American consumer panel: American Consumer Panels Scam – Product Testing Fraud, DON’T DO IT!

American Consumer Panels Scam – Product Testing Fraud, DON’T DO IT!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my American Consumer Panels review. One of the most frequent questions I get about making money on the internet is related to doing surveys and testing products online. A lot of people enjoy them, and even make a little money… but it’s not much.

In this American Consumer Panels review I’ll go over the ins and outs, what to expect, and of course… what many people are wondering; Is American Consumer Panels a scam?

Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for American Consumer Panels. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info

What is American Consumer Panels?

American Consumer Panels claims to be a company with a network of home-based product testers, and that you can make money by giving products a thorough run-through.

Is it legit though?

I’m going to save you some time here. No… it’s not legit.

American Consumer Panels is a bait and switch fraud. They masquerade as a legitimate product testing site, and the switch… they redirect to you sign-up with a bunch of online survey companies and collect a referral fee for sending you there.

Here’s the thing…

… in most cases all you need is a little extra to survive the month, and earning it online is a great solution. But companies like this take advantage of it

What’s worse is needing money.

Health issues may be getting in the way… family who needs your help, or maybe there’s no jobs. It’s stressful, and worrying only makes it worse. I get it, I’ve been there too…

A little Peace of mind is all you want and companies like American Consumer Panels are no help. A real online income is what you need  in order to get what you want.

Now, I’m going to give you a free step by step beginner’s guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here

As far as earning some quick cash like American Consumer Panels promises, you’d be better with legit survey sites like Survey Junkie, as well as Inbox Dollars who also pays you to search the web, play games, visit websites and watch videos.  

Is American Consumer Panels A Scam?

People know it’s possible to make money online, but it’s still one of those mystical places populated in part, by fraudsters.. You wouldn’t be the first person to believe it’s a scam.

The short answer here is yes… American Consumer Panels is a scam. The longer version is that they’re straight up lying to you, but ultimately… you end up on some legit sites.

There are a lot of great make-money alternatives on the internet, but it’s true… there’s also a lot of garbage.. Dangerous scams that just swindle you before slipping away into the dark, and there are also real companies that tinker with the truth by choosing the path of deceptive marketing…

Even the use of (energizer) pink-bunnies that never get tired, talking tigers, and cut-from-stone hard bodies in TV ads are a debatable use of mild deception..

Does that qualify them as a scam because the “implied” benefits of the products don’t match the truth?

American Consumer Panels definitely lands much closer to “SCAM” on the scale of deception, but for the sake of understanding, let’s look at what’s going on here and whether you can still earn some money online.

How Does It Work?

The way American Consumer Panel’s is supposed to work, is for users to get paid for testing products.

When you sign up, you do so with the expectation that they will contact you. However, during registration you will be asked to set up your profile, and that’s where they hand you off (via their referral link) to legit survey sites that have nothing to do with American Consumer Panels.

When you sign up with those sites (MySurvey.com and VIP Voice) the people behind American Consumer Panels earn a referral fee and you’ll never hear from them again (except for spam offers to your email).

If you’ve read some of the American Consumer Panels reviews, you may have noticed people complaining that they’ve signed up but no one has contacted them to test products. That’s because there are no products to test.

Uncovering the Fraud

I have a checklist that I use when doing online reviews and right away I knew something wasn’t right about American Consumer Panels.  

The first is that there are no contact names, no CEO or principle operators listed and no Better Business Bureau file (NOT to be mistaken for the BBB registrations of National Consumer Panels or American Consumer Opinion, which are both different companies)..

Those are red flags, but they don’t necessarily mean something is a scam.

Next on my checklist is to look at their social media communities.

When I went to their Facebook page the last post was from 2016… so no activity in the last two years, and all the comments were from people who had applied but never received a response.

I’ve reviewed hundreds of make-money-online and work-at-home companies, and even the bad ones (as long as they’re legit) usually get some positive reviews.

High-Society Offices

Legit companies that deal with physical products usually have a physical address. American Consumer Panels is apparently located in Suite 8500 of One World Trade Center.

So let’s put this together…

All the American Consumer Panels reviews are from people who signed up but were never contacted (to actually test products).   

That means American Consumer Panels is only making money by referring people to online survey sites… (one which pays a dollar-fifty per referral, and the other a sweepstakes entry).

How many World Trade Center companies are working for a buck-fifty and a sweepstakes entry?

