When it comes to sharing their opinions with companies, some people prefer to speak out publicly while others prefer to keep a low profile. Regardless of the method, it’s important to understand what motivates people to share their opinions, and whether they have confidence that their voice can make an impact.

In this pursuit, we surveyed over 1,000 members of the DISQO Audience to understand:

• Why people share their opinion via surveys


• The impact people want to have on brands & products


• Whether people believe they are making a difference

The study revealed that the vast majority of people (85%) believe that brands should listen to their opinions, and nearly as many (80%) believe that brands actually do.

So how do people prefer to share their opinions? Not surprisingly — given that this study was conducted via a survey — 84% said they prefer to share their opinions through surveys. Beyond this, 59% share their opinions publicly (through social media & reviews), 38% privately (by changing their purchase behavior), and 27% directly with the company (through customer support).

What motivates consumers to participate in surveys specifically? According to our results, about 86% of people take surveys to make an impact on brands, and a slight majority (55%) believe that their feedback creates real change. Granted, inspiring change at the company level is a broader and somewhat more nebulous metric. To delve in further, we explored people’s motivations and confidence in creating an impact at the product level. This evoked a stronger response, with 87% of participants reporting that they want to make an impact on products, and an impressive 76% believing that they are successful in this pursuit.

Thus, it is clear that a large majority of people believe they can create change; however, this confidence is stronger at the product level than the impact they believe they can have on brands as a whole.

Compared to those who share their opinions publicly or directly with the company, those who share their opinions privately are less likely to feel like they are making an impact on brands and products. In other words, people who provide direct feedback are more confident that they will have a direct impact.

Of course, the desire to create change is just one motivator for taking surveys. When delving into motivators for taking surveys, people reported that:

• 77% are motivated by rewards


• 60% want to share their opinion


• 54% want to have an impact


• 19% want to be part of a community

However people first convey their shifting attitudes, it is imperative for marketers to tune in to all available channels of audience feedback, whether it be in the form of a survey response or a change in online behavior. After all, paying attention to one’s audience not only empowers the audience, but it empowers the researchers, marketers, and innovators to create more positive user experiences.

About the Study

Conducted in July, 2019, this survey reached over 1,000 members of the DISQO Audience. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their motivations for taking surveys, how they prefer to share their opinions, and whether they believe they can create an impact through the feedback they share.

Join the Conversation.

Do you think brands listen to consumer feedback enough? How do you think we can instill more confidence in the public to share their opinions?