Smartphone Users Become the New Eyes and Ears of Businesses

ENCINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--uSamp^TM, a leader in providing targeted audiences for global consumer insights, is helping everyday people make extra cash while they are on the go by joining uSamp’s Mobile Army^TM of consumers. Consumers can now use their smartphones to snap a photo, provide real-time feedback, or scan a barcode to get quick cash or other rewards from businesses who want real-time information in the field.

“There are many times we need quick feedback at the last minute on a project and by leveraging uSamp Mobile we were able to open and close our survey in less than 12 hours”

uSamp has introduced a mobile technology where companies can tap into smartphone users to understand real-time insights on products and services. Using an app, called iPoll, any consumer can sign-up to see what “mobile missions” are available in their area as they go about their every-day lives using their Android, iPhones and even tablets. Currently, there are more than 100,000 iPoll users in the United States alone.

When members of the mobile army of consumers walk into a quick serve restaurant they can receive a push-notification asking if they would like to participate in a quick study. If they are heading to their supermarket, they can pull up the geo-location feature and identify if there are any survey options for that national retailer or other businesses nearby. If they participate, they get paid.

One member of the mobile army of consumers is certified nursing assistant, Melissa Magwood from Pittsburgh, Penn. Magwood says she has a very rewarding career but is always working and trying to keep up with the latest technology. One reason she became a user of iPoll is because of the ease of getting paid straight into her PayPal account.

“I have paid off a few bills since I joined iPoll,” said Magwood. “I love that if I do at least one or two surveys each day, I know I can cash out in a month. It gives me that little bit of extra money to put away. Plus I love the opportunity to try products and give my opinion. iPoll offers a variety of different surveys than the other products I used in the past – I love it.”

Businesses are deploying this new mobile army of consumers to be the eyes and ears for their businesses out in the field. Ultimately, their mobile responses provide insights about their consumption habits and brand perception—valuable insights that companies can use to improve their customer experience or make better products.

By using their smartphones to scan barcodes, taking real-time photos and video, or checking into their location, uSamp’s Mobile Army^TM is helping all types of retail giants, and consumer product companies such as Jostens, get a first-hand glimpse into their target audience, within minutes.

Jostens, a leading provider of class rings, yearbooks and custom championship jewelry, recently used uSamp Mobile to run a quick survey with uSamp’s extensive teen panel to connect with teens in a way that works for them.

“There are many times we need quick feedback at the last minute on a project and by leveraging uSamp Mobile we were able to open and close our survey in less than 12 hours,” said Lauren Hougas, Market Intelligence Manager, Jostens. “Instead of scrambling to the mall to talk to a handful of people, or fielding a quick survey with more completes than we need due to minimum cost requirements of other products, we now have an easy and cost-effective solution. This is a tool we will definitely use moving forward as it allows us to get extremely quick feedback from our consumers.”

"Numerous Fortune 100 companies are using our mobile technology to conduct in-the-moment research at locations throughout the country,” said Gregg Lavin, President and Co-Founder, uSamp. “Recent projects have leveraged our photo capture and barcode scanning capabilities to conduct compliance audits and concept tests. Most of these projects have also used geo-validation to ensure a respondent is inside a particular store."

Users of iPoll, which is available for download on the iPhone and Android platforms, can choose how they would like to be rewarded from over 300 options – including gift cards to gaming points to money. uSamp is looking for smartphone users who want to make extra money on the go while not changing their everyday behaviors. For more information, visit www.iPoll.com.

About uSamp

uSamp (www.uSamp.com), the fastest growing company in the Market Research Industry, is a premier provider of technology and survey respondents used to obtain consumer and business insights. uSamp's leading-mobile technology and SaaS platform transform the way companies gain intelligence to make better, faster decisions about their products and services by tapping into uSamp's 9 million member global panel of survey respondents. Through uSamp's proprietary technologies for self-serve sampling and survey authoring, companies have on-demand access to millions of profiled survey respondents. uSamp is based in Los Angeles, with five offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. The company has more than 200 team members worldwide. uSamp was No. 213 on the 2012 Inc. 500|5000 exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies and ranked No. 11 in the 2011 Forbes America's Most Promising Company List.