Tag Archives: online consumer panels

The Sound of Savings

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You won’t hear it with the human ear, but the next time you are in a big chain store, Shopkick may be calling out your name!

According to a recent article at Forbes.com, Shopkick is a location-based customer loyalty app like Foursquare or Gowalla, but with an important difference:

…it doesn’t use the phone’s GPS. Instead, Shopkick uses a different technology. It plugs in a small box inside each participating store. The box emits a high frequency sound that humans can’t hear. When the Shopkick app is opened, it recognizes the sound so that it knows that the person is actually in the store.

The bottom line is engagement. Remember a few posts ago we were talking about the difference between TV ads that are just on, shooting dumbly out into the atmosphere, versus web ads that tease you and make you click? If you click the web ad, you are already interested in the product. That’s engagement, and the same principle applies with Shopkick. You physically go into the store, you turn on the app, and you wait for the deals to come to you. And Shopkick claims a success rate of 45% that, if it’s true, is a really high number!

For now, because it requires hardware, Shopkick is mainly in large chains like Target, Best Buy, Macy’s, Disney and so on. Foursquare uses existing satellite tracking, and it is popular with smaller independent stores. But of course, they are looking into copying Shopkick’s success. Hopefully the winner will be YOU.

So have you used Shopkick? What do you think?

Get ’em While They’re Young

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…in the pursuit of new customers, companies are shifting their marketing strategies to target a younger and younger demographic. First, “youth marketing” was the buzzword. Then, it was fine-tuned to the “tweens.” Now, newborns are the new base.         Beneath the Brand Blog

Yes, newborns.  A few years ago, some genius figured out that while a child must learn language and verbal skills in order to communicate their preferences, they are forming preferences even before that. Really, it goes all the way back to Walt Disney: ever notice how you can tell who’s the hero and the villain just by the way they are drawn?

And speaking of Disney, they are jumping into the marketing-to-babies thing in a big way. Now, at nearly 600 maternity hospitals in the US, Disney gives away “cozy, adorable bodysuits — often decorated with famous Disney protagonists —[for free], so long as Mom is willing to sign up for email updates from DisneyBaby.com, the new corporate initiative.”

Meanwhile, Ronald McDonald is one of the most recognizable figures to even the youngest kids – and Ronald is taking a lot of heat for supposedly wrecking your kids’ health and making them fat. So, there’s a downside. Anyway, there are further examples in the article online. So what do you think? Good? Bad? Dumb? Inevitable?

You Can’t Hide from These Deals!

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Heard of location-based marketing? It’s been around for a few years, and it’s growing. And a 400 pound gorilla just entered the game!

Basically (very), in location-based marketing you sign up with a retailer somewhere in town. Using GPS or something, they know when you are physically near the place – say you are grocery shopping a mile away – and they send you a text or email with a coupon or some announcement about today’s special.

A lot of tech companies are in this field, including a start-up called The Dealmap. And Dealmap just got PAID, yo!

In a strategic no-brainer, Google has acquired The Dealmap, a startup that shows on a Google Maps-powered map just where you can find all the Groupon-like daily deals in your geographic area.                                                                             Venturebeat.com

Which is great news if you love deals, and you are familiar and comfortable with Google Maps. Bad news, I guess, if you are worried that Google is taking over every aspect of the internet! What do you think?

Our Biggest Drawing EVER!

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Faceless yellow man is happy…you will be too!

NOTE: This is a PAST drawing. We keep it posted to illustrate the kinds of fun opportunities we have for MindField Online members.

Big news, fans of MindField (and money!) Announcing our biggest cash drawing ever, just in time for the holidays! On December 10th, 2011 we will hold a drawing for combined total of $2,500.00!

This includes:

One $1,000 Grand Prize,

Two $500 Second Prizes, and

Twenty $25 Third Prizes!

How do you qualify? There are all kinds of ways involving Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, Amazon.com, the MindField Online Blog, Refer-a-Friend, signing up for text messages and more!

For a full rundown of rules and qualifications, head over to the official MindField Online prize page, HERE.  Thanks, and good luck!

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!!