As it turns out, 8500 One World Trade Center is occupied by a company called ServCorp which rents virtual offices spaces, receptionist services and… a prestigious address.

In other words… at best, American Consumer Panels is run by an individual or group of people from their homes and are renting an address.

I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and say they’re also paying for a receptionist to answer their phone calls, but I didn’t get through to anyone when I tried calling, and from the reviews I’ve read, no one else has either.

Press Releases

Another step on my checklist is to look at official press releases. A press release is usually an indication that there’s something real here… so I was surprised that American Consumer Panels actually linked to an official press release.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe they are legit.

To make a long story short… it turns out that they are using a site called APNewswire where you can buy and submit your own press release for forty bucks… and then, hope that a legit online publication posts it to fulfill their content quota.

American Consumer Panels Reviews

I try to be objective, so I usually run through my checklist of items (above) before reading the American Consumer Panels reviews. Quite often, someone who is upset is not giving an unbiased review… and I’d like to have some facts in hand before I’m influenced by their frustration.

So what do the reviews say?

Aside from the very rare positive review (which… in my opinion, is not real) the vast majority (90+%) are making the same claim, that American Consumer Panels is a scam.

So That’s It For The American Consumer Panels Product Tester Scam…

Well, not exactly…

As I said earlier, although American Consumer Panels is a scam, they are referring you to some legit survey and reward sites like Survey Junkie. Another legit site is Inbox Dollars where you can also make a few extra bucks.

Doing Online Surveys

I’ll be upfront here… I’m not a fan of doing online surveys.

First, although signing up is a quick and relatively painless process, the profile setup is in my view an intrusive process of personal questions, and when you consider the fears people are having today with online privacy, it’s a real concern.

However… if answering some personal questions doesn’t bother you, this may not be an issue. And I can’t judge, because for many it’s not, and many are earning money doing surveys with companies like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars. So who am I to say they shouldn’t, right? 😀

The other reason I’m not a fan though, is because the advantage to making money online is that the web gives you leverage. It allows you to produce something once and get paid over and over for it.

Generating income with online surveys provides zero leverage. For all your efforts, you only make money once.

I don’t know what your financial goals are, but I have a thing for doing something once and earning a passive income… a strategy I’ve written about in this article.

Thanks… But No Thanks???

Third, and some would argue this is the most significant concern with online surveys, is the question of eligibility.

Let me explain…

If you completed a survey for infant toys (as an example)…  but your answers implied that you actually knew very little about infant toys, you’d likely see a message stating that you don’t qualify for that particular survey (but this is AFTER you’ve answered their questions… and wasted your time).

And of course, those who don’t qualify, don’t get paid… whether you’ve completed the survey or not..

This is often the biggest reason that survey sites get accused of being a fraud.

It’s bad enough that the pay is low, but to waste your hours doing surveys and get the boot before getting paid is not what most people have in mind.

You can limit this from happening though… the survey questions are typically put together in a way to be “self-screening”, meaning their purpose is not only to collect the obvious information, but to also screen out people who don’t fit that demographic or are trying to game the system by clicking randomly to get through the survey quickly. It might be unfair… but it’s a necessary and accepted practice among online survey websites.

Next Steps…

American Consumer Panels is not a legit product testing site. They may have been at one time, or maybe it was their intent… but currently it seems they are only redirecting you to paid survey sites.

You’re far better to go directly to the legit ones like surveyjunkie.com and inboxdollars.com.

It’s frustrating. Especially if you’re struggling to make ends meet.  

If that’s the case, then the amount of money you have coming isn’t enough… and the cost of living is not getting any cheaper.

A second income from home is what you want, and the good news is American Consumer Panels is NOT your only option. There are real ways to get what you want. 

Now, I’m going to give you a free step by step beginner’s guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here

Make Money with An Online Business

Yes… even if you’ve never made a cent online and no computer skills, you can start an online business with a simple step-by-step formula. If you have a passion for something… cars, coffee, cartoons or anything in between, you can build an online business around it.

Using a simple and effective strategy to create leverage, you can create something once and have it pay you many times over. It’s the same strategy I use and have written about here.

American Consumer Panels Review: $45/hr Possible?

Quick Review:  In short, I DON’T RECOMMEND American Consumer Panels, giving it a 0/10 score.  Instead, I recommend the companies they actually recommend, Vindale Research and Survey Junkie.

