TRP Surveys and contacting us
TRP Surveys is a market research panel run by TRP Research Ltd in order to help the media industry understand the opinion and viewing habits of the public. We predominately run surveys relating to the media, however we may also provide research for other industries, so our surveys will be about a broad range of topics. We also offer the option to opt in to other surveys which are provided by sample buyers through specific marketplaces to give you more survey opportunities.
Our registered address is Wellington House, Queen Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3UF and we can be contacted at info@trpsurveys.com.
Keeping your data safe – our privacy promise to you
TRP Surveys takes great care to keep all the personal data that you have provided safe. We follow the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. In addition, we also follow the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. We are the controller and are responsible for your personal data.
This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, store, use, share and protect your personal data when you sign up for TRP Surveys and take part in our surveys, register your community group or opt in to receive third-party surveys. It also explains the Privacy Rights that you have in relation to your personal data.
The Privacy Notice should be read with the Terms and Conditions and the Cookie Notice. By joining TRP Surveys you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to this Privacy Notice as well as the Cookie Notice and Terms and Conditions. In addition, by taking part in our surveys you are giving us your consent to collect, store and use your personal data and survey responses as outlined in this Notice. If you do not agree to the Privacy and Cookie Notices and the Terms and Conditions, do not sign up for TRP Surveys.
Syno Panel (from May 2024)
This section is only relevant if you have opted in to the third-party partner surveys provided by sample buyers through marketplaces such as PureSpectrum and Cint. We are using Syno Panel as our Panel Management software tool to allow you access to these extra third-party surveys. Syno Panel is a Data Processor and is therefore required to safeguard your data. If you would like to see a copy of Syno Panel’s Privacy Notice please visit https://www.synoint.com/privacy-policy/. If you are at an event ask one of our recruiters to see a copy of Syno Panel’s Privacy Notice. Personal data stored in Syno Panel will be kept in their data centre in the EEA.
Personal data: Some personal and demographic information that you have supplied to TRP Surveys will be shared securely with Syno Panel. This includes information such as your name, postal address, email address, phone numbers, gender, date of birth, marital status, home ownership, education and ethnicity where you have provided this information to TRP Surveys. This will allow you to sign in to your account, take part in the third-party surveys (see “Third-party surveys provided by sample buyers” section below) and redeem your rewards. Your data will be stored and processed in Syno Panel unless you opt out of the third-party surveys, unsubscribe from TRP Surveys or the project comes to an end.
Special categories of personal data: If you have consented to provide ethnicity data for TRP Surveys, the data you have provided will be shared with Syno Panel.
Storing your personal data in Syno Panel means:
- You can take part in third-party surveys available through marketplaces such as PureSpectrum and Cint.
- You will only see the third-party surveys that you are likely to be eligible for.
- Credits received from completing the third-party surveys will automatically get added to your Syno Panel account once a survey has been completed. You don’t need to wait for them to be added to your account.
- You can update any personal details in your account.
- You can redeem any rewards earned from completing the third-party surveys.
Consent: When you first log in to your Syno Panel account to access the third-party surveys, Syno Panel will ask you to read through their consent statements and permissions to confirm which statements you agree to. Please see their Privacy Notice https://www.synoint.com/privacy-policy/ for more details and an explanation of the consent statements.
Sharing your personal data: The following data will be shared by Syno Panel:
- Redeeming rewards: Your email address will be shared with the supplier of the voucher if you choose to redeem a reward that requires this, so that you can receive your voucher.
- Third-party surveys: Some demographic information will be shared with the specific marketplaces, so that you only see surveys that you are likely to be eligible for. No personally identifiable information will be shared with any marketplace or sample buyer.
Data transfers outside the EEA: No personally identifiable information will be sent outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).
