NOW CLOSED: Insight Annual Round-up 2012: Join our panel or let us know what you’ve enjoyed this year and what you’d like us to do next year. FAB prizes up for grabs (again)

[AnnMumsnet]

The time has come for the insight team at MNHQ to do our annual round up of the year, to plead for those of you not yet on our panel to sign up and to thank you all for taking part in some amazing projects this year!

(In case you don't know insight covers surveys, product tests and sponsored threads on MN, as well as bloggers reviews, and reviewers recruitment)

Let us know what you think on this thread and you could win another prize!
We've got:

A Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 worth c£180 courtesy of the team at TalkTalk more details here

A whole years' supply of Aldi nappies from the folks at Aldi - worth c.£500

And thanks to the Royal Academy we have two x 4 adult tickets to their new exhibition showcasing Manet early next year. There are two prizes each of 4 tickets (if children under 12 they will go in free so the winner can invite another 2 adults) - worth £120. More info here

In 2012 we have given away over £25,000 worth of prizes in the form of vouchers, books, beauty products, hampers and technology.
You have tested nearly £70,000 worth of products - including having your DCs put My Little Pony, Chicco toys and Wonderbook Book of Spells to the test.

We've surely made (some of you) look younger or slimmer with product tests for Garnier UltraLift, Origins Plantscription and M&S shapewear.

We've helped feed the family by trying out the HomeCooker from Jamie and Philips, scoffing Kingsmill Fruit and Fibre bread and helped make dishes tasty by introducing Bisto Stock Melts.

We've got you talking about a range of topics - from baking for the Big Fair Bake, visiting National Trust properties with the family and cleaning with Ecover.


What have you enjoyed taking part in this year? Or appreciated reading about? What would you like us to product test next year?

Most of the product tests are on site but we also do a lot of projects with our lovely research panel. If you are not yet on our panel please see this link for more info or to sign up. You can select how often you get emailed and you can leave at any time if it?s not for you.

So to win one of the lovely prizes please do one of the following:
~ Post on this thread about what you've enjoyed doing insight-wise this year or what you've appreciated reading about
~ Post on the thread any suggestions for product tests etc you'd like to see next year (no promises but we can try!)
~ Post on the thread to say you have joined the panel

Thanks as ever for your time and feedback - all very much welcome
AnnMumsnet, TheOtherHelenMumsnet and KatieBMumsnet
x

[polly164]

I love being part of the mumsnet community!

I was lucky enough to try the Origins Plantscription serum and certainly feel that it helped my skin, I just hope Santa will bring some more!

Really loved the Method laundry liquid also, I have been and re purchased that already.

Reading the feedback for the other tests is also interesting.

I hope that you do more tests for health and beauty products, and also household products.

[Doogle2]

I love being on the panel and was very lucky to be picked to try the wonder book of spells. I have bought a couple more games for Christmas presents
I love the concept of product testing and fingers crossed for what the New Year holds. Thank you Mumsnet.

[Willemdefoeismine]

I've tested a few things including the shapewear and currently the Method washing liquid (to which I'm now a convert) so thank you.

I enjoy filling in surveys and giving my opinion but then I'm quite opinionated so those type of activities are naturally up my street .

Diligently filling in all threads/surveys etc...in the hope that I might win a generous voucher prize but helas not yet....I guess you probably need to fill in hundreds if not thousands.

More household gadgets would be good and yes more stuff aimed at tweens/teens - and whoever suggested that it would be good to get them reviewing products is right!

Also find that as a parent of school age children, new foodie products aimed at lunch-boxes don't come onto the market often enough. So always happy to see product reviews for new ones and very happy when they prove a success with the family!

[EastHollyDaleStreet]

I liked trying out the garnier ultralift - and it worked!! I also was picked for eco wipes and a couple of others which escape me (still ill and a bit head fuzzy) It's always really good being picked for testing as on the whole you are being amongst the first ever to try the things out and that makes me feel special

[TrillsCarolsOutOfTune]

Suggestions:

Make it very clear who is eligible for which surveys so I don't click and then find out that I can't do it.

Make sure that the dependencies in the survey make sense - e.g. if you ask how many children I have and I click "none", don't then tell me off for not clicking any age ranges in the next question of "how old are your children".

Encourage survey-creators to have more "none of the above" or "all of the above" options.

[LaTrucha]

I would like to know why I was chosen for things last year but have not been chosen for anything this year.

I LOVE product tests!

[TrillsCarolsOutOfTune]

Was that the wrong kind of suggestion? Sorry.

[TrillsCarolsOutOfTune]

Oooh - here's a suggestion - not sure many companies would go for it - a head to head product comparison.

Two identically packaged thingys (washing powder, moisturiser, chocolate buttons, whatever) - we vote on which we like best before we find out which is which.

[priscilla101]

Signed up! Whoop whoop!

[Tyranasaurus]

Just joined the panel. I always like reading the candid reviews.

[Katz]

I've loved it, tried things I wouldn't have ordinarily bought. Fav test would be the shape wear very handy and still going strong, even went back and bought more.

I'd love to test more gadgets, I'm a gadgetaholic

[lisad123]

I really enjoyed the m&s meals (didn't get shapewear), they were very nice and certainly a step up from my normal micro meals.