A lot of my reviews on this website have dealt with paid surveys, but in this review, I wanted to explore something different, a company by the name of American Consumer Panels®.

In this review, I’m going to talk about a company I’ve come across online, particularly some job boards like LinkedIn, called American Consumer Panels®, which is a company that is said to hire at-home usage testers who can be paid up to $45 per hour, at least according to the job description and only need to work up to 25 hours!

And hey, no experience is necessary!

Intrigued in the program, and of course, sounding WAY too good to be true, I wanted to dive in and see if I get approved as well as research to find out if it is, indeed, a scam or legitimate enterprise.

It all sounded too good to be true, so hopefully, to save you some time, I did all of the dirty work for you, and here’s what I found out.

What is American Consumer Panels?

According to the official website, the American Consumer Panel® is a consulting firm that specializes in product testing as well as product development.  The company designs and even conducts in-home usage testing both locally and nationally to help provide real-time feedback from potential customers.

American Consumer Panels®, at least according to their website, is said to make it easier to help a company understand its audience, gather feedback and even shape new consumer products.

Must like surveys, these in-product testing experiences can help a company learn more about their products as they can get feedback directly from the public.

Basically, it appears the company will send you a product to test, which can be just about anything, and in exchange, you will offer your reviews and/or answer a questionnaire, often in the form of a video, audio recording and/or report written online.

From what I did research, it would depend on the brand you’re working with for the time being.

How do I qualify?

If you’re familiar with research companies, all surveys that you qualify for will greatly depend on your demographic profile.

So, for example, if I’m a company that’s testing dog food, I’m going to reach out to the research companies and tell them I only want dog owners, maybe in a certain age range, to take my survey.  This is the same with product testing.

Based on your demographics, as well as your lifestyle, consumer behavior, skills, hobbies, and ability, the company will then do its best to see if there are any products that your profile matches up against.

Aside from your personal profile, the company also has the following requirements, as noted in their job description.

• ability to follow directions
• be willing to write a review, record audio and/or record video
• attention to detail
• able to work 15-20 hours a week
• access to computer and internet access
• access to a digital camera or cell phone that can take pictures
• be honest and reliable
• good communication
• high school diploma
• 18 years+

As you can see, not much experience is necessary and it appears to be up in the air as to whether or not you will be selected, but hey, it’s worth a shot to at least apply to see what happens next.   For the most part, it looks like anyone older than 18+ can apply for the job.

Honestly, I just started the application, which I talk about below, and was able to access “my dashboard” almost immediately.

What would I test?

The details are fuzzy as to what you would test since it greatly depends in which company the American Consumer Panel® is working with at the time.

For example, when I was writing this review, the company stated they have worked with multiple companies, including Apple, Dyson, Fisher-Price, HTC, KitchenAid, Nespresso, NutriBullet, Sony and so many more, most of which they post on their main website.

You can see many of the companies they worked with on their main page, but I can’t guarantee you will work with their products if you were to sign up with them.  I will also include a screenshot below, too.

To see some of the product testers in action, I do recommend you check out their photo gallery where you can check out the people who are apart of the panel as well as what they were able to test.   is it honest?  Who knows?  I will let you be the judge on this one.

When I took a glance at it, I saw everything from a KitchenAid artisan mixer to a 48-inch Sony Bravia TV.  These were some pretty pricey products as well as some lower-end products, too!

Again, I have no idea how honest these pictures are and can’t prove otherwise, so do proceed with caution when viewing them.

How do I join?

Unlike the many survey companies I promote on this website, wherein you can join and start making money in almost as five minutes, American Consumer Panels® works in a much different way since you need to apply and wait for approval.

Looked at as a part-time job, the company’s job description, which can be found here, simply says that it is a part-time position that pays between $25 and $45 per hour, with a guaranteed 15 to 20 hours a week that works around your schedule.  If you qualify, then they just want to make sure you’re committed to the product testing.

Again, this sounded WAY too good to be true, but hey, I’m going to apply anyways.

When I applied, it first asked me a few questions, in which I would have to agree to the terms, answering yes or no, such as dedicating 15-20+ hours to the job and signing a non-disclosure agreement.  It was about five questions and that’s about it.

Here’s a screenshot from my application, for example:

It also asked a few other questions, but as long as you said yes to these questions, it would then ask for your email and proceed to take you to a “gathering your demographic” page.

This entire process took about one minute and just involved the yes/no questions as well as handing over my email address.

