Monthly Archives: July 2011

New Amazon.com Cashout Option!

Check out the brand new Amazon.com cashout option for MindField Online Panelists!

That’s right, starting now, in addition to our check request and PayPal cashout options, you can also choose to get your dough in the form of an Amazon.com Gift Card*! Whether you just hit your $5 threshold, or you’ve been saving up, you can request an Amazon.com Gift Card* at no extra cost to you. You receive a gift card code via email, you enter the code number at Amazon.com, and you go nuts!

We hope you enjoy this new convenience…let us know!

And now the legal mumbo-jumbo!

*Amazon.com Gift Cards (“GCs”) sold by McMillion Research, an authorized and independent reseller of Amazon.com Gift Cards. Amazon, Amazon.com, the Amazon.com logo, and the Amazon Gift Cards logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. GCs may be used only for purchases of eligible goods on Amazon.com or its affiliated website Endless.com. GCs cannot be redeemed for purchases of gift cards. Except as required by law, GCs cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash, or applied to any other account. See www.amazon.com/gc-legal

No Escape from Ads?

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Watching TV, it seems like there is a commercial every 5 minutes. On your PC, it’s hard to escape the pop-ups. By comparison, your mobile device is sort of an escape from Ad-madness – but maybe not for long.

According on an advertising exec quoted in a recent article in Adweek, advertisers know that:

There are over three times the number of mobile subscribers as there are TV subscribers, he said. Globally, it’s the most adopted technology and media channel in history. The engagement rates are higher. And inventory, thanks to 24-hour access to users, is unmatched.

Engagement rates means that, unlike the TV that blasts ads at you without your consent, online you choose to Click Here, meaning you are interested in the product on some level.

So, far, mobile ad spending is a drop in the bucket compared to TV, but a lot of advertising geniuses expect that to change. The question is, how will you feel when there’s just as much advertising on your mobile as there is on TV and PC? Let us know!

*  BTW, the art department spent literally minutes on the opening picture!

Marketers Targeting Smartphone Moms

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I see a young mom at the grocery pushing a fully loaded cart with a 2-year-old boy in the seat. Standby for the screaming tantrum, right? Except not. All is at peace…because the kid’s watching cartoons on mom’s iPad.

About a week later, I saw this article on WashingtonPost.com that says that moms with smartphones:

…are becoming a new kind of shopping force online. A decade ago, these women were single and childless 18- to 34-year-olds who captured the hearts of Madison Avenue marketing executives with their voracious consumer appetites. Now, they are older and often in charge of the household wallet.

 Apparently, advertisers have been studying the habits of regular “desktop moms” for years, coming up with new ways to grab their attention. But now, mobile moms are busting out, becoming the fastest growing segment of smartphone users. And they are among the Web’s biggest spenders, either buying directly from mobile apps or researching products that they buy later.

So what’s your favorite way that your mobile device interacts with your shopping habits? Research? Couponing? Purchases? Or simply shutting up your 2 year old? Let us know!

It’s That Time Again…

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Time once again to update our ever-expanding collection of positive reviews from MindField Online Internet Panels Facebook fans, including this gem from Diane:

If anyone is wondering if MindField is the real deal and really does pay you real money, I’ve made quite a bit of money from them. I cash out and I get my check within 4-6 weeks. It’s real! Thank you, MindField!

Check out the newest comments on our Panelist Reviews page! Here’s the link…

Meet the Winners:10K Facebook Fan Giveaway!

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We have a winner! Actually TEN winners of MindField Online’s 10,000 Facebook Fan Drawing! Let’s meet the gang, shall we?

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David B.

Springfield, MO

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Yolanda C.

Schnecksville, PA

Yolanda is a stay at home wife and mom caring for a special needs child. She has been with MindField since 2008 and says, “I love being a panelist because it a great way to make extra money while giving your opinions about products.” Like a lot of us, Yolanda and her family are tightening their belts, so her $100 prize is going straight to bills – and there’s nothing wrong with that!

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John D.

Loveland, OH

John is retired, and has been with MindField for over three years.  He says, “I’m very opinionated, so surveys are a fun outlet. And a few extra bucks doesn’t hurt, either!” John is single, and loves to spend time with his 13 year old mutt, Jezebel.  He likes to indulge in fine dining, so his $100 might just go towards a nice meal out.

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Melissa H.

Harlingen, TX

Melissa is from Texas, and she has been with MindField for two years. She’s a mother of four, with one grandchild and another coming in January. Melissa plans to use her $100 prize to take the whole family out for a meal.

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Rachel J.

East Palestine, OH

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Jerry M.