Partner surveys: third-party surveys provided by sample buyers – available through your Syno Panel account (from May 2024)
This section is only relevant if you have opted in to the third-party partner surveys provided by sample buyers through marketplaces such as PureSpectrum and Cint. These marketplaces are sub data-processors under GDPR and are therefore required to safeguard your data. The third-party surveys are available for you to access through your Syno Panel account. Once in your account, you will be able to see all the third-party surveys you are likely to be eligible for, by going to the “Survey Dashboard”. The surveys available cover a variety of topics and are not necessarily media related. You will need to opt in to receive the third-party surveys – you can opt out at any time.
Personal data and special categories of personal data: No personally identifiable information will be shared with any marketplace or sample buyer. However, some demographic information will be shared with the specific marketplaces, so that you only see surveys that you are likely to be eligible for. The information required by the specific marketplace to check your eligibility for surveys will be shared securely through Syno Panel with the relevant marketplace. All information shared will be encrypted and provided in code form which can be deciphered by that marketplace. Information that is likely to be shared with the marketplaces includes information such as your gender, age, first part of your postcode, marital status, home ownership, education and ethnicity as well as any other profiling information that you have filled in through your Syno Panel account.
Data transfers outside the EEA: Some of the marketplaces have their servers outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). This means that any information shared with that marketplace will be sent outside of the EEA. Where this happens Syno Panel have put in place safeguards to protect your data, so it has the same level of protection as it does in the EEA. No personally identifiable information will be sent outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).
General Information: TRP Surveys does not produce the third-party surveys and therefore has no control over the origin of any surveys available to you or the questions that may be asked. If you choose to take part in any of the third-party surveys you do so at your own risk and you should be aware that the TRP Surveys Privacy Notice no longer applies, instead please read the Privacy Policy that is provided when you start a survey carefully and decide whether you wish to proceed. Please also be aware that this Privacy Policy may be relevant only to the survey which you are intending to complete. As such you should be careful when answering questions, making sure you are not sharing any personal data. All information that you provide in any survey completed through the marketplace, including personal data, is solely your responsibility. TRP Research does not accept any responsibility for the data that you provide in any third-party survey.
Opting out of the third-party surveys: You can opt out of the third-party surveys at any time, by emailing us at info@trpsurveys.com to let us know and writing “Third-party surveys unsubscribe” in the email. You can also opt out of these surveys by logging into your Syno Panel account, going to “Edit account” and then clicking on “Opt out from third-party surveys”. If you choose to opt out of the third-party surveys your data will also be deleted from Syno Panel.
Please see our Terms and Conditions for more detail on Syno Panel and the third-party surveys.
PureSpectrum (from February 2024)
In February 2024 TRP Surveys partnered with PureSpectrum (an independent company based in North America), to give you more opportunities to earn credits through completing surveys so you receive your rewards more quickly. PureSpectrum is a marketplace where third-party organisations can ask questions to eligible participants. The surveys provided through PureSpectrum’s platform cover a variety of topics and are not necessarily media related. There will be multiple surveys available each day for you to complete and the surveys will be accessible to you through personalised links sent to your registered email address. You can opt out of the PureSpectrum surveys at any time, by emailing us at info@trpsurveys.com to let us know and writing “PureSpectrum Unsubscribe” in the email.
Some broad demographic information about you such as your gender, age, the first part of your postcode, number of children in household, working status and region will be included in your personalised survey links so that you can be directed to surveys that are relevant to you. These links will be sent to your registered email address and the demographic information contained within them will be shared with PureSpectrum when you click the link. Demographic information will only be included in your survey links if you cannot be identified from the data. No personally identifiable information will ever be included in the survey links we send to you, nor will any personally identifiable information be shared by us directly with PureSpectrum. We may include further demographic information in your survey links in the future to help tailor your survey experience even more, but we will let you know in advance if we want to do this. When you click on the personalised link included in your email you will be directed to PureSpectrum’s platform where you can choose whether to complete any surveys presented to you.