Gathering the demographics (this is where I’m questioning the website)

After giving away my e-mail and answering the yes/no questions, I was quite disappointed as all it leads to was asking me to follow two steps, which told me to join two survey panels, which has nothing to do with the company.

Sadly, these were third-party survey companies that make them money and no reputable company, at least one the ones I have worked with, will tell you to sign up with an outside company.

To save you time, here’s what that last page looks like:

The two companies they told me to join in order to establish my consumer profile and demographics were actually two reputable companies I recommend, Ipsos and Vindale.  However, both of these companies have nothing to do with the American Consumer Panels®, hence the confusion.

While these two companies are LEGIT and I do particularly recommend them, it appears American Consumer Reviews are pushing these companies due to the commission they receive.  It also appears they will rotate these survey companies based on graphics I found online showing the same dashboard, so your dashboard may be a pinch different.

By following the links on the dashboard and signing up with those outside companies, it will only net the company a small commission, so this immediately raised a red flag as it reminded me of a way to almost swindle people into thinking they were about to test products for a high hourly rate.

I just know this since I work with Vindale as well, and yes, as implied in our advertising disclosure, we make a small commission off of them.

Now, the bottom portion of the website did say that they will contact qualified candidate as soon as a test matches my demographics, but the question is where are my demographics found?

Unless they can tap into the Ipsos or Vindale database, they know nothing about me because, as you remember, I only answered a few simple yes/no questions and answered nothing about my demographics.

So, how much money can you make with American Consumer Panels?

As mentioned, they claim you can make up to $25 to $45 per hour, but you have to commit at least 15 to 20 hours a week.

Again, this sounds way too good to be true, and as of right now, I guess I’m sitting in the queue of applicants, even though they know nothing about me, so if they ever do contact me, I will be sure to update this, but in the meantime, I’m not holding my breath here.

Remember, this is what the company proclaims, and I couldn’t find anything online where people were confirming these numbers, so don’t get too excited just yet.

Kind of annoyed in my personal research, I wanted to dig deeper and see what other people were saying online, and here’s what I found out from supposed “users.”

Glassdoor Reviews

Google “American Consumer Panels reviews” and one of the first legitimate websites that come up is Glassdoor.

While I’m writing this, the company has a 3.7/5 rating, but in the past, it was as low as 1.4.

Here was a sample of the bad reviews, for instance:

Now, the thing I don’t like about Glassdoor is that it reminds me a lot like Google Reviews, in which anyone can register and create a review, faking it if they wish.  I’m not saying these are fake reviews, but it’s by far the only place online talking nice things about them, so I would proceed with caution, that’s for sure.

Weeding through the “positive” reviews, however, the negatives were saying exactly what I’m thinking in that they are tricking users into thinking they are maybe getting a $25+ per hour job, but in reality, all they are getting are some survey sites that can make them a commission.

No BBB Rating

While I don’t always recommend the Better Business Bureau (BBB) due to their marketing schemes, I will sometimes check the website to read the reviews to see what other people are saying.

But, when I checked out the BBB, I couldn’t find this URL, in particular, which, again, raised red flags.

Even when I checked out their WHOIS, which shows you who owns the website, to maybe gather some contact data, this was private as well, yet again raising another flag.  A legitimate company won’t be afraid of listing their contact details.

Other Red Flags

Domain Age

If you pay close attention to the footer of the website, the copyright has a range from 2006 to 2018, as noted below:

However, if you look at the WHOIS, where you can find out when the website was created, it actually says the website was created in May of 2015.

Fishy, right?

Contacting the Company

The company sure does like to advertise, but when you try to get ahold of their support, at least via the e-mail address on their website, it seems to be unresponsive.

A legitimate company will at least be responsive in some regard, whether it be social media, through email and/or over the phone

With no phone number an unresponsive social media page, this again raised some red flags.

Misleading Press Page

The website tries VERY hard to make it look like a legitimate organization, so much so that they post a “press coverage” link toward the bottom of their page.

So, you’re probably thinking, “Great! They have been in the press before,” but don’t let the press fool you.

While the two news websites they were posted on seemed 100% legit, such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, the press release posted came from a company called ABNewsWire.com, which is a press release service which allows ANYONE to distribute a press release as long as you have few bucks

And yes, once paid, one of the perks is that some media outlets will pick up your press release and post it on their website.  You can view more about the process via the company’s website here.

