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 been lucky enough this year to test Alphabites, Barney Bear, Ambrosia pots, Flora, Low Low and today the Kinnerton advent chocs :) . Last year I won £100 M&S gift card and a pair of Clarks sandals and several product tests including Tesco school uniform.

The product tests are a fab idea. Keep them coming :)

......oh yes the cruise ship family day, we would have loved that one. Some cruises depart from Newcastle, especially those travelling to Norway etc. Just saying..........

I've tested some great and useful products this year including nappies, Alphabites, Lo Lo and the Tesco school uniform. Today I was delighted to receive some chocolate through the post to test nom nom. Thank you so much!

Thank you to mumsnet for some great trialling opportunities. We as a family have loved everything that we have been involved in.
A particular day spent with flora baking and eating was particularly well received.
Agree with earlier comments that short holiday breaks for families with older children would be appreciated. Would also like to see more car trialling, vacuum cleaner/steam cleaner testing, oven cleaner testing possibly? My dcs have suggested trialling technical gadgets and all food / drink trialling is always appreciated. Theme parks and days out are always great fun for families especially in economically fragile times.

I'm sure you'll come up with more exciting opportunities in the new year!

It would be great if some of the visits/tests weren't only in London, but in other cities/towns around the country. I would love the chance to visit cinema premiere viewings etc, but can't afford the trip to London.

My Highlight was definitely the lovely day on oasis of the seas. (Waves to chippy and all the others), which was completely fabulous and fun. I was very spoiled. I was also lucky enough to be picked for the Tesco uniform thread, which had the added benefit of having uniform sorted in July for once and not September.
In 2015 I am wanting to update my look and need a new hair style and would like a wardrobe update. With that in mind, my dream product test would be a makeover. With the election coming up I would also be interested in discussions related to current affairs and politics.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

This year was the first time I'd ever been picked.

I tested, finish dishwasher tabs, panty liners, cadburys egg and spoon and now kinerton advent choc.

The parcels make me feel very important and busy on my research mission!

Thank you for including us in your tests.

We've been very lucky this year. We've tested ambrosia pots, Barney cakes, went to the Annie preview and mystery visited MetroBank.

Annie was def our favourite.

I try to fill in all the surveys im eligible for.

It gives me a little inner smile when I see a new product on the shelves that I've offered an opinion on.

I'd really like more opportunities to mystery visit businesses. And I'm looking forward to being part of Mumsnet's voice leading up to the election.

Any chance of road testing some make up and/or clothing? Or I'd love the chance to learn about accessorising!

Oh yes I would like to add -would love to review some make up too and days out and family friendly breaks/holidays would be a real treat!

I forgot that I also tried out the Ambrosia custards and the Flora Gold, though even after numerous emails, I didn't receive the second Flora Gold sample to bake with...

We were lucky enough to test out the TOM TOM Go 500 and for us it couldn't have been a better time to try it out. New job in a new city, long travelling hours and no clue on where I was going.
Its been fantastic to learn me new routes and avoid traffic to get home quicker, me and my family very rarely take long drives now without our "friend" turned on and ready to direct us.

We have been lucky enough to test the Microsoft package in December and have loved it. I have raved about it to loads of people (hence the name change!) and the tablet, in particular, is generating a lot of interest.

I enjoy being on the panel and try to fill in relevant surveys where I can.

For 2015, I have no bright suggestions. To be honest, I'm often amazed at the range of products MNers are asked to test. However, from my experience here, a product test for the whole family is really good fun and even our kids have taken their feedback responsibilities seriously (5 and 8).

Thanks again MN!

Just musing but I'd love more info after product test as to what we have contributed. Sometimes, as in the TomTom one, it feels like we are being used for word spreading/advertising. It would be nice if once the company has collated the feedback then they give us a little summary of what they are doing with it. I', sure the launch of the Samsung Galaxy 5 should have been "like the 4 active but with some of the niggles the MN panel brought up ironed out" . I'd like more things that are to do with product development.

I was lucky enough to be selected to test the clearblue ovulation monitor. It was really useful as the internet cheapie so had been using indicated a later ovulation date. Also lucky to get BFP first month using it!

The survey/test I felt most privileged to take part on was the NSPCC social media surveys. It wasn't pleasant looking at the various platforms with an eye to child safety, but I felt that I did learn quite a lot and it was good to take part in something that is rather important.

Love your product reviews but highlight had to be visiting Pampers factory in Germany. All 8 Mums are still in touch and we had a great time.

Thank you for the opportunity and yes, we use only Pampers still!

loved testing the ambrosia pots, little one loved them. really hope we get picked for some great products again.

have done loads of tests this year, baby products, central heating... you name it.
Am full of opinions so always glad to do it.

thanks MN for the opportunity.

I like the massive tests when everyone is basically guaranteed to have a go.
the school uniform for Tesco was fab - thrilling to be able to choose what I needed.

I'd like to road test some online tutoring please.

For DS rather than me, that is.

I'm beyond hope!

Not on the panel as my children are now older. I enjoyed reading the RapidHair test and the Miele vacuum cleaner tests.

I'd like to see an economical to use laser printer tested (preferably about 1p for a black and white page).

I took part in the Pampers nappy test, which wasn't the most thrilling but I won a voucher on a sponsored thread which was very exciting!
Thanks MNHQ

Didn't manage to product test anything really really wanted to test the Miele dishwasher

Given all the lovely things that the Woolly Hugs knitters do, maybe we should test some different wools. We could test them and produce lovely things for Yorkhill, Billies Blankets, Angel Hugs etc at the same time

Off the top of my head, my family and I have product tested: individual cheeses, Cadbury egg and spoons, the Bear cereals, Kerry Low Low snack pack, the Kinnerton advent calendar chocolates, and my favourite was the CEWE photo book- I now have a beautiful momento of my ds' first few weeks. In the past I had a 2 week test drive of a Ford C Max which led me to buying my own as I'd enjoyed driving it so much!

I would like to trial more family-friendly products this year; my dc in particular have enjoyed the food testing!

I'd like to see tights tested. Forever buying disappointing products - it would be nice to know what looks good, washes well and lasts a good time.

I saw the Annie movie via mumsnet and really enjoyed it, thanks !