DefinitionPanel research asks a representative sample what they think and do. Behavioural data observes what large numbers of people actually did. Both are legitimate; the useful question is which one fits the decision.
Where they differ
| Panel research | Behavioural data | |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | Hundreds to a few thousand people per market, projected to the population | Activity from a much larger base, self-selected rather than representative by design |
| Recall | Depends on memory and on how people wish to be seen | No recall: nothing has to be remembered |
| Geography | Reliable nationally, sometimes regionally; rarely a city | Holds up for regions, cities and often postal codes |
| Attitudes | Can ask why someone chose a brand | Cannot ask; motives are inferred |
| New audiences | Limited to what the questionnaire asked | Any audience can be defined after the fact |
Where panels are stronger
Attitudes, stated motivation, brand perception and long-running trended studies with a stable questionnaire are panel territory. If the answer only exists in someone’s head, ask them.
Which to use for which question
- Panel research for attitudes, motivations, perception and stated preference.
- Behavioural data for where an audience concentrates, what it leans towards, how demand develops, and anything below national level.
- Both where the decision is expensive: behavioural data to build the shortlist, survey research to test the chosen option in depth.
Common mistakes
- Panel weaknesses. Falling response rates, professional respondents, social desirability bias, and thin cells as soon as region and category are cut at the same time.
- Behavioural weaknesses. Coverage leans towards people who are digitally active, ambiguous names can contaminate brand signals, and the lack of a stated motive tempts analysts to invent one.
- Treating either as a census. A panel projects from a small representative sample; behavioural data infers from a large, non-representative one. Both need their error stated.
How Rascasse uses it
Rascasse is behaviour-based and says so: AI-based analysis of aggregated digital behaviour signals, not surveys. It does not run panels and does not claim to measure attitudes. What it adds is observed behaviour in 200+ countries with one method, down to postal code where available, and any audience defined and live in 24 hours instead of a fixed questionnaire. Many teams use it alongside a panel. See the methodology.
Related use cases: Audience Profiling, Share of Search & Market Share, Segmentation & Personas.
Related terms
Audience analysisAudience analysis is the systematic description of a group of people: who they are, where they are, what else they engage with and how that is changing over time.Psychographic segmentationPsychographic segmentation divides an audience by what people value, believe and are interested in, rather than by who they are on paper.Audience sizeAudience size is the estimated number of people in a defined market who show sustained interest in a brand, club, artist, event or topic.