#mobilefirstresearch

By Paul Nnanwobu, Random Dynamic Resources Ltd (Nigeria & Canada)

Walk into any street corner in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra—or really, just about any urban center across Africa—and you’ll find young people on their phones. Chatting. Watching videos. Making purchases. Giving opinions. And in between all that, unknowingly shaping the future of market research.

We’re living in a mobile-first era. Especially among Africa’s youth, mobile devices aren’t just tools. They’re lifelines. They’re classrooms, banks, megaphones, diaries. For researchers like us at Random Dynamic Resources Ltd—working across Nigeria, Canada, and over 35 African countries—this shift hasn’t just opened new doors. It’s reshaped the building entirely.

Let’s get something clear, though. This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about connection.

Reaching youthful consumers through traditional research methods has always had its gaps. Focus groups are often too formal. Door-to-door surveys feel intrusive. And landlines? Well, they’re practically relics now. But mobile-based research meets youth where they already are—on devices they use daily, in environments they feel more in control of.

That sense of control is important. It changes how people respond.

When someone takes a survey on their own time, without the pressure of an interviewer, they tend to be more honest. More thoughtful. Especially young people, who’ve grown up navigating digital spaces with a certain kind of fluency. They expect speed. They expect relevance. And, perhaps most importantly, they expect to be heard.

This doesn’t mean the transition has been seamless. Mobile-first research has its own learning curve. We’ve had to rethink everything—from question design to length to language. Attention spans are short. Competition is fierce. If your survey feels like a chore, you’ve lost them before question three.

So we’ve adapted. We use short, engaging formats. Chat-style questionnaires. Voice notes, when literacy is a barrier. Emojis, even, in some places—yes, really. Because research doesn’t have to be stiff to be serious.

There’s one pilot I keep thinking about. In Kenya, we launched a campaign to collect youth feedback on financial habits using a WhatsApp chatbot. Within days, we had over 2,000 responses. And the responses weren’t just “yes/no.” They were rich, layered, sometimes surprising. Young people spoke about saving for side hustles, their frustrations with mobile loan platforms, how peer pressure influences spending.

That kind of insight would’ve taken weeks using traditional tools—and likely wouldn’t have surfaced half the nuance.

Of course, mobile-first research isn’t a silver bullet. Data costs remain high in some regions. Network coverage can be unreliable. And not all youth have smartphones or stable internet access—especially in rural areas. We’re mindful of that. It’s why we often use hybrid models, mixing mobile outreach with on-the-ground sampling to ensure we’re not just hearing from the most connected.

We also invest heavily in digital trust. Young people are more privacy-aware than they get credit for. They want to know who’s asking, why, and what happens next. We make that clear upfront. We protect their data. We explain how their voices will be used. Because if they feel exploited, they won’t come back. And we’re not just building datasets—we’re building relationships.

It’s also worth mentioning that our work in mobile-first research is one of the reasons Random Dynamic Resources Ltd has been nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards, hosted by the International Trade Council this November in London. This isn’t just an award ceremony—it’s a convergence of global business minds, a place to share innovation and form partnerships that can adapt to a world moving faster every day. We’re honored to be part of it.

Looking ahead, I think mobile-first research will only grow more sophisticated. We’re already exploring AI-driven personalization, instant feedback loops, and interactive content that feels less like a survey and more like a conversation. But even as the tools evolve, one thing stays the same: the need to listen, carefully and respectfully.

Because young consumers aren’t just future buyers. They’re current influencers. Cultural drivers. Voters. Creators. And the more we understand what matters to them—on their terms—the better we all do.