Odd Address

Glancing at the press release that was posted on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, for example, it had the following information:

Googling the address “One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton St., Suite 8500,” it led to a company by the name of SERVCORP, which is a virtual office that anyone can rent out.

And as a member, you can use a “prestigious” corporate address for marketing materials at more than 160 locations.

So, whether or not they are an active member, any SERVCORP member can use this address and place it on a press release if they so choose.

No Proof

I mentioned it already, but I will mention it again.

If you search online, I can’t find anyone, outside of the Glassdoor reviews, that claim they worked with the company.

If you can find a legitimate review, please let me know.

So, is American Consumer Panels scam?  Is American Consumer Panels legit?

I’m not going to go as far as saying it’s a scam, per se.   Moreso, I’m going to say it’s a TRICK to think you’re going to make some nice money from what seems like an honest company.

It’s really upsetting to read hundreds of poor reviews from people who want to make a decent living online or even find a side job and it’s websites like this that cause more harm than good for the community.

Thankfully for people like me who waste my time to research tricks like this, I can hopefully stop you from entering your information and wasting your time, investing your time elsewhere.

For me, all they got from me was my email and that’s about it, so I really didn’t lose out on anything,

Call it what you want, but it’s definitely not recommended nor legit in my opinion.

Did I get accepted?

Right now, I HAVE NOT heard back, but if I do, I will be sure to update this portion, I promise you.

I will also add more information here if someone contacts me and are able to confirm they were accepted as well.

0/10So, without all of that being said, the American Consumer Panels, for now, gets a fat 0 out of 10.   There are SO MANY other opportunities that are worth your time.

I can’t find any authoritative information on any website where people talk about making $25+ an hour with this company and receiving goods.

Plus, I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that if it this was legit, there would be a TON of bloggers who would be promoting the service and there would be a lot of chatter on highly reputable websites like the Reddit r/beermoney subreddit, for instance.  I didn’t find this anywhere.

Do yourself a favor and skip this company in its entirety.

Instead, focus on better ways to make money, such as the many LEGITIMATE guides I have created in the past, such as:

• 61+ Amazing Ways to Make $1,000 Fast
• 200+ Jobs for Stay at Home Moms
• 75+ Hobbies That Actually Make Money
• 543+ Free Websites to Make Money Online

In the meantime, if you actually had a good experience (or bad) with this company, I do want to hear more about it in the comments below.

Consumer panels and their role in marketing research.

PANEL
CONSUMER – Testing ground
product sales: matched group
commercial establishments considered
representative for holding in
over an extended period
survey concerning dynamics
sales of specific goods; selective
target market consumer group,
whose buying behavior
regarded as representing
the whole market. (Raizberg B.A., Lozovsky
L.Sh., Starodubtseva E.B. Modern
economic dictionary.-M., 2003; Toffler
B.E., Imber J. Marketing Dictionary
terms.-M., 2000)

Panel
research involves the creation
groups of buyers for special and
careful study during
long period of time. These groups
and are called panels. The term came from
American jurisprudence, where the panel
means list of jurors.
In marketing research
the panel understands the list of constants
buyers (customers of the firm) for
conducting with them by prior
special arrangements for systematic
and lengthy conversations according to a pre-designed
scheme with detailed entries in a specially
and pre-designed forms (survey
sheets, diaries, tables, etc.) for
subsequent analysis. Because the polls
consumers (or other entities)
carried out for a long time
– from several months and one year
up to several years (there are panels that
are called constants), then the panel
studies may well be called
and observations, which will be discussed later
speech in this book. nine0003

Objects
observations in panel studies
may be individual users,
families, households (consumer
panels), trade organizations (wholesale
bases, retail stores), industrial
enterprises, experts. It’s obvious that
the composition of the panel determines the nature
information that can be obtained from
the process of observing it. Accuracy and
the reliability of the information depends on
the number of objects of observation. If
we are talking about the consumer panel, then
the volume of objects of observation in it can
be very big. So, for example, the company
NFO Research, Inc. (USA) created a consumer
a panel of 450 thousand households [28, p. 164],
Seco-dip (France) created two
panels of 4560 families in each [12, p. 69]
(obviously, in both cases, speech
is about permanent panels). Trading,
industrial and expert panels,
Of course they can’t be that big
which naturally leads to a reduction
costs for their formation and subsequent
watching them. At the same time, it is impossible
say that as soon as consumer
panels more than any other, then their
information is more accurate and reliable. This
not so, because according to their characteristics
consumer, commercial, industrial
and expert panels are absolutely
different objects of observation and approaches to
determination of their quantitative composition
cannot be similar. nine0003

