by Emma Sutton

[London, 02.7.2008]  The hallways and conference rooms of top multinationals are buzzing with talk about billions of Dollars, Euros, and Pounds being given away to average people all over the world - not for refunds, not as prizes or gifts, and not as salary. Questions are being asked as to who authorized these transfers, to what purpose they were made, and are companies getting something valuable in return for these payouts.

Have these companies, and the executives that run them, really lost their minds?

We're talking about industry giants, leaders who dominate their markets and rarely make financial mistakes. Executives running these firms are the last people you would ever suspect of irrational incompetence.

It's been a real mystery, and would have stayed that way if not for the work of a few persistent, hardworking journalists who uncovered some amazing facts about how successful firms allocate an important part of their marketing budgets.

So what's really going on?

The programs that are causing all the buzz are specialized and highly confidential market research studies; surveys and interviews where average people are asked their opinion about new or existing company products. These are top-secret studies, conducted via intermediary research companies, held in secure controlled environments, and observable through one-way mirrors and hidden microphones. This may explain why information is so scarce.

What company wants its competitors to know what it's doing, or why?

Besides secret interviews, another even more common form of research study are online surveys where companies pay people to fill out questionnaires on their home computer, all recorded via the Internet. The technique allows companies to quickly gather statistically meaningful data from thousands of "work from home" people in just a few hours. From the companies' point of view, internet surveys are a great way to get take the market's pulse and get instant feedback.

After months of digging into this little known corner of consumer marketing, the results were surprising. Our research indicates that over $43 Billion will be spent worldwide this year on various studies ranging from simple product testing, to paid surveys, to extensive focus group interviews. That's a lot of money going to people like you and me.

In fact, while a typical test subject is paid anywhere from $30 to $150 an hour, some participants are earning upwards of $2500 per month from this part-time activity. Apparently, there are scores of companies willing to pay people cold hard cash just for their opinion. (I wish my husband had the same attitude about me!)

It's hard to believe there's so much low hanging "money fruit" available to the general public!

For anyone needing more facts and hard evidence about this surprising income opportunity, you can find information by doing a web search or take this direct and instant SHORTCUT.

When we asked some top marketing execs about this generous compensation and if it was worth all the time and expense, one described it as "very much worth it…absolutely necessary to build our future business". Furthermore, they said that despite the current economic downturn this was one area they could ill afford to reduce. Indeed, most were planning to increase budgets for surveys and consumer testing by at least 20% over the next 12 months.

I spoke recently with Stephen Bartlett, Managing Director at a leading market research company. Speaking for his clients, Bartlett stated that due to competitive and economic pressure, interest in customer research has never been higher. "The working and middle class consumer markets are really hot right now. All our clients are hungry for test subjects to help them understand the best way to reach their customers and how to exceed expectations."

Companies are desperate to close their "information gap".

Marketing execs have known for a long time they have a serious problem. The distance between huge bureaucratic organizations and their individual customers is far too big, creating a disconnect that can cost market share. Paying people to test products, offer their opinion, and make suggestions is a great way to close that gap, shorten product development time, and improve customer service. In other words, companies that can get close to their customers can create a competitive advantage.

Today, with more money than ever budgeted for paid surveys, group interviews, and product testing, average people from all walks of life, from students to stay-at-home moms, can earn a lucrative supplementary income, working from home, just for telling companies what they think.

More information about this topic and extra income opportunities with this interesting home business can be found at the following website: Getting Paid for Your Opinion

Emma Sutton is a freelance journalist based in London.