TRP Surveys has no control over the origin of any surveys presented to you on PureSpectrum’s platform or the questions that may be asked. If you choose to take part in any of the surveys provided through PureSpectrum’s platform you do so at your own risk and you should be aware that TRP Surveys Privacy Notice no longer applies, instead please read the Privacy Policy that is provided by PureSpectrum when you start a survey carefully and decide whether you wish to proceed. Please also be aware that this Privacy Policy may be relevant only to the survey which you are intending to complete. As such you should be careful when answering questions, making sure you are not sharing any personal data. All information that you provide in any PureSpectrum survey, including personal data, is solely your responsibility. TRP Research does not accept any responsibility for the data that you provide in any surveys completed through the PureSpectrum platform.
Please see our Terms and Conditions for more detail on the way in which we contact you with these survey opportunities.
The information that we share via personalised URL links with PureSpectrum (as described above) is as follows:
- An anonymised ID number which will be used to 1) provide you with your PureSpectrum surveys and 2) update your credits.
- Broad demographic information about you which may include the following demographic attributes so long as they do not allow you to become identifiable in your survey link: gender, age, the first part of your postcode, number of children in household, working status and region.
Lawful basis for processing your personal data
Personal data means any information about an individual which allows you to be identified. It may also include special categories of personal data, such as ethnicity, national identity and health information which are considered more sensitive.
We use consent as our lawful basis for collecting and using any personal data.
- We ask for your consent to collect and use your personal data when you sign up for TRP Surveys. This consent allows us to send you surveys, collect your responses from surveys, report findings on different groups to our clients and make sure that TRP Surveys represents the population of the UK. It also means that we can send you rewards and communicate with you about TRP Surveys.
- Each time you refer a friend for TRP Surveys we ask for your consent so that we can send your friend an email including your name inviting them to join TRP Surveys.
- We ask for your explicit consent to collect and use special categories of personal data, such as data relating to ethnicity, national identity and links to other countries. See the section titled “Special Categories of Personal Data” to find out more about how this data is used.
- We ask for separate consent so you can take part in the third-party surveys available through your Syno Panel account. See section called “Syno Panel” and “Third-party surveys provided by sample buyers” for more details.
- We ask for separate consent for the PureSpectrum surveys. This consent allows us to send you links so you can take part in the PureSpectrum surveys and to share broad demographic information with PureSpectrum so that you only see surveys that are relevant to you. See section called “PureSpectrum” for more details.
- We may want to collect other personal information from you that isn’t covered by the above, for example information on your health. If we do this we will ask for your consent to collect this information and provide you with all the details you need at the time we ask about this. See the sections titled “Personal Data” and “Special Categories of Personal Data” below for more information on this.
Personal data
We collect personal data such as your name and address when you sign up for TRP Surveys and we ask for your consent to collect and use this data. This data is collected through an online or paper survey, depending on how you sign up for TRP Surveys. We will let you know why we need each piece of personal data when you sign up for TRP Surveys. If you don’t provide us with this data then you will not be able to join TRP Surveys. We also collect some personal data as part of our follow up survey, such as data relating to your working status/job, ethnicity and national identity. Again, we will let you know why we ask for each piece of personal data at the time you fill in the survey. You do not need to fill in the follow up survey or complete every question of it to remain a member of TRP Surveys. From time to time we may ask for other personal data from you as part of our surveys. If we do this we will always provide you with all the details you need at the time, so you can decide if you are happy to provide this and we will ask for your consent as appropriate.
We collect and use your personal data in the following ways using “consent” as our lawful basis for processing. If we want to use the information you have provided for any other purpose or want to collect further personal data from you we will ask for your consent again.
- We use your name, postal address, email address and telephone number to send you surveys, rewards and to communicate with you about TRP Surveys. Your contact details will also be used to let you know if you have won one of our prize draws. We will only use the contact details provided for this purpose and will seek further consent from you before using your contact details for any other purpose. If you have said that you would be interested in taking part in other surveys or research run by TRP Research, then we may contact you about these using the contact details provided. You can change your mind at any time by emailing info@trpsurveys.com.
Communicating with you about TRP Surveys
Email address: We will use your email address to communicate with you most of the time as this is how we send our surveys and rewards to you.
