar between the groups, specifically for digital cameras, digital cable, flat screen, plasma and LCD televisions, and GPS/navigation systems.
  
• Both groups had comparable views about the general state of the economy and their own personal economic situations.
  
• The cell-phone only and landline respondents reacted similarly to many attitudinal statements, such as:
  - I like my life pretty much the same from week to week
  - I enjoy a challenge
  - I like to be in control of situations
  - I like a lot of variety in my life
  - I always buy name brand products

Differences

However, there were also differences between these two groups.

• Cell-phone only respondents were younger, more likely to be 
  single, more likely to be minorities, and more likely to be employed, but tended to have lower household incomes.
  
• Cell-phone only respondents were also more likely to agree with the following:
  - I like to lead others
  - I like doing things that are new and different
  - I like to do business with companies that do things in a new
    way
  - I follow the latest trends and fashions