Nielsen Mobile Panel Review: What Is It and How Much Do You Make?

The Nielsen Mobile Panel is an app that can help in the development of relevant user products while financially rewarding participants.

Read our full Nielsen Mobile Panel review below.

Nielsen Mobile Panel

To participate in the Nielsen Mobile Panel study, you download an app that monitors your Internet activity in return for payment.

What exactly is being monitored is fully disclosed at the outset.  This is the opposite of most applications, who do not pay and still track and monitor your data.

How much are you paid?

The Nielsen Mobile Panel gives a $50 dollar reward for people who choose to participate in the program.

This is a yearly reward.

All you do is simply use your smartphone or mobile device the way you normally do.

As soon as you download the app, you are entitled to a reward.

Is Nielsen secure?

Security is a top priority. Additionally, the application is easy to install, and it will not slow down your device, unlike many other applications. User ids, website content, location and other kinds of sensitive data are not monitored.

Instead of downloading an application that could illegally harvest your data,  you will be downloading an application with full knowledge of what activity it monitors, getting paid for it, and helping to improve products and services.

No credit card info required

No credit card information is required, and the application is free to download. Making money with the Nielsen Mobile Panel simply requires filling out a survey and downloading an application. After this, users can browse as they normally do. It does not matter how frequently the devices are actually used, as long as it is registered, and the application is downloaded.

Users contribute to important research

Users will be contributing to important trends in internet research, and also getting rewarded for taking part. There is also much future potential by participating in further surveys, registering more devices and staying longer with Nielsen Research. Prizes and rewards are also on the table for participants in the Nielsen Mobile Panel. Users are automatically entered into sweepstakes.

The panel is aimed primarily at mobile users as these trends are becoming increasingly relevant. More and more people are now browsing online. However, it also covers desktop browsing from a home PC or browsing from a laptop or any device.

And the more devices that are registered, the greater rewards. $10,000 is given away each month for those who register a computer as opposed to a mobile device. And for those who no longer wish to participate, they can simply choose to opt out in the account section.

Who is Nielsen Media Research?

Nielsen Media research is a huge company that has been in operation for nearly a century. They are a US firm that monitors media audiences, tracking trends and patterns. These media audiences span television, radio, theater, newspapers, and recently mobile devices.

Nielsen Ratings

They are best known for Nielsen Ratings, a system of tracking viewership in the television industry. The company tracks media consumer habits and presents insight solutions to governments, corporations, non-profits, and manufacturers). They are currently studying consumer trends and patterns in over 100 countries.

Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is among the world’s leading and largest media research companies. It was once a division of AC Nielsen but branched off in 1996. But it was later acquired by VNU who also purchased AC Nielsen, bring them both under the same corporate governance. VNU was renamed the Nielsen Company in 2007. Nielsen Media Research is currently a part of Nielsen Holdings.

The stated mission of Nielsen Media Research is to learn what people do, purchase, watch and listen to online. People who take part in the Nielsen Mobile Panel program and download the application will help contribute to an understanding of customer behavior online and also get rewarded for essentially doing nothing other than what they have always done.

Quick Download

The app is quick, safe, easy to download and non-invasive. A survey has to be filled out before downloading the application and taking part in the program. The questions are very general, such as the device used, location and type of household.

Companies are hungrier than ever for consumer data in a rapidly evolving customer market with unique trends and patterns.

There is also a large question of consent, data collection, and adware in the current marketplace.

What Data is Tracked?

Internet security is a matter of increasing concern among many and the study is completely transparent. Mobile devices in particular are especially vulnerable as they often connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi.  This is often cited as a security concern as it is an easy place for hacker set traps for unwitting customers.

Nielsen Privacy Policy

The Nielsen Mobile Panel provides a link to its privacy policies, through which detailed information is available with regard to what information is collected.

The data collected as part of the Nielsen Mobile Panel program includes GPS when connected, files names but not content, mouse clicks, message send and receive time (not content), IP address, Bluetooth connection, VPN state, hardware details, software details, ad campaign exposure, URLs visited, alarm usage, device settings and battery state.

All collected data is secured.

All information gathered by the panel is encrypted. This is unlike many unauthorized applications which actually take data without consent, fail to encrypt it and then proceed to sell it to third parties. Most Android applications do not have a link to a privacy policy and no details on how they use data.

You’re anonymous.

Also, your name and your data are kept separate, so you are completely anonymous in the program. The data is encrypted, bundled with other statistics and research, and then used to make charts, graphs, and text analysis. Additionally, your personal information will never be used to send promotional offers or advertisements.

The Importance of Data Security

The harsh reality is that applications actually steal data from users without their consent. This includes typical applications that are installed on the majority of smartphones. Android applications are particularly susceptible to this; however, it is a myth that Mac OS is invulnerable to malware. Many applications require access to personal contacts and the web camera when there is no real reason they should be allowed.

