Is Brand Institute A Scam? I Signed Up To Find Out.

Sometimes, the best way to choose a site is by the points of difference that it offers when compared to other similar companies.

When I heard about Brand Institute I wasn’t sure if the claims they made could be true, so I decided to see for myself if it was a legit way to make money.

About the Company.

Brand Institute has been in business for over 20 years.  They started in 1996 and were incorporated later that year.  They have had a business file with the Better Business Bureau since 2015, and they have an “A” grade rating.

There are a few pages registered under this name, but after a little digging I found the company was based in Miami – and that information checks out with the BBB profile.

They are a brand identity consultancy, with a market research section that offers paid surveys to get customer opinions – in fact, they claim they are the world’s top pharmaceutical branding consultancy.

The DSI (or Drug Safety Institute) is a subsidiary of BI that specializes in