"Will it play in Peoria?" is no longer the issue. Today's market researcher wonders "Will anyone in Peoria be even willing to answer my questions?" Opinion fatigue has apparently achieved epidemic status. At a time when marketers are desperately seeking consumer feedback on just about everything, no one wants to talk. America has not spoken.

Though no truly global figures are available, almost every researcher has seen participation erode in recent years, according to AdAge (via Commercial Alert), with response rates under 10 percent increasingly common. Surveys tend to poll the same people over and over, often "professional respondents" who go hunting for research for dollars.

Everyone's looking for answers. The Word Of Mouth Marketing Association has devoted a session to the problem in its upcoming Word of Mouth Research Symposium: "Is WOM the Answer to Opinion Fatigue?" AdAge reports that Lightspeed Research, WPP Group's provider of online market research, has been offering incentives to survey-takers for the last three years, via a points-based system that converts consumer compliance into gift certificates, DVDs, iTunes downloads or cellphone ringtones. And Lightspeed is adding mobile-based research to its portfolio, reaching out to 16-24-year-olds in Europe through their medium of choice. Whether such manoeuvers will achieve cut-through with a notoriously fickle audience remains to be seen.

Perhaps the big surprise is that the golden weather lasted so long. We were flattered when Researcher Number One called asking for our opinion of Ivory soap but by Researcher Number 2001 we're not even interested in being polite. Just get them off the phone and add our number to Do Not Call.

Is opinion fatigue a big issue for you? Someone will be calling soon to ask you a few questions. When would be convenient?