Smartphone Security Research

Over 1.3 million Google accounts were compromised in 2016 though Android applications, and Android ransomware jumped 137% from Q1 to Q2  in 2017. If you have an Android phone, it is best to take precautions before downloading applications and browsing online. While Android is the most heavily affected, smartphone security is becoming a priority.

Many smartphone applications have access to far more information than is necessary for their functioning. According to a Pew Internet Project study, 54% of application users decided against the installation of an application when they realized how much data was required to use it. 30% of application users uninstalled an application after they were shown how much data it was collecting and transmitting.

Cybersecurity

On a wider scale, cybersecurity is estimated to be a $6 trillion dollar industry by 2021, according to a report from Cyber Security Ventures, a security company. Hackers and scammers are getting more inventive by the day with new viruses being discovered daily.

Mobile devices are a point of vulnerability for a wide variety of reasons. And once a device is hacked, then the hacker can often access all of your data on that particular account. Typically, users will use the same username and password across a number of different sites. So when one account is hacked, they all are.

Nielsen Users contribute to cybersecurity research.

Participation in the Nielsen Mobile Panel will also help with an analysis of patterns which could help to establish basic security protocols. By seeing where users click and what they do, it is possible to extrapolate further on what the dangers of mobile online browsing are, and how they can be prevented.

New Trends in Online Activity

Nielsen has noted a number of new trends in online activity.  Previous models in both television and online content marketing are no longer working. This is largely due to the fact that customers are overloaded with information.

There is a glut of information being directed at customers from various industries. But what is of increasing concern is that the barrage of information is now available almost 24/7. People are online nearly all the time with tablets, computers, and smartphones. And with the rise of augmented reality, virtual reality and wearable technology, this trend is going to continue.

New research necessary

With this in mind, it is essential to carry out research in order to better understand what customers actually want and require. Putting ads in every possible location is not going to work. Directed, focused and relevant marking is what is needed. And for this, trends and patterns need to be analyzed to understand what people really want.

With the recent changes in customer spending habits, creative thinking and brand storytelling are important to retain customers. Marketers can also establish partnerships across media industries and outlets to best deliver relevant content in a changing era.

Media companies are there to assist the customer in his or her browsing experience, not to direct the journey. Understanding online customer activity is the first step.

The Future of Online Browsing

The future of online browsing is going to be radically different from what is currently in place today. There are a number of innovative technologies which are going to have a drastic impact on the way customers interact with merchants.

The blockchain industry is one example. Some cryptocurrencies are aiming to decentralize the internet using various technologies. This includes alternatives to Facebook, Google, Amazon, Twitter, Upwork, Airbnb, and Uber. A mix of self-regulating algorithms will manage much of the buyer and selling process.

Virtual and augmented reality

Another example is the rise of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) products. Both of these industries are expected to see huge growth in the coming years. Combined, they are forecasted to reach $209 billion by 2020.

VR bridges the gap between merchants and customers, as it immerses them more directly in the product itself. An example would be a holiday resort which someone could experience via a headset. Research has suggested that VR increases emotional engagement 27%, a significant figure.

Virtual reality headsets are used in niche sectors, giving people an entirely different experience. Oculus Rift is a popular VR headset. The Pokémon Go AR phenomenon had a massive impact while it lasted and is a precursor of more to follow. And Google Glass type products are further examples of futuristic AR products.

Changing customer experience

With the customer experience changing entirely, it is important to gain an understanding of current online shopping patterns.  A line has yet to be drawn in terms of developer and marketing boundaries and what constitutes a violation of personal boundaries.

The distinction between deception and advertising can sometimes be quite blurred. This distinction becomes even more relevant when dealing with children or those with special needs.

Relevance

On the other hand, customers need relevant products which can add to their experience both offline and online. Appropriate advertising certainly has its place. There are many products, physical and digital, which have had a positive impact on people’s lives.

The trick is in finding where the line is and successfully integrating good marketing into new technology via the correct analysis of patterns. The Nielsen Mobile Panel hopes to gain relevant insights in order to make both marketers and customers happier than ever, as technology develops in an exciting era of digitalization.

Why Take Part?

All in all, the Nielsen Mobile Panel is a great way to earn free cash while contributing to better products and better online experiences. There is an obvious downside that an application is tracking some of your data. However, Nielsen is an established and reputable global company that is recognized as a leader in terms of media audience tracking. They are among the best in the industry.

By contrast, the majority of casually downloaded applications track most of the items listed in the Nielsen privacy policies. And they do so without any compensation, without your knowledge, and without encrypting your data. Which means that illegally obtained data is then liable to a double steal by yet another hacker.