Market research tester

Dreamer 7 · 22-05-2007 12:40PM #1

Hi all

Does anyone know how you can become one of these market research testers? My sis was asked to do one and was told she would get 2 free drinks and €50 for her trouble. She turned up at the hotel but noone else did so the organiser bought her a drink gave her €50 and off she went home! Easy money I want to do this! Someone in work asked her to go but is there somewhere you can offer your services???

boneless · 22-05-2007 12:57PM

Many years ago, I got market researched when Steiger (who remembers that??) was launched. It was terrible muck but I got drunk for free!

On that occasion I was just randomly asked to participate.

_blank_ · 22-05-2007 01:05PM

I regularly take part in these type of things.

Myself and a few mates tested Smirnoff Ice before it was released onto the market.

I remember a few years ago going to the Regency Hotel three weeks in a row to test different types of Guinness. You'd get few (8) cloakroom tickets, each for a pint from a different tap then have to drink and rate them. It must have been some of them new Brewhouse Series they have out now.

Fifty quid for the trouble, and a taxi home afterwards.

I also did a thing for McDonalds on Grafton Street, above the Carphone Warehouse (been in there doing things a good few times, they have a room with one of them mirrors in it, where people sit behind it and gawk in at you). They were going to launch a Steak Burger, but I never saw it on the market. We had to eat one of them, and a Big Mac aswell. We got a hundred quid for that one.

What else - similar to the Guinness one except we were drinking a few different types of larger.

Other times it's just into a room and look/listen to proposed new ads for different products from car insurance to soft drinks, then sit around and chat to the other people

I'm 27 now, and have been doing these type of things for at least fifteen years. It's usually in groups of about eight or ten people, plus the 'researcher'.

It helps that my best mates mother works for a couple of the companies.

I don't think you can offer your services, because the companies want a 'random' selection of people. We are always told to use an alternative name, or state that we don't work in particular fields, things like that, say we haven't been to such a thing before, or in ages. I always give my true opinion on the stuff though.

I can't believe your sister went and no-on else turned up :eek: I have never seen that happen. Was it the Stephen's Green Hotel by any chance? They've been using that place a lot lately.

Saint_Mel · 22-05-2007 01:21PM

Done a Guinness one in Sligo many moons ago.
About 10 of us in a room and they played different Guinness adverts
and asked us to rate them. Then moved on to posters and beer mat
adverts. Got cash and a load of pints.

Good times

me and the biz · 22-05-2007 01:46PM

One night last summer I was out with mates and a chap came over and said would we like to test some new guinness, I couldn't cos I was driving but they got loads of free pints.

Bastards

AlmightyCushion · 22-05-2007 01:54PM

Saint_Mel wrote:

Done a Guinness one in Sligo many moons ago.
About 10 of us in a room and they played different Guinness adverts
and asked us to rate them. Then moved on to posters and beer mat
adverts. Got cash and a load of pints.

Good times

Getting paid to drink :eek::eek::eek: What a perfect job.

Mossy Monk · 22-05-2007 02:44PM

A few years ago myself and one of the lads off my course got asked to try out some cider. It was really nice. All I got was a biscuit though. No money :mad:.

AlmightyCushion · 22-05-2007 03:00PM

Mossy Monk wrote:

A few years ago myself and one of the lads off my course got asked to try out some cider. It was really nice. All I got was a biscuit though. No money :mad:.

Tight b@stards.

mikemac · 22-05-2007 03:04PM

Yep, did loads of these tests.

Got free 3 course meals in some restaurant in Blancharstownn.
Think it’s called Spurs.
Got cash for visiting stores and asking about surround sounds speakers. It was interesting as well.
Helped design the beer taps for Diago too.

Best job was to visit pubs and drink Becks and Stella and fill out a questionnaire. I think the same brewry in Ireland makes them, possibly Bass breweries.
In one place the manager saw me filling up the questionnaire and gave me three free pints in an attempt to bribe me in giving a good review.
It worked. :cool:
Did 6 pubs in a row one Sunday afternoon and was well drunk by 4pm. You claim back the price of the drinks, transport and €30 a pub.

Ah, happy memories. Don’t do it anymore though

dulpit · 22-05-2007 03:36PM

I've only ever done 1, last year for Lucozade... Drank some new Lucozade flavour (never came out...) ate some biscuits and got 50 quid

Also, last Patricks day middle of day a woman asked myself and 2 buddies to do a taste test for some cider... None of us drink cider so we declined...

Anti · 22-05-2007 03:41PM

There is a place in ranelagh called giraffe something or another. I worked for them for a few weeks. Doing all this promotion lark. First day i got to sit down all day and watch sky-HD. Second day was to drink heino. And boy did i drink it. it was my perfect job. Apart from traveling half way across the country every day

Mrs_Doyle · 22-05-2007 04:28PM

Years ago myself, and my mates, were sitting in our local when we asked to test Smirnoff Ice, from Tap.

One of the Smirnoff guys brought over a whole tray of Pints of Smirnoff Ice.

Only problem was, we were already half pissed when we started the trial, so we all thought the stuff was superb, and gave it a great review.

We drank about 3 pints each, and then the guy left us another tray of the stuff in way of payment for taking part in the trial.

I was sick as a dog the next day, and it felt like someone had carpeted my teeth in my sleep.

I didn't mind though, I was a student, who had received lots of free booze.

A few weeks later Smirnoff Ice was available on draft in my local pub! I was delighted

"Oh would ya look, they have that Smirnoff Ice on Tap. Lovely stuff it is, I'll have a pint of that!"

Ha! The joke was on me. Probably one of the mankiest drinks I've ever tasted.

jimi_t · 22-05-2007 04:44PM

Anti wrote:

There is a place in ranelagh called giraffe something or another. I worked for them for a few weeks. Doing all this promotion lark. First day i got to sit down all day and watch sky-HD. Second day was to drink heino. And boy did i drink it. it was my perfect job. Apart from traveling half way across the country every day

Whereabouts is is based? How did you go about getting the job?

I work for a mystery shopping company part-time, getting people to go into shops to do certain things and then filling out questionaires afterwards. It's not as fun as it sounds and, for the money involved, I don't think it's worth it unless you're doing a lot of them close together at one time.

zuutroy · 22-05-2007 05:20PM

I hate those fookin things...been to a good few when I was a student for the cash. Always some self righteous gimps there talkin bull****. Was at one to gauge the reaction to the AIB scandal afew years ago and it was the most godawful 2 hours of my life.

Kipperhell · 22-05-2007 06:24PM

You can approach the agencies to be part of a sample. Did a few in my time
Here is something similar

http://www.retaileyes.co.uk/uk/home/retaileyes_aboutus.php

The do Subway regulalrly.

Karoma · 22-05-2007 07:00PM

Dreamer 7 wrote:

Hi all

Does anyone know how you can become one of these market research testers? My sis was asked to do one and was told she would get 2 free drinks and €50 for her trouble. She turned up at the hotel but noone else did so the organiser bought her a drink gave her €50 and off she went home! Easy money I want to do this! Someone in work asked her to go but is there somewhere you can offer your services???

Are you entirely certain that wasn't someone hitting on her? Oo

jimi_t · 22-05-2007 07:00PM

Kipperhell wrote:

You can approach the agencies to be part of a sample. Did a few in my time
Here is something similar

http://www.retaileyes.co.uk/uk/home/retaileyes_aboutus.php

The do Subway regulalrly.

I just had a quick look at that, and it seems to be mystery shopping - which is completely different to the higher paid focus groups and brand recognition work that seems to be the OPs question.

nesf · 22-05-2007 07:31PM

I got brought in off the street to do taste some new beer a few years back. I got two half pints and a tenner for my troubles.

Pythia · 22-05-2007 07:41PM

I did one in college, but it was where I talked about my opinions about college. e40 for an hours work plus free food.

Anti · 22-05-2007 07:53PM

jimi_t wrote:

Whereabouts is is based? How did you go about getting the job?

I work for a mystery shopping company part-time, getting people to go into shops to do certain things and then filling out questionaires afterwards. It's not as fun as it sounds and, for the money involved, I don't think it's worth it unless you're doing a lot of them close together at one time.

They are just down the road and up a little alley in ranelagh. Next to some posh pub. Sorry i can remember better

But a friend of mine got into it and told me about it.

Dreamer 7 · 23-05-2007 12:37PM

Thanks for the help , I'm none the wiser tho, a taste tester and food critic, now they would be my dream job!

Market research tester

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