FAQ about our surveys
Are you visiting this page as a participant in one of our surveys? Here, we have compiled the most important information about our company and surveys in an FAQ section.
Who is NORDLIGHT research?
NORDLIGHT research GmbH is a full-service institute for market research and member of thr Berufsverband Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforscher e.V.. Our company headquarters are situated in Hilden, near Düsseldorf. NORDLIGHT research is an owner-operated institute and was established by experienced market researchers in 2007.
How does NORDLIGHT research operate?
First and foremost, we conduct market research on behalf of clients. This may involve, for instance, surveys on customer satisfaction, the evaluation of product ideas or advertising assessments. In other words: companies ask us to find responses to questions like: "What do potential customers think about our new product idea?" We then conduct a customer survey and provide the client with answers to that question.
How do you obtain my telephone number, email or home address?
If we have received your address, it will either have been within a legally permissible data processing order (§11 BDSG) or for the purposes of market research or public opinion polling (§ 30 BDSG). Your address data will only be used for the purposes of the individual survey. Your address data will be deleted at the end of the project and will not be used for other orders or for our own purposes. On no account will your data be passed on to third parties without your consent. In some studies we do not receive your address data and the client or a field institute invites you directly to participate in the study. In online market research we provide clients or field institutes with website links for these purposes.
I would like you to delete my details and/or address data.
You are perfectly entitled to request this: Please send an email request for the deletion of your data to info@nordlight-research.com . Make sure you provide your name, email address (if we contacted you by email) and the topic of the survey to enable us to delete your data. We will then send you confirmation.
Are my data safe with you?
We do everything in our power to guarantee the security of your personal data. We have taken organizational and technical measures in our company to safeguard all relevant areas (including encryption and separate storage of the survey results, among others). Furthermore, the manner in which we handle your information and data is defined by law, and our professional association has introduced additional conditions. We take this topic very seriously as it is the foundation of our professional viability. We explicitly refrain from any form of address trading, dishonest marketing calls and also from making any offers after the survey.
Further information regarding data protection.
Am I anonymous? Do you pass on my information?
The information you provide is evaluated in anonymous form only. We calculate the percentage of customers who provided a certain answer, meaning that this kind of result is entirely separate from you as a person, hence guaranteeing anonymity. At no stage do our clients or any third parties receive your address data in connection with the information you provide in a survey. This also includes whether or not you are taking part in a survey; not even this information is passed on.
Which companies are involved in the surveys?
In many surveys we operate on behalf of a client - often companies that offer products and services you will be able to purchase in the future. In some cases we conduct our own surveys, while in others we draw on so-called field institutes, companies that specialize in the recruitment of survey participants. We design the questionnaire and evaluate the results. The field institute organizes and recruits the participants.
Are products offered or tried to be sold to me?
Certainly not! Serious market research is based on scientific principles, designed to yield the most representative and reliable results possible. It is strictly separate from advertising and sales. Serious market research never involves alleged surveys offering you products to purchase.
Is there any disadvantage in not taking part?
No. Participation is always voluntary, and you will suffer no disadvantages if you decide not to take part. But we do hope that a large number of people will participate as this is the best possible means of obtaining representative and reliable survey results.
How do prize draws, participation points, etc. work?
Some studies invite you to take part in a prize draw in which gifts are raffled as a thank you for participating. Participation in the draw is voluntary; you can take part in the survey without entering your name in the draw. The contact data you provide for the draw are only used for this purpose; we delete the data afterwards. In other studies – for instance if you are a panelist and regularly take part in surveys – you will be credited with participation points that you can subsequently redeem. This is not part of our remit and will be organized by the company in charge of the panel. Please contact the relevant company if you have any questions.
The contents of this page were prepared with the greatest possible accuracy. However, we cannot provide any guarantee for the correctness, completeness or topicality thereof. This information does not constitute legal consultation.