Madison, TN

Jerry is a construction worker, and a widowed dad with a 14-year-old son at home. Jerry says, “I enjoy the surveys and having my opinion heard. I also like the products MindField sends to evaluate. And I like the extra money, too!” Jerry says he will take the $100 and have a big night out with his son.

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Niraj P.

Leesburg, VA

Niraj is a college student who lives at home while pursuing his Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. He also tutors at his school. Niraj will take his winnings and put them toward a new smartphone or tablet.

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Tim S.

Fruita, CO

Tim is a carpenter, married with three kids and two grands. Tim has been with MindField for over two years and says, “I like doing surveys to give my opinions on different subjects and also, sometimes, getting to test products before they reach the stores.” Tim plans to use his $100 to take his “wonderful wife” of 12 years out for dinner, a movie and dancing!

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Ron U.

Kingwood, TX

Ron says, “I’ve been with MindField a long time and am a loyal follower. I love making extra income for giving my opinion to companies that will make better products or services.”  As for his $100, Ron says he is still in shock from his win and hasn’t decided what to do with it!

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Congrats to our ten winners, and thanks again to all our panelists who have filled our ranks on Facebook, and spread the word to your friends. And don’t worry, another drawing is coming around the bend…more details later!

e-Groceries?

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Online purchases of consumer packaged goods from disposable diapers to processed food will more than double to $25 billion by 2014, information and measurement company Nielsen said on Monday.

Yahoo.com News Article

Wal-Mart, Kroger and Amazon are all getting into the game: Online ordering of groceries. Right now, about 2% of all purchases are made online and, as the quote says, that’s going to double in the next couple of years.

You may recall companies trying this back in the late-90’s. Most of them became victims of the dot-com bust. e-Commerce has come a long way since then, as well as some new ideas about shipping and distribution.

Lately, there have been some product-specific online retailers that have had some success-names like Soap.com and Diapers.com. Amazon recently snapped them up for about a half-billion dollars, so I guess they’re serious about the trend!

So, what do you think? Have you ordered groceries online? Would you? What kinds of things would you order? Let us know!

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Stay tuned for our next post, when we will meet the winners of our 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway!!

A Soapy Situation

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Soap Operas are a topic close to many people’s hearts.  Once soaps were on at least 3 hours a day on all 3 networks. But they’ve hit hard times, including the recent cancellations of long-time faves All My Children and One Life to Live. Now comes word of a reprieve of sorts – but in a format you might not be used to.

Here is where I would usually provide a link to some article online, but I read this in ten different places yesterday. Specifically, AMC (leaving the tube in September) and OLTL (exiting in January) will now continue…online.

In our house, if we miss one of our faves like Community or Parks and Rec, we will download it on Hulu, drag the laptop into the living room, cram together real tight on the couch and watch. That’s the occasional half hour, but 5 hours a week, every week – or 10 if you like both shows? I don’t know. The articles say that the shows will eventually be available in other formats like “additional emerging platforms including Internet enabled television sets.” But for most of us, for the foreseeable future, this means the PC.

So what do you think? Obviously, MindField folks are pretty computer-savvy, but will you be able to make the switch? Or is it the end of an era? Give us a shout, soap fans!

10,000 Facebook Fans!

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Well, you did it guys. We launched the MindField Online Facebook page – and this blog – in September of 2010. Now, 10 months later we hit a new milestone: 10,000 Facebook fans!!

Back in the first part of June, we noticed we had about 8,500 fans, and decided to give that number a nudge with our 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway. The deal is, when we hit 10K, ten lucky MindField Online panelists would we chosen to win $100 each!

Well, we hit the goal, and the drawings will be held this week! If you’re one of the lucky ones, you will receive a specific email notification.  And please be patient… no matter how awesome the prize, it can sometimes take a while for everyone to get back with us to verify everything. When we have our ten winners verified, then we will announce.

So, thanks again for your membership, your loyalty, and for telling your friends. Keep it up!!!

Consumed with Apps!

This was the year that smartphones and tablets like the iPad and Galaxy outsold desktop and laptop PCs. So, has this development changed the way we spend our time with mobile apps? Well, if you consider DOUBLING it a change, then yes!

There’s a group called Flurry that monitors the mobile app industry – something like 85,000 apps – and they have conducted a study of how our behavior has changed over the last year. Here’s a chart:

That’s a 91% increase! And how are we dividing up that time?

  • 47% Games
  • 32% Social Networking
  • 09% News
  • 07% Entertainment
  • 05% Other

How about you? Did you get a smartphone or tablet this year? Has your behavior changed? Let us know!

AND EVERYBODY HAVE A FUN, SAFE INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!