Insight Annual Round-up 2014: vouchers to be WON! NOW CLOSED

[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 events, product tests and sponsored threads on MN, as well as bloggers reviews, and reviewers recruitment)

Read on for the chance to win...
~ A £100 giftcard to spend at M&S or
~ one of four £50 giftcards for Bella Italia

In 2014, we have given away around £40,000 in prizes - mainly in the form of vouchers but also including plumbing jobs, products but also Cetraben excema cream!

The range of products you have tested and given feedback on is as varied as ever – from Miele vacs, TomTom’s Go 5000 sat nav and Microsoft's Lumia 735, Xbox One Console and Linx tablet to Barny cakes and Ambrosia mini pots!

Plus we were thrilled when Mumsnetters had help getting pregnant by participating in the Clearblue Ovulation Test with Dual Hormone Indicator product test .

We have also run some extremely popular threads, enabling you to have your say on wider political issues such as the Scottish Referendum and the Cabinet Office. And really, who would have thought porridge was SUCH an engaging topic?!

We love meeting you face to face – and giving you the chance to experiences something new – from preview screenings of Annie to the family holidays at Butlins and Haven.

And loads of you enjoyed breakfast at Bella Italia with your family and recently some of you had a ‘behind the scenes’ visit to M&S.

There was even the chance to test drive the Renault Zoe, to see the videos click here

For a chance to win one of the vouchers, please share on this thread what you have enjoyed taking part in this year, or appreciated reading about. Or tell us what you’d to product test next year?

Most of the product tests are on site but we also do a lot of projects with our lovely (and fast growing) insight research panel, as well as often giving them the heads up about the latest things and chances to win on site. If you are not yet on our panel please do insight sign up now. You can select how often you get emailed and you can leave at any time if it’s not for you.

Thanks as ever for your time and feedback - all very much welcome
Happy Christmas!
AnnMumsnet, LaurelMumsnet, AngelieMumsnet, MichelleMumsnet and KathrynMumsnet.
x

I've loved being part of the Mumsnet Panel and taking part in the easy to complete surveys - I can't wait to see what's instore for 2015. ??

I love the variety of things we have the opportunity to talk about, review and try and win. I never pass up the opportunity for books to read, maybe some in the new year that will help us with new years resolutions?

Love being part of the panel!
Tested Flora and Kerry Snack packs this year, but the big one was testing Cif Floor Mop spray and making a little video about it (DP and I killed ourselves laughing over this) thus receiving a Cif hamper full of cleaning goodies!

Astonishing to read the breadth and depth of products and services you offered this year, and look forward to being involved in more next year. Merry Christmas Insight Panel x

My family have been lucky enough to take part in the Wholegrain challenge the Alphabites product test and best of all, the Mobile by Sainsburys phone product test. I love getting involved in these product tests - thanks and Merry Christmas to all at Mumsnet xx

I was thrilled that ds's scribbles won him a book (although that has yet to arrive!)

I quite like being opinionated about shit, but that's kinda why I'm on the forum anyway

We've not been part of the panel for very long but have already been selected for 2 product tests. Tena liners and chocolate! The latter is much more exciting than the former. Some of the tests sound amazing. Personally I'd lovelove the chance to test out some educational resources (I'm so boring!)

I love being on the insight panal, I'm a sucker for a survey. I can't remember if we have been on any product tests this year but have done so brilliant ones in the past. I would like to see testing days in places other than London, we live in the arse end of Norfolk and can't get to the big smog cheaply.

I really enjoyed the CEWE photobook testing. The finished product was really impressive, it's a lovely item. I wouldn't have tried it if it were not for Mumsnet - sorting one out has always been on my list of "things to get round to". I'm debating putting one together as a wedding album at the moment.

The Tesco school uniform test was also really interesting. I'm a convert to their school shoes.

Looking back, I've really been pretty lucky on the product testing front - many, many thanks for the opportunities.

Looking to the future, I'm very excited about being a chocolate tester.

I'd love to product test a new laptop... [hopeful]

I loved the bella italia breakfast trial and Crewe photo books. I love just reading whats been happening as there are always products etc.. ive not heard of or thought of trying so gives you good ideas.
merry Christmas!

Oh bugger I'd forgotten the CEWE Photobook! That was an amazing product test for us as we had a very budget wedding in September and didn't have a wedding album, this rectified that and was a lovely treat.

I trialled the photobook and nappies. Always good to try something new and interesting to see what other testers think. No luck with the competitions - maybe next year!

The competitions and surveys are great. I'd love more opportunities for product testing in 2015 !

We tested Pampers nappies. To be honest it was just lovely having a parcel come through the post - like a little present ahead of Christmas. And it was very funny seeing my partners face at the brand-change: "why are we using different nappies...?" I bought the nappies again actually as they were very good.

I've been lucky enough to test a few different things via Mumsnet this year, thank you very much for choosing me!

One thing I would love to see is a closing comment from the companies of the products we test and provide feedback for. It'd be nice to know what their thoughts are regarding the feedback provided and whether they are taking any of the suggestions on board!

I like testing the household items, particularly appliances of various sorts. maybe items like a Kitchenaid/Kenwood Chef (and/or any of the various attachments) would be good things to test in busy family households.

One thing I dislike is that a lot (if not all) of the open days and events are in the middle of London. I would love to see more events in other parts of the country, or at least more central to make travel feasible for people not living in the South East. There is life outside London, you know...

Also, would companies consider running the events over weekends to make it possible to attend for those working 9-5 weekday jobs? Otherwise the logistics of juggling school runs make it nightmare. Events the whole family could attend, with entertainment/care provided for the children while the parents are grilled for feedback would be even better.

Even if I don't get chosen to test an item or I don't fit the criteria e.g. children of a certain age, I still like to read the reviews and feedback from others as it can be useful when making choices. I agree with others that there is definitely a gap for teen market products and they would probably enjoy making a video about a product...more than I would anyway.

Although I've dipped in and out of MN, I have been a bit more active of late probably owing to having to curtail some of my voluntary work owing to disability and hospital stays and visits etc.
I haven't been chosen to test anything but I love reading all the posts re testing etc.
I would love to see some specific testing of products and services for families with disabled members such as ours. I am a disabled Mum and my daughter of 14 years is also disabled and we often face many challenges with regular products, but owing to our learned strategies we find a way around things usually but it would save time and disappointment from manufacturers and consumers with a disability if more consultation took place with disabled people at the strategic planning stage of production!
Keep up the good work MN and a Happy, Healthy & Peaceful Christmas and New Year to one and all.

Have tested a few items - most recently Flora and chocolate forum. I enjoy completing the surveys and reading the product tests for a chance to win items. Feel I probably get screened out as DD is 12 years old - so more to include older children would be good. As Clopper says my DD would love making videos about products too.

It's been no bother doing the surveys. I didn't win anything but it was interesting to find out what actually matters to me and worthwhile expressing my views. The review of social media for NSPCC was a challenge but definitely worth doing as many as possible as its a real minefield for children out there.
I'd like to see reviews on activity tracking devices and partner apps/organisations as well as anything that would help low budget families eg cookbooks, energy saving, especially for large families.

I've tested the snack pack and went to see Annie, which was a great experience. I also tested some kitchen wipes but I think that was last year. Have applied for a few product tests but have not been successful, hope to be a bit luckier next year! I would love to see more chances to watch films before they are released, gadget/electrical item tests and food or kitchen product tests.

We've tested the baby gates which have been invaluable and very robust - my toddler is still defeated by them! We also enjoyed testing the alphabites (known as "bear flakes" now in our household). Most recently we have been lucky to try the Farrow and Ball paint which has been great and given us a kick start to decorating ahead of a new baby.

Overall the variety of tests have been very appealing and it has been good to try things that I perhaps wouldn't have initially paid for, but the quality has shone through.

I tested the clearblue ovulation test. I enjoyed reading about other people's BFPs on the feedback thread, even though I still haven't got one of my own yet.

The food product tests are great. We tested the ambrosia mini pots and they've been a big hit.

I love being on the panel. It's so varied and I particularly like the chance that I get to trial new products and am forever hopeful of winning the competitions.
For me, I especially like the more political/social justice surveys and it would be great if there were more surveys about the state of the country and the environment.
There are several tester sessions I would really have enjoyed but they state that I would need to be willing to have either my own or family photos taken to be included in your publicity. Whilst I can understand this, I do wish there was an opt out clause. Having been caught up in domestic violence recently the last thing I want is for there to be any photographic media publicity whereby my family may be identified. For this reason I have not been able to participate in many tester sessions (eg M&S and Butlins ones) and that rather saddens me. Other than that I think the panel is great and really gives me something to look forward to.

I enjoy doing all the surveys (and hoping I may be the lucky one to win a voucher). We loved the alphabites trial. The review and feedback threads make great reading! Keep the product test chances coming.

heyday - please do apply for things you're interested in taking part in and add a note to this effect or PM us - there will potentially be something we can do.