Phone number: We may text or call you from time to time to let you know about our surveys, TRP Surveys and any special rewards / prize draws. All our text messages include the option to opt out if you do not want to receive further texts from us. If you would like to opt out from phone calls let us know by emailing info@trpsurveys.com or tell our representative on the phone.
Postal address: We may contact you by using your postal address from time to time to let you know about our surveys, TRP Surveys and any special rewards / prize draws. If you do not want us to contact you by post for any reason let us know by emailing info@trpsurveys.com.
You can change your communication preferences at any time by emailing info@trpsurveys.com. Note that you are not able to opt out of communications by emails unless you unsubscribe.
- We use the information collected from you as part of the sign up form to make sure you meet the criteria for joining TRP Surveys and to help check the quality of our members. For example, to make sure you have a valid UK postal address we may use the Royal Mail postcode finder to make sure that your address exists. We may also use other data collected from you during our surveys to detect fraudulent activity.
- We may use the demographic information (e.g. age, gender, address, ethnicity etc.) you provide so we can decide if you qualify for a survey.
- We use your age, gender, postcode and online TV services used to make sure that TRP Surveys represents the population of the UK and to set quotas to limit the number of responses from different groups if needed. We also use this information so we can report findings from our surveys on different groups and send you relevant surveys. Our reporting is based on broader categories with age being reported as an age bracket (e.g. 16-24) and postcode being converted into large areas (e.g. London).
- We use your household’s annual income so we can give you a social grade. This allows us to make sure that TRP Surveys represents the population of the UK and to set quotas to limit the number of responses from different groups if needed. We also use this information so we can report findings from our surveys on different groups and send you relevant surveys.
Special categories of personal data
We ask about your ethnicity, national identity and links to other countries as part of our follow up questions once you are a member of TRP Surveys. This data allows us to send you extra surveys from our clients who want to know how different cultures behave, or where they have links to a specific cultural background. It also allows us to report findings from our surveys on different groups. This information is considered “special category data” and we only collect it where you have given your explicit consent. We therefore use “explicit consent” as our lawful basis for processing this data.
We may want to collect further “special category data” from you in our surveys, for example information on your health. If we do this we will use “explicit consent” as our lawful basis for processing the data and will always let you know why we are collecting this information from you at the time we ask about it.
If you are not happy for us to collect and use the different types of special category data, you do not have to answer these questions and you can still be a member. In addition, these questions will always include a “prefer not to say” option. If you do provide us with this special category data but no longer want us to hold this data, let us know and we will remove it from your record.
Surveys
Surveys provided by TRP Surveys:
We will send you surveys by email once they are available unless you choose to leave TRP Surveys or let us know that you do not want us to send you the survey. The responses you provide to our surveys are voluntary and it is your choice whether you want to take part in the surveys we send you. We use “consent” as our lawful basis for processing to send you surveys, collect your responses and report findings on different groups to our clients. Your individual survey responses will be collected and stored on our secure servers in the UK once the survey has closed and in Tivian. This information is never passed on to our clients. Your data will then be combined with data from other members so we can help our clients understand what it means and answer their questions. Once this has taken place it will not be possible to identify you through your survey responses.
Sometimes our surveys include free text fields, for example to ask for your opinion on a new TV show. The answers to these questions are passed directly on to our clients. We will never ask you for any personal information in these questions and we ask you to make sure that you do not include anything that might identify you personally in these free text fields.
Third-party surveys available through your Syno Panel account:
If you have opted in to receive the third-party surveys, you will need to login to your Syno Panel account to access and complete the surveys. All surveys are voluntary and it’s your choice whether you decide to complete them. See section called “Third-party surveys provided by sample buyers” for more details.
Third-party marketplace surveys available on the PureSpectrum platform:
If you have opted to receive surveys from PureSpectrum, you will receive an email from TRP Surveys on a daily basis containing 5 unique personalised links which can be used to access your surveys on the PureSpectrum platform. All surveys are voluntary and it’s your choice whether you decide to complete them.