Information
from the panels can be removed both continuously,
as well as sporadically. With continuous
retrieval of information all information in advance
in the prescribed form by the participants themselves
panels are daily entered into special
diaries, which through certain
time intervals are transmitted
researchers for processing and analysis.
Episodic information gathering
carried out within predetermined
dates (for example, every Friday or every
every last Thursday of the month,
quarter) by interviewers through
filling out special questionnaires
sheets during interviews with respondents
or by panel members themselves through
filling out questionnaires for submission
recent researchers. nine0003

Eat
information can be provided through
predetermined scheme and in a clear
designated form, i.e. through
responses of respondents to the same
questions. Such panels are called
traditional. They allow you to collect
comparable information for analysis
dynamics of the studied phenomena and identification
their development trends. Panel
research because they are very
long lasting, reshapeable
surveys. Such panels are called omnibus.
Thanks to them, it becomes possible
fast information for
single study, because the sample
already ready. If necessary
traditional panel study
can be added at any time
omnibus. nine0003

Panel
marketing research method
has undeniable advantages over
episodic elementary survey.
It allows you to compare the received
results of observations with past and
identify trends and patterns
studied phenomena, increases
representativeness of the sample (because
to the same sample, researchers
repeated multiple times). Some
information can only be obtained through
conducting panel studies.
So, for example, Siberian manufacturers
pasta know that the volume
sales of their goods in the autumn-winter period
slightly less than in spring and summer.
Why? The answer is simple. Siberians in winter
prefer to consume more potatoes,
which they grow for themselves
in their backyards. So they
reduce their food costs. This
trend can be detected by
elementary observations, but to express
it can only be quantified
panel research results.
Let’s say there is a company that manufactures
pasta, shaped for
a panel consisting of several
dozens of households, and regularly
watching her for a year. It’s clear,
that the company will have extensive information
in terms of purchases of pasta
(and what is especially good, in the nomenclature)
in different months, which will allow
establish precise quantitative
consumption characteristics of this
products by season. Receive
such precise quantitative relationships
possible only through panel
research, no other methods
are not well suited for this. nine0003

Panels
usually create large consulting
firms, research institutes,
large industrial and commercial
enterprises. They can be created and
state statistical
bodies. As an example, such
state panel can be called
family budget statistics, including
currently includes about 60,000
households [12, p. 68]. This panel
can also be used by marketers,
Naturally, on a commercial basis.
Panels are usually created on contract
basis between organizations conducting
research, and panelists. AT
such contracts reflect the forms and
panel members’ fees for
provided information. Payment
can be made both in cash
form, and in the form of discounts from the price at
purchases of company goods or in the form
gifts. nine0003

Addiction
type of information (quantitative,
qualitative) from research methods

Through
methods described above: questionnaires,
traditional surveys using
questionnaires, as well as panel
research – you can get mostly
quantitative information, processing
which is carried out with the help of procedures
ordering (for example, classification),
calculations, etc., which allows you to calculate
various derivatives,
detailing the phenomena under study,
processes, objects, etc. Qualitative
information can also be obtained
through the application of these methods,
for example, by including in questionnaires
or questionnaires of open questions,
but in much smaller quantities.
However, these methods are mostly
designed specifically to receive
quantitative information. For getting
quality information most often
using methods such as focus groups
, in-depth surveys (interviews), methods
projection and observation. nine0003

Responsible for quality – Research&Trends

Panel measurements are one of the most important marketing research tools. With the help of data obtained in this way, you can learn about the preferences of new mothers, motorists, teenagers, and anyone. However, where is the guarantee that the research company interviewed exactly the right people and in the required quantity? Indeed, for the customer, whether it is online or offline research, the panel always remains inaccessible. Is it possible to be convinced of the integrity of a research company based not only on its presentation materials? nine0003

“The question of the validity of the results of the research is very acute,” confirms Daniil Borodin, director of research at Media Arts Group. – I had to meet with not quite reliable data. However, to the best of my knowledge, there are audit procedures that can address most panel data quality issues. ” What are they?

