What's the Difference Between Flash and Spark Models?

Resonate offers high-performance custom data solutions designed to cater to a brand's specific objectives. Whether it's market sizing for new segments, generating competitive insights, acquiring new customers, or enhancing retention and loyalty initiatives, our custom solutions are tailored to meet these unique goals. With our diverse range of options, we can accommodate various information objectives, budget constraints, and timing requirements. This includes leveraging our Flash or Spark Models which are explained below. 

The following table summarizes the differences between these two powerful Resonate offerings: 

Flash Models (formerly known as Flash Studies) and Spark Models (formerly known as Spark Studies) both serve to answer specific questions and provide you with unique insights about your audiences, but these two solutions have different benefits and use cases. So, which of these models should you use?

Timing

Flash Models:  Are fielded in a standalone survey, separately from Resonate's core U.S. Consumer Study.  As a result, data collection and modeling can occur at any time which results in a faster project turnaround in approximately 4-6 weeks from start of field.

Spark Models:  Are fielded and data processed in conjunction with a U.S. Consumer Study wave.  Since an extensive amount of data is undergoing QA and modeling procedures, this process takes approximately 4-5 months. Therefore, custom data is typically available in the platform approximately 6 months after submitting and finalizing questionnaire content for your Custom Spark Model.

Insights

Data resulting from Flash Models is loaded into your Resonate account as Custom Data and is available for audience creation and activation only. You will not be able to see your survey answers as insights in the platform.

Data gained from Spark Models is loaded under Resonate Elements and is available for audience creation, activation, and will be available for insights against audiences.  

The resulting data from both solutions is tied to Resonate's 250M profiles and 15K insights, which allows you to refine and analyze your audiences, and target audiences at

Measurement 

You can measure your personas against Flash Model data, but you cannot measure them against digital touchpoints, nor can you trend them. On the contrary, Spark Models are perfect for measuring against your personas and digital touchpoints.

Representative 

Another significant difference between our two custom research offerings is that Spark Models are representative of the U.S. online adult population, because they're fielded in our core U.S. Consumer Study research. On the other hand, Flash Models are representing a targeted group driven by your requirements (e.g. Smokers, Millennial Parent, etc.).