Panelist Welcome Booklet

Welcome to
KnowledgePanel

®

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what you do with us
Who We Are

Why your opinion is important.

GfK, one of the world’s leading opinion research
companies, operates KnowledgePanel®, the
only online consumer research panel that
accurately represents the U.S. population.
KnowledgePanel® is made up of randomly
selected households from across the country.
Your opinions represent the opinions
of all Americans, and this is why no one
can replace you.

You’ll share your opinions and preferences with
the country’s decision makers. Your input has
the power to affect national polices, as well as
the development of goods and services. Each
survey you take has an impact on the world in
which you live.

Over the years our Panel Members have:
• P
 articipated in a nationally recognized
forum on health care
• C
 onducted in-home tests on a number of
products
• E
 valuated commercials that were later aired
to the public
• Set suggested retail prices

I really enjoy the
KnowledgePanel surveys.
They often make me feel
that I can give some
feedback to manufacturers
of products I use, or don’t
use. And being able to
earn cash is a big plus too.
It is interesting to see the
results and compare to
my own views.”

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• H
 ad their reactions to presidential debates
and State of the Union addresses broadcast
on national television

Our Panel Members have also voiced
their opinions on such topics as:
• C
 onsumers’ health and use of Internet to
access health care information
• P
 arental knowledge and feelings about
childhood vaccinations and obesity
• Local and national elections
• Globalization and climate change
• Workplace attitudes
• The criminal justice system
• L
 ong-term reactions to the terrorist attacks
of September 11, 2001

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with us counts

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What personal information does
GfK collect from me?
During the recruitment process, GfK collects
information such as your name and address
so we can send your households members
age-appropriate surveys, as well as rewards
for participating.

Will GfK sell my email address? Will I
receive spam as a result of becoming a
member of KnowledgePanel?
At GfK, we know that protecting your privacy
is one of our most important responsibilities.
This means we follow the strictest code of
ethics for our Panel Members. Our procedures
are among the most thorough in the industry.
Here’s what we can promise you:

We hear you.
Privacy is
important.

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• GfK will never try to sell you anything. We
operate under the stringent standards set
by the Council of American Survey Research
Organizations (CASRO).
• Your survey responses and information are
provided to our clients in an anonymous
form, unless you have given us your express
permission to do otherwise.
• We protect the personally identifiable
information of minors using the same
high standard we use for all Panel
Members.
• All employees of GfK must sign an
agreement requiring them to keep
confidential all personally identifiable
information regarding Panel Members.
Personally identifiable information regarding
household members will never be shared with
any third parties without your express
permission. There are two exceptions:
1. W
 e may disclose your information if we
believe we are required to do so by law, to

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I think KnowledgePanel is
excellent. I was so surprised
to be able to call or send an
email and receive a prompt
and live person answer. I am
very impressed. Thank you
for your thoroughness!”

protect someone’s safety or our rights or
property, or in order to comply with GfK’s
Privacy Policy found online at members.
knowledgepanel.com.
2. Occasionally, GfK will share contact
information, such as your name and
address, with third parties with whom we
have partnered to provide specific services
to Panel Members or services on behalf
of GfK, such as panel recruitment, contest
entries, or delivery of free gifts.

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Frequently Asked Questi
How much does it cost to do surveys?
There is no cost; in fact, you earn
rewards for participating. For full details
about our rewards program, please log in
to members.knowledgepanel.com using the
password we’ve provided on your enclosed
membership card.

How long will my KnowledgePanel
participation last?
We’d like to send you surveys regularly for
the next few years, but you are welcome to
withdraw from KnowledgePanel at any time.
If you decide to withdraw before your tenure
on the Panel is complete, we will provide you
with a label to return any equipment we
sent during the course of your participation.

Who is eligible to participate?
Everyone in your household age 13 and
older may be eligible. During recruitment, we
collected the names and/or email addresses of
each household member. We’ve already

I have really enjoyed my
time as a survey member.
I really think that my
opinions are listened to.
Thank you for the
opportunity to participate.”

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sent each eligible member a survey,
and enclosed their personal login. If any of
your eligible household members did not
receive this information, please call us
toll free at 1-800-782-6899 or email us
at [email protected].
You can enroll additional members in
your household at any time by going to
members.knowledgepanel.com.

How long will the surveys take to
answer, and how often will I get them?
Each survey session will take most people
about 15 minutes. We’ll send you surveys
regularly throughout the month. Some topics
are time sensitive, so please be sure to check
your email often and complete the surveys
at your earliest convenience.

What if I’m going to be unavailable to do
surveys for a time?
We can postpone surveys during your absence
and resume them automatically upon your
return. If you are going to be unavailable for
surveys you can let us know online by logging
on to members.knowledgepanel.com and
clicking on “My Profile”; by contacting us via
email at [email protected]; or by
calling us at 1-800-782-6899.

What if some members of my household
respond to your surveys regularly, but
others do not?
It’s not necessary for every eligible member
in your home to participate in order for your
household to remain on KnowlegePanel,
but we strongly prefer it. We found that as
other family members see how easy, fun, and
rewarding it is to do the surveys, they decide
to participate. We may send an email, or
check in with a phone call, if we don’t hear
from a Panel Member after a few weeks.

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d Questions

How does my password work?
We provide every Panel Member a username
and password to maintain the privacy of
your personal information and survey
responses. Your password provides you
access to our Members-Only Web site—
members.knowledgepanel.com—where you can
check on the status of your surveys, update
your profile, check and redeem Member Points
for rewards, and find other valuable information.

Can I refer my friends?
We get many inquiries from people around
the country who would like to volunteer for
our Panel, and most of them come from Panel
Member referrals. Unfortunately, because
households are selected at random, we cannot

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accept volunteers that live outside your
household. It would bias the survey results.
However, if the person who would like to join
lives in your household, they may be eligible.
To enroll them, simply visit the My Profile
section of members.knowledgepanel.com.

What if I have more questions?
You can view our Privacy Policy and other
important information online at members.
knowledgepanel.com. For other questions,
please contact GfK at 1-800-782-6899 or via
email at [email protected]. Our
Panel Support Team is dedicated to making
your experience on the Panel as pleasant and
rewarding as possible, and we are happy to
answer your questions in a timely manner.
Again, thank you and welcome.

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GfK
200 Liberty Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10281
www.gfk.com/us

KnowledgePanel

®

the opportunity to be heard
KnowledgePanel Support
P.O. Box 479
Roseland, NJ 07068-0479
1-800-782-6899
[email protected]
members.knowledgepanel.com

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