I loved reading the feedback on recipes, and use them often.

I would love to review clothes more, especially kids clothes, and feedback on good children's apps.

[Rootle]

Ooh! Just discovered this & signed up! Looking forward to getting involved.

[Lomaamina]

I've signed up. If there is food to test, it would be great to see some vegetarian things to try out.

[androbbob]

Tried the fruit bread, washing up liquid and the sun bites, Method laundry liquid. Its great to get something in the post. I love foing the surveys as well!!

Would be good to hear the company`s views of the MN testers views.

[Wolfcub]

I really enjoyed the Method test, weirdly I made a real effort to read everyone's feedback before I went to work each morning. The ecover test was good to be part of but I think the number of questions on the feedback were a bit excessive. I really really wanted to test the phillips home cooker but having read some of the feedback I'm quite glad the thing isn't cluttering up my kitchen.l

[smokinaces]

Am I on the panel? Think I signed up last year?

The thing I like is the voice it gives us. The Chance to tell big companies what we think. Oh and the free stuff.

I wouldn't mind roadtesting a new tv. Or tablet. Or kindle. Or laptop. Or red wine.....

[VirtuallyHere]

I'm still hoping to test one of the 'biggies' but I have really enjoyed doing the product tests I have been selected for. Not only is it fun trying a new product and giving feedback but it also saves me money as I use the trial product for a few uses (eg currently I am using the Method laundry powder).

[gazzalw]

Right I've had a Damascene Revelation on Christmas morning as we sit surrounded by lots of new pressies. I think all the product trials are truly fab but in addition could we perhaps do one where the giving is the other way round - like working with a refuge, homelessness charity, the Salvation Army etc...and encourage us to give (whether it's money, unused pressies, goods for reselling in charity shops etc..) our excess and to actually consider the implications of doing this rather than just chucking stuff in the bin or selling on E-Bay?

[Hopezibah]

I joined the panel early on in the year as I was due my new baby I thought it would be a good time to get back into doing more on mumsnet... I have LOVED joining in with various insight / products tests we have been involved in.

I was extremely lucky to have tested a pushchair (although I made the mistake of passing on my previous pushchair to make space for the new one and then regretted it), and we have tested cleaning products like the ecover wipes which were fab and the method detergent which opened my eyes to how compact the packaging could be. The kids love giving their feedback too like with the primula pods.

I enjoy leaving feedback on other threads about my thoughts as it is great to know there are organisations out there wanting real input from real mums (and dads - as I know there are a fair number of dads on mumsnet too now).

In terms of future ones, I think more of the same mainly as it covers a good range of products that we all use. I especially love baby / child related ones as it is great to get the kids involved rather than companies just guessing the opinions of kids.

That playstation one was an amazing opportunity even though we didn't get picked - it must've been a really great experience for those lucky few that did get involved.

I would love to try another buggy too (fingers crossed I might be picked in future) - that way hopefully I can find my perfect buggy!

I also love the book club stuff - I love reading all the authors answers to questions that mumsnetters have asked them.

A big thank you for all you do mumsnet - you are all amazing at mumsnet HQ and we really do appreciate all you do! xxx

[AnnMumsnet]

smokinaces - yep you're on - we have emailed you a few times - maybe we're going to junk? There are 3 of us who could email you - maybe pm me and I will email you the addresses and you could add them to safe senders lists?

TrillsCarolsOutOfTune - re head to head testers someone suggested that before and we have asked companies but no takers yet! We'd love to do it too. And re surveys: we do really try to do this - it's always in the heading of the email or in the thread title as much as possible (I know some panels don't do this so understand your frustration, but we do deffo as much as we can). And we rarely use any sophisticated checking during surveys. Maybe you're mixing us up with another site?!

LaTrucha - no idea - keep applying though!

thanks for all the feedback - all will be duly noted - keep it coming! Do look out in 2013 for loads more projects - including for men hopefully teens and loads more!

[StNiChaolas]

Ann.

A small suggestion...

Give yourself Boxing Day orf next year, meduck.

[JS06]

I've enjoyed all of the trials/surveys I've taken part in this year - Aldi face cream, Heathrow Airport, On Trees trial, Method laundry detergent, Flamingo notes and would very much like to applaud Ann McIntyre and Helen Rowley for their seamless co-ordination, joined up thinking and all round excellence at work. The success of any of the trials comes from their determination to follow through and chase us all up if necessary.

I'd welcome some surveys which demonstrate how different levels of service are offered around the country within the same organisations - ie chain stores, restaurant branches. I'd also like to see some more trials which are male-based - other halves, teenage sons, toddler boys. I know I'd be more conscientious about feeding back any comments than the male members of my family.

Wishing Ann, Helen and all Mumsnet panel members a very healthy and happy new year.

[gilliancd]

I really enjoyed the m and s healthy meal trial ( I can't remember the name which perhaps an indication of the fact I enjoyed spending the change on Percy pigs best). The method washing liquid was also a suprise, a few weeks on and the bottle is still going!
Next year I would be more than happy to test the entire range from hotel chocolate, or I'm sure my kids would be happy to give peppa pig world s go!