“First of all, it is necessary to separate different types of panel measurements,” warns Andrey Milekhin, president of the Romir holding. – Today there are several of them in Russia. These are the scan-panel, media-panel, retail-audit-panel and Access-online-panel. Often, all types of these studies are called in one word – the panel, which is initially misleading. It can be expected that certification systems will also be different. And so it turned out. nine0003

Scan-panel

Scan-panels in Russia are developed by Romir holding and GfK Rus. Data collection methods are similar (panelists independently scan the barcodes of the goods they bought at home, the data is transferred to a research company), although, of course, there are various methodological and technological differences. None of the panels have been externally audited, but the researchers themselves do not doubt the validity of their data and encourage clients to verify this for themselves. nine0003

“One of the main principles of the panel is its openness,” Milekhin says. – Each client can trace the movement and processing of information at each stage (collection, encoding, processing, reporting). During 2008-2009, a number of major international companies conducted their own audit involving specialists from their headquarters in Europe, which resulted in positive conclusions and development of cooperation.”

“GfK consumer panels have an internal standardized approach to all processes, both during the recruitment and maintenance of a panelist, and at the stage of cleaning, coding, data processing,” says Elena Pervushina, head of consumer panels at GfK Rus. These standards are the product of the creativity of the GfK Rus researchers themselves. If the customer doubts something and does not want to rely only on the experience and reputation of the company, then he can only check the data on his own. “The quality of panel data is quite measurable when compared with other available information – for example, a client’s knowledge of the market and their sales, of course, taking into account the methodological features of each source,” advises Pervushina. nine0003

Media panel

In the field of media measurements, the role of customers in assessing the quality of the panel is also very large, but here they prefer not so much to evaluate, but to control the evaluation process by independent auditors. Thus, the television panel of the company TNS Russia during its existence has passed 4 independent audits. Ksenia Achkasova, director of television research at TNS Russia, says that since 2004, the development of this panel, as well as any modifications to it, has been under the constant control of the industry – the Data Users Group (GPU), consisting of representatives of TV channels, advertising agencies and advertisers . Once a quarter, the GPA participants get together to discuss the current issues of the panel’s development, incl. to determine its compliance with market requirements. nine0003

Yulia Voloshina, media researcher at Media First (KG Twiga), says that in January 2005 the GPA initiated an audit of the TV panel by international auditor Peter Mennir. In 2008, the National Readership Survey was reviewed by expert Gilles Boisson. These checks confirmed the compliance of TNS panels with international standards. Information about the activities of the GPA is widely disseminated in professional circles. For example, Daniil Borodin, answering the question about the presence of external audit panels in Russia, named exactly the activities of the GPA. nine0003

Online panel

With the development of new research methods, new audit companies appear on the market. In the field of online research, this happens as follows. The American company Mktg, Inc, which is a recognized independent auditor, selects several providers that own the largest panels in a particular country, and once every six months compares the performance of each of them with the average for all audited panels. According to Alexander Shashkin, General Director of OMI, one of the most important indicators of the panel is checked in this way – data stability, i. e. repeatability of the results of tracking or periodic studies conducted with a certain time lag. nine0003

In the course of Mktg measurements, the homogeneity of socio-demographic indicators and behavioral reactions of panelists are determined, concerning both consumer behavior and the characteristics of filling out questionnaires (abnormally high speed, etc.). The owner of the panel does not have access to its results, its function is only to send invitations to surveys, all data is collected and processed by Mktg. The audited company pays the auditor for this work. What for? Daniil Borodin argues that “a research company that is interested in long-term work on the market will never interfere with the conduct of examinations, but, on the contrary, will facilitate this process in every possible way and involve various experts for this.” But there are more pragmatic reasons. If the audit is successful, the audited company receives a “quality mark”. nine0003

Companies whose panels meet the requirements of Mktg, Inc. i.e. fit into the range of average values, certificates are awarded. Their appearance – gold, silver or bronze – is determined by the period during which the company maintains the panel performance at the appropriate level. For example, in May 2010, OMI was awarded a silver certificate – the parameters of the panel are stable in three waves in a row, starting from September 2009. In total, Mktg audits 7 panels in Russia.

Dynamics of OMI panel audit results in comparison with the average data of Russian panels for three periods. (by income of respondents)

Source: OMI

Dynamics of OMI panel audit results in comparison with the average data of Russian panels. (by segments of purchasing behavior)

Source: OMI

Such activity of researchers working with respondents “remotely” is not accidental.