Referring a friend
If you decide to refer a friend for TRP Surveys you will need to provide us with your friend’s name and email address so we can send them an email inviting them to join TRP Surveys. You should only refer your friends if they are happy for you to give us their name and email address. Your friend’s name and email address will be treated in the same way as any other personal data and is subject to the same Privacy Rights as a TRP Surveys member. Your friend’s details will be kept on record until the project ends so that we know who we have sent an invitation to, so we don’t send them multiple invites.
Where needed we will also ask for your name and email address as part of the refer a friend survey so that we can link the referral back to you and reward you with the extra referral credits/reward. In addition, your name will be included in the email inviting your friend to join TRP Surveys. We ask for your consent each time you refer a friend and therefore use “consent” as our lawful basis for processing the data.
If you do not agree to this do not use the Refer a Friend Scheme to refer your friends for TRP Surveys.
Children
You need to be over the age of 16 to be able to sign up for TRP Surveys and take part in our surveys. We will not knowingly collect data from any child under the age of 16 without consent from their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). If you are a parent or legal guardian and find out that your child has given personal data to us that you did not agree to, let us know by emailing info@trpsurveys.com and we will delete any information that we hold on them.
Data storage and protection
We know how important it is to keep the personal data that you have provided safe.
- Once you are a member of TRP Surveys your personal data will be stored and processed on our secure servers in the UK, in Tivian and in the Sendmode system. See section titled “Sharing Your Personal Data” below for more information about these companies, what data is shared with them and why it’s shared.
- If you signed up for TRP Surveys using a paper form at an event your paper sign up form will be stored securely in our offices.
- Your personal data will only be accessed by our employees who need access to it to carry out their job responsibilities, for example to input your data, send you surveys and answer your questions.
- Your personal data will be stored and processed while you are a member of TRP Surveys or until the project ends. If you choose to unsubscribe from TRP Surveys we will keep a record of your personal data unless you ask for it to be deleted (see “The right to erasure” under the section titled “Your Privacy Rights”). The reason for this is to help prevent fraud and to make sure that you are not contacted again (e.g. via a friend referral).
Sharing your personal data
TRP Surveys guarantees that your personal data will be kept confidential and secure. We keep a record of the personal data you have provided in our files but information that personally identifies you will not be shared with our clients or used in our reporting unless we ask for additional consent to do this. If this happens we will always give you all the information that you need to be able to decide if you are happy to share your data in this way and you do not need to agree to this to remain a member of TRP Surveys. We won’t pass on any personal details to any third parties for selling, marketing or any other purposes not stated in our Privacy Notice. In addition, your personal data will never be shared with the community groups or charities with whom we work.
We will never share your personal data with third parties apart from:
- Our named service providers listed below for the reasons given. They will only be given access to the least amount of personal data that is needed to be able to provide the specific service to us. In addition, we have written agreements with them to make sure they do not disclose your data to any other party or use it for any other purpose.
- When we may ask to share your personal data (e.g. name, postal address, email address etc. as applicable) with the supplier of the prize if you are the winner of one of TRP Surveys’ prize draws. This will allow the prize to be delivered directly to you from the supplier. We will state who the supplier is, what data will be shared, how it will be used and ask for your consent to do so.
Tivian – surveys:
All our surveys (including any surveys / sign ups completed over the phone) are created and sent through our Survey tool provider provided by Tivian. Personal data such as your name and email address are stored in Tivian’s Survey tool so we can send you surveys and collect your responses. Your personal data is also stored in Tivian’s Survey tool for a short time while you sign up for TRP Surveys or while your paper sign up form is entered. Personal data is deleted from the system when it is no longer needed or after 6 months, whichever is sooner. Personal data stored in Tivian’s Survey tool will be kept in their data centre in the EEA.
Tivian is a Data Processor and is therefore required to safeguard your data. If you would like to see a copy of Tivian’s Privacy Notice please visit www.questback.com. If you are at an event ask one of our recruiters to see a copy of Tivian’s Privacy Notice.
Sendmode Business Messaging – sending texts:
We may sometimes send you text messages about TRP Surveys through Sendmode Business Messaging. Personal data such as your name and phone number will be stored in the Sendmode system so this can happen. Your details are deleted from the system when they are no longer needed. Each text message will include the option to opt out if you no longer want to receive texts from us. If you choose to opt out your name and phone number will be stored in Sendmode to make sure that you do not receive any more texts from us. Personal data stored in Sendmode will be kept in their UK data centre.
Sendmode is a Data Processor and is required to safeguard your data. If you would like to see a copy of Sendmode’s Privacy Notice please visit www.sendmode.co.uk. If you are at an event ask one of our recruiters to see a copy of Sendmode’s Privacy Notice.
Data transfers outside the EEA
Your personal data will be transferred between the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA) as per this Privacy Notice but will not be transferred elsewhere.
Cookies
Please see our Cookie Notice for details on the Cookies that are used for TRP Surveys and why they are needed.
Other projects
We run other projects for TRP Surveys from time to time where additional personal data is collected and/or we are collecting the data for a purpose not specified in the main TRP Surveys Privacy Notice, for example when we run focus groups. Where this happens, we ask you for additional consent to take part in the particular project. Each different type of project also has its own Privacy Notice addendum. Here you can find information related to the project and any changes to how your data is collected, used, stored, shared and protected. The Privacy Notice addendum should be read alongside the main Privacy Notice. All additional projects we have undertaken are listed below along with the dates they took place:
TRP Surveys Focus Groups Addendum: Date last updated: November 2024
TRP Surveys Religion Data Addendum: March 2024
Your privacy rights
The right to be informed: You have the right to know how TRP Research collects and uses your personal data. Please see the section titled “Personal Data” above for details on this.
The right of access: You have a right to access the personal data that we hold on you, should you wish to access this please email us at info@trpsurveys.com confirming which information you wish to see.
The right to rectification: We want to make sure that your personal data is accurate and up to date. If there are any details that need updating please email info@trpsurveys.com to let us know and we will amend our records. We may contact you via an email, text, letter or phone-call to check that the details you have provided to us are correct.
The right to erasure: You have the right to request that we delete all your personal data. If you choose to do this you will no longer be able to take part in TRP Surveys and will no longer receive surveys, credits or rewards from us. If you would like us to delete your personal data please contact us by email at info@trpsurveys.com to let us know. If your personal data is deleted there is a chance that we may contact you again in the future, e.g. via a friend referral as we will no longer have a record of who you are.
The right to restrict processing: If you have any concerns over the personal data that we hold on you or the way in which it has been processed you have a right to request the restriction of processing of your data. If you would like to do this please email us at info@trpsurveys.com to let us know.
The right to data portability: You have the right to move your personal data to another research panel. If you would like to do this please let us know by contacting us at info@trpsurveys.com and we can arrange for it to happen.
The right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances. If you object to the processing of your data please email us at info@trpsurveys.com or unsubscribe (please see the section titled “Leaving TRP Surveys”).
Rights related to automated decision making and profiling: Automated decision making and profiling involves making a decision using technology with no human involvement. TRP Surveys does not use automated decision making or profiling.
Leaving TRP Surveys
You can leave TRP Surveys at any time by emailing info@trpsurveys.com. Requests to unsubscribe will be completed within 7 days and once actioned you will not be contacted again. We will keep a record of your personal data for the purpose of preventing fraud and to make sure that you are not contacted again (e.g. via a friend referral). See section titled “Data Storage and Protection” for more details on this. If you unsubscribe from TRP Surveys, you will automatically be unsubscribed from the third-party surveys / PureSpectrum surveys at the same time.
We reserve the right to end your membership with TRP Surveys at any time – see our Terms and Conditions for more information on why we might need to do this.
Further information
If you need any further information or wish to lodge a complaint please contact us at info@trpsurveys.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Market Research Society at mrs.org.uk/standards/complaint-handling/tab/how_to_complain or the ICO at www.ico.org.uk/concerns.
For more information on the survey, rewards, TRP Surveys news or FAQs please visit our website trpsurveys.com.
We keep our Privacy Notice under regular review; the notice was last updated on 19/11/2024.