Future Talkers

Future Talkers Review

Future Talkers is a classic online panel rewarding research participants for their opinions. By accumulating virtual points by answering surveys, you’ll eventually get a reward in the form of a gift card. Owned by a respected market research firm, we had high hopes when starting to review this survey site. Here are the pros and cons that we found after 9 weeks of testing.

Is Future Talkers a legit survey site?

Future Talkers was launched by a full-service research company called Insites Consulting, now rebranded Human8. We at HuginX generally prefer panel sites owned by market research agencies because they often provide higher quality surveys and better rewards compared to 3rd party panel networks such as YourSuveys (Cint) and Peanutlabs (Dynata).

And yes, this is a legit panel site, and you can trust that you’ll be paid as promised. As long as you stick to their rules.

And what are the rules? Always answer honestly and attentively, and don’t create multiple accounts. Survey companies are under pressure from fraudulent survey takers, which means they can be quick to suspend accounts when suspecting that someone provides gibberish answers.

Human8 is also a corporate member of the market research association ESOMAR, and we were impressed by its informative and transparent privacy policy. You can expect your data to be treated in line with guidelines such as GDPR, restricting how our personal data is shared and used.

Advantages of Future Talkers over other panel sites

Signing up with a panel owned by a market research agency such as Human8 can offer several advantages over other panels. The main reason for this is that most of their surveys are created in-house as opposed to panels dependent on external clients. Here are some of the key advantages:

• Better quality assurance: Knowing that surveys will be exposed to proprietary respondents is a great incentive to make sure the surveys are flawlessly designed.
• Higher-paying surveys: There is no middleman involved when an in-house panel is used, so the respondent should get a larger share of the value creation (at least in theory).
• More interesting studies: In-house panels can often result in more interesting survey opportunities such as longitudinal studies (such as diaries) and product testing.
• Higher standards: Most market research firms are members of industry associations such as ESOMAR, MRS or IA, which means they are committed to professional codes of conduct when managing panels and respondents.

While these advantages are true for Future Talkers, we also have examples of in-house panels that don’t treat their respondents very well. Surprisingly, it’s not always the case that market research firms are the best at treating respondents. Also, the survey platforms of smaller market research agencies tend to be less advanced, relying more on off-the-shelf panel software.

How do I join Future Talkers?

Signing up with Future Talkers is a quick affair. After registering your basic details, you go on to fill out a more detailed profile. This profile will list your interests and other personal details, which enables the survey site to match you with new market research projects. Make sure to fill in your profile honestly, since your profile information is likely to be matched with the answers you provide in later surveys.

What type of surveys can I expect?

The majority of surveys will be related to consumer topics, such as your shopping habits and brand preferences. The panel owner Human8 works directly with brands such as L’Oréal Cola, Samsung and HSBC which can be an advantage for you as a research participant. The fact that they are working directly with end clients means that there are fewer middlemen, which in theory should result in better-tailored surveys and potentially better-paid rewards.

Examples of Future Talkers surveys

While getting rewards such as free gift cards is motivating, it can get pretty boring taking surveys if you don’t see the value in it. To make it easier to decide if this is something you will enjoy over time, we’ve created a few typical examples of projects you might be asked to participate in:

• Online vs. In-Store Shopping: Analyzing the preference of Nike customers for online versus in-store shopping and their behaviours regarding each channel.
• Product Research and Purchasing Decisions: Investigating the process Apple customers go through when researching products before making a purchasing decision.
• Shopping Habits and Frequency: Understanding how often Amazon customers shop, what motivates them to shop, and how they choose where to shop.
• Brand Loyalty: Examining the factors that drive Coca-Cola customers’ brand loyalty and how the company can maintain it.
• Pricing and Promotions: Analyzing how pricing strategies and promotions influence the purchasing behaviour of Samsung customers.
• Product Reviews and Ratings: Investigating how product reviews and ratings influence Adidas customers’ decision-making process and how the company can leverage this information to improve its products.
• Omnichannel Shopping: Examining how Walmart customers use multiple channels (e.g. online, mobile, in-store) to purchase products and which channels they prefer for different products or occasions.
• Convenience vs. Experience: Investigating whether Starbucks customers prioritize convenience or experience when purchasing coffee and how the company can optimize the balance between the two.
• Customer Service: Analyzing the role of customer service in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty for Toyota, Ford, BMW, or any other car brand.
• Emerging Technologies: Exploring how emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence can be leveraged by Google, Microsoft, or any other tech company to enhance the shopping experience and shape the future of consumer behaviour.

What type of participants are Future Talkers interested in?

Future talkers will be interested in a broad range of target groups. Here are a few examples:

• Demographic groups: Age, gender, income level, education level, and other demographic factors are often used to target specific groups of consumers. This can be useful for understanding how different segments of the population behave, what their needs and preferences are, and how they respond to marketing messages.
• Geographic regions: Targeting consumers based on geographic regions is useful for understanding regional differences in consumer behaviour, preferences, and attitudes. For example, a company may want to target consumers in specific states or countries to understand how their product is perceived in those areas.
• Product or service users: Targeting consumers who use a particular product or service can provide valuable insights into how those products or services are being used, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and what improvements could be made.
• Brand loyalists: Surveys targeted at consumers who are loyal to a particular brand can help companies understand what drives brand loyalty, how to retain loyal customers, and how to attract new ones.
• Past purchasers: Surveys targeted at consumers who have previously purchased a product or service can provide insights into customer satisfaction, repeat purchase behaviour, and potential areas for improvement.
• Potential customers: Surveys targeted at potential customers can help companies understand why consumers are considering a particular product or service, what their needs and preferences are, and what would motivate them to make a purchase.

Is Future Talkers worth signing up for?

Future Talkers is not the best-designed survey platform we have reviewed. However, what the platform lacks in design, it compensates for in survey quality and good treatment of respondents. Surveys are generally well-matched with few technical glitches, and the compensation is fair. Compared with 3rd party survey platforms, Future Talkers provides a much better respondent experience.