Defining Panels

If you know anything about market research, or have read any of our other blogs, you may have heard of panels. In fact, if you’re a member of ACOP, you’re part of one! But what exactly is a panel, and why is it so important to today’s market researchers?

What is a Panel?

If you’re a member of ACOP or any other panel, you may know that a market research panel is essentially a group of people who have all agreed to take surveys given to them. While rewards, survey content, and makeup of the group may vary, these basics remain the same. However, there’s a little more to it than that.

A panel is a group of people meant to mimic the wider population. These people are then asked to participate in a variety of activities and research, depending on the different groups within the population they represent. Age, sex, employment, income, location, and other demographics determine whether or not a person is eligible to participate in this study, whether it is a survey, a focus group, or some other method of research. In some ways, this means a research panel acts like a panel of professionals: each respondent is an expert representative of their demographic, knowingly or not, and can provide unique insight that market researchers desire.

Why are They Important?

Acquiring respondents for surveys has always been difficult. Before the internet, market research was conducted over the phone, through mail, and in person. When the internet did come around, researchers switched to email to find their respondents, and even handed out website addresses on paper to get people to take their surveys. These methods were expensive, time-consuming, and inefficient. Thus, panels were born.

Panels offer a cheaper and easier way for market researchers to find people to participate in their studies. Rather than reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people across the country or the world, they can instead ask a smaller number of people that have already been verified and vetted. This cuts down on time and money, but also on fraud and errors. Panelists are also willing to take surveys given their membership and are much more likely to participate in research than the average person. Thus, response rates on a panel are significantly higher than response rates of the general population.

How Can You Join?

The easiest way to join an industry-accredited panel is to join ACOP.com! You can sign up through the “sign up” link on the top of your screen. After a brief verification questionnaire, you can start earning points!