Private online panels or communities are typically groups of customers (or consumers) who are willing to participate in surveys, focus groups, and other types of research. The terms "panel" and "community" are often used interchangeably, but we think of them as being quite different:
Since private panels tend to be made up primarily of customers (i.e. they are more likely to join
your private panel than non-customers), this tends to restrict "private panel" research studies
to those that are appropriate for customers:
Quantitative Studies
Most corporations do not have the internal staff, systems, legal safeguards, and resources required to create, host, manage, and operate a private panel. For example, if the private panel has some European participants, then the Safe Harbor Agreement between the U.S. and the European Union comes into play (it governs the transfer of personal data from Europe to the U.S.). Digital fingerprinting of respondents' computers is essential to prevent cheating, yet this technology is generally too expensive for an individual company to buy. If the private panelists get upset for any reason and file "spamming" complaints, the corporate website might get blocked by some Internet Service Providers (if the website is hosted on corporate computers). It is usually safer to host surveys and the panel database at a remote hosting facility, so that corporate computers are not exposed to potential hackers or viruses. Also, whoever operates the private panel must answer emails, phone calls, and letters, as well as clean and update the database of panelists on a regular basis. If a corporation promises accessibility, then its surveys must be accessible. If surveys are not accessible, the company can be exposed to considerable legal and financial risks. A final reason to outsource private panel management and operation is to free up a company's internal staff to be internal marketing consultants, instead of research technicians.
If you think a private panel or community might be appropriate for your brand or your company, please contact us. We can quickly develop a detailed proposal with precise cost estimates and an assessment of feasibility. Please contact us at info@symmetricsampling or call 817-649-5243.