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 love the product tests and would love to do more.
I also love the book reviews,you have fantastic giveaways.
Love the website its very informative and easy to navigate.

This is a great site to trial products and give personal opinion on others. I haven't trialled any products yet but keep trying! I like taking part in the surveys and the thread discussions- they're easy and quick to do. Would like to see more about mums getting back into work & how they are getting on.

It's been a fun,interesting & varied time being involved with testing & entering the great competitions & surveys....thank you for all the new products we get to try out & the great insight into what we all think.
Wishing everyone a Mery Christmas & Happy New Year

I've very much enjoyed being on the panel and enjoyed partaking in product reviews and loved reading other members reviews aswell,looking forward to continuing next year xx

I think I've had a quiet year this year, took a bit of time out in the middle of the year so don't actually recall testing anything! I have enjoyed the sneak previews of product ideas recently! Nod nod wink wink say no more.

I've loved the testing done - always love trying new products! But the best part was winning a big Amazon voucher - that was fab!!

Looking forward to another year here!!

I was lucky enough to test the CEWE Photobook - we had a beautiful book made for free. :)

I've only been a member for a few months, but have enjoyed testing various nappies and wipes. The swim nappies encouraged me to take baby swimming.

I enjoy reading feedback on all kinds of products, especially holidays, as I am always looking for ideas for family-friendly breaks away.

I tested a TomTom - thanks again for that! I'd love to test gadgets, home entertainment, family trips and breaks, anything to do with food and cooking, make up, and any other lovely or practical products!

My favourite product test this year was the Trutex school uniform. We tested the skirt. It really converted me to Trutex, as I got to test the quality before I bought. I always used supermarket brands before, believing them all to be the same, but the Trutex uniforms do work out better value for money in the long run. I'd have never discovered that if it wasn't for Mumsnet! Thanks and Merry Christmas to all at Mumsnet Towers xxx

I love doing the surveys and product tests.

We were extremely thrilled when we got to go to butlins for five days earlier in the year- it totally changed my perception of the resort.

Bit gutted we weren't selected for the washing machine- mine is not working and hasn't been for nearly a month

I found the de tangle spray really useful too!

I've really enjoyed being part of the Pannel.
I haven't been chosen for anything big but I've had some nappies, snacks, cleaning stuff etc.
I mainly just seem to get the surveys but they're short and usually simple so I'm happy to do them.

My big issue though is with the John Lewis voucher I apparently won in September, for doing one of the Flora Pannel surveys, as it hasn't ever materialised. I was so overwhelmed that it would take away the stress of christmas. Good job I didn't bank on it! It's only a minor thing and I have no right to complain about what is basically a raffle prize but £200 is a massive amount of money to me and I'm really, really disappointed. I know it's Flora to blame not MN but when every email I've sent about it has been replied to with 'leave it with us, we'll sort it' then nothing, it's hard not to stamp my feet and sulk.

Its been my 1st year on the insight panel, we got to try the alphabites cereal & have been lucky enough to review a few books. & I've really enjoyed it. Its so exciting to be picked. I really enjoyed reading other people's reviews esp of the butlins holidays if only so I can read the positives to my dh & try to convince him we really need a break away!!!

I've been signed up to Mumsnet for nearly a year, but on the Insight panel for 3 or 4 months. Have been invited to 2 product trials - one for Pampers nappies, one to test prototype shampoo/baby bath/mist spray (run by Mumsnet and Cambridge Research).
It's been great to be involved, and hopefully the feedback that I've provided will help contribute to consumers making informed choices, as well as companies working to improve their products.
I've also been fortunate to receive several books from Mumsnet this past year, including a brilliant signed copy of 'Us' by David Nicholls. It has been an absolute pleasure to read & review them all. (Have yet to review 'Us' since I'm hesitant to even open the book and risk 'damaging' it .... but I'll get there soon!)
Keep up offers & competitions coming ..... and keep up the great work!!!! :)

I've been signed up to Mumsnet for nearly a year, but have been on the Insight panel for only 3 or 4 months. Have been invited to 2 product trials - one for Pampers nappies, one to test some prototype shampoo/baby bath/mist spray (run by Mumsnet and Cambridge Research).
It's been great to be involved, and hopefully the feedback that I've provided will help contribute to consumers making informed choices, as well as to help companies working to improve their products.
I've also been fortunate to receive several books from Mumsnet this past year, including a brilliant signed copy of 'Us' by David Nicholls. It has been an absolute pleasure to read & review them all. (Have yet to review 'Us' since I'm hesitant to even open the book and risk 'damaging' it .... but I'll get there soon!)
Keep the offers & competitions coming ..... and keep up the great work!!!! :)

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to test and report back on several different products this year, I have really enjoyed it. I look forward to many more next year as do my family especially if they're edible! Merry Christmas.

Yes please to testing products for older children. And it would be great if some activities/product tests could be based up in the North West, as not all of us have the opportunity to do stuff in London!

I am a recent joiner to the insight panel and it's fab. The kids love it too. My older one really loves it as he can get involved. He has known that I have done mystery shopping and dining for a few years now and delighted he can be finally involved and have give his feedback on child related products with mumsnet.

The highlights have been the Star Wars Rebels and Annie premieres. The kids were beyond excited.

The Barclays ones was fun too. Kids and I learned so much about the services and now fake full advantage of our Barclays premier account and have had loads of barclays benefits from free English heritage to free daily coffees.

We would love to trial some days out activity days. It's always fun to try new things at weekends and holidays and Mumsnet could be a great testing ground for new family friendly activities.

I've been lucky to be picked to test a number of products over the years - most recently the TomTom Go 500 which we are finding really useful. As for ideas for future trials i quite like practical things - the method laundry liquid and mr muscle cleaner a year or so ago were good - a chance to try out new products and more chance to take part in them than the larger lower volume trials.

I'd like to see more food ones if possible.

I also enjoyed reading about the weight watchers trial.

I've really enjoyed testing all of the products I have; nappies, cereal, snacks, butters. Some have really changed our habits and are now a regular on our shopping list. The things I've most enjoyed reading reviews on are the more expensive items which I wouldn't like to buy before researching thoroughly and which its then nice to read reviews by people whom I consider to be like-minded or at least have the same problems/situation as me. Like a quiet vacuum cleaner and a steam mop! I've also entered a lot of the threads online and have enjoyed reading comments on some of these too; tips such as things to take on holiday and family days out. I hope there are lots and lots of opportunities next year.

I'm actually intrigued about weight watcher type trials, ones that have a large impact on people in a good way if they allow it to do so.

We've totally loved testing the TomTom Go 5000! Our youngest daughter who was born in May this year has Down's syndrome and as such has had lots of medical appointments at hospitals and clinics we've never been to before, the TomTom proved invaluable to us!!

It also meant we could go on a half term roadtrip without feeling the need to file for a divorce afterwards!!

Just knowing that my voice is heard is always good but I would definitely like to try out some relaxation type courses/classes or some products that boast relaxation!

Merry Christmas, lovely insight team!
I have really enjoyed the panel this year. Roll on the next survey