We just returned from a high-energy, whirlwind IIEX NA 2025 in Washington D.C.! While there were many fascinating sessions, one theme was clear: AI, synthetic data, and fraud detection are all reshaping market research. Respondent fraud and the growing challenge of tech-enabled fraudsters bypassing traditional survey methods were key topics. Sessions like eBay’s on their DeepSights platform, and the use of behavioral AI, showcased how AI can speed up insights, improve decision-making, and uncover deeper consumer behaviors. Others focused on improving data quality, offering actionable strategies to identify fake respondents, catch poor-quality data, and tackle fraud issues.
However, as insightful as these sessions were, one thing became clear—AI and fraud detection tools alone aren’t enough. While they can improve research speed, accuracy, and efficiency, the underlying challenges around data quality and fraud prevention persist. The truth is that traditional methods—whether AI-driven tools or standard panel-based approaches—can only go so far in ensuring the integrity of insights. As discussed at the conference, the impact of fraud is not only on data accuracy but it also affects budgets and strategy, ultimately resulting in wasted time and money—and inaccurate results informing business decisions which can have an extremely negative ripple effect.
There are other ways out there that are more fool-proof. It’s crucial to discover and utilize methods that go beyond conventional approaches to prevent fraud. And what better way to do that than ensure you’re speaking to real consumers, not just panelists or AI-generated respondents? AMC Global’s ResponseCash® PFU™ (Purchaser Follow-Up) solution is a game-changer on this front. PFU directly connects you with genuine consumers. It ensures clean, trustworthy responses that are critical in today’s world of panel fraud and AI-driven responses.
So how does it work? Consumers buy products just as they normally would—without any influence. Then, when they go to use the product or interact with the package, they’ll find the AMC Global patented on-pack or in-pack survey invitation. This invitation includes a high-value prepaid cash card, which is only activated upon completion of our research program. This method ensures you’re hearing from real product users, not professional panelists, and guarantees authentic feedback.
PFU is a versatile approach, not limited to product launches. It supports a wide range of research questions, including formulation and packaging changes, low-incidence topics, and more, while also enabling access to valuable consumer qualitative insights and follow-up research. You can see an example of how it works, embedded in a larger study, in this case study.
AMC’s ResponseCash PFU also allows you to reach unique respondent groups that aren’t typically accessible through traditional panels. The most common way to gather insights using this approach is through a purchase either in-store or online, but there are other unique ways to reach real respondents. For example, a recent study conducted in veterinary offices for a pet care product connected us with actual pet owners using the product distributed through by the veterinarian. Through using PFU through any purchasing channel, you can connect with real consumers and uncover valuable insights into product usage, benefits, and customer loyalty. PFU helps you access high-quality data and accurate insights, across every type of product imaginable and even in unique distribution channels.
If fraud is messing with your insights (and let’s be honest, who isn’t dealing with this in today’s market research world?), it’s time to think outside the box and connect with real, non-fake respondents and get the authentic feedback that drives real business decisions. PFU is a powerful and reliable solution to ensure data quality and authenticity—making it a must-have tool for staying ahead of the fraudsters. Reach out to us to get started!
