Consumer Panel

Our definition of Consumer Panel: 

A consumer panel is a pre-recruited group of consumers who have agreed to participate in market research studies on a forward-going basis in return for some sort of incentive or compensation.  Consumer panels are used to help provide insight around product design and development, marketing, and branding decisions, in addition to helping determine political messaging, media strategies, and overall public policy.  Consumer panelists are typically profiled on:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Household size
  • Language spoken predominantly
  • Geographic location (e.g.:  city, state, zip code, etc.)
  • Annual household income
  • Presence of children in household
  • Employment status
  • Education status
  • Marital Status
  • Residence Type
  • Hobbies and interests
  • Shopping habits
  • Leisure activities
  • Health and wellness
  • Personal finance

 

In general, potential consumer panelists will be contacted before the study and asked a series of questions to determine whether they accurately fit the response group that the study is seeking.

Often the age, gender, geographic area, household size, and marital status of a participant influence whether they can be on a particular consumer research group. Additionally, some companies want panels with members who have read particular types of media, have children within particular age groups, or have extended family living with them. Consumers who use a particular product may also fit the profile of a consumer panel group.

Quite often, preliminary questions determining whether a participant is appropriate for a consumer panel ask information that may exclude participants from being part of the group. Participants who work in marketing, media, or advertising companies may be excluded. Additionally, perspective participants working for a competing company or product are usually be excluded from participating on a study where their personal opinions might conflict with their work obligations. Consumer panels strive to get unbiased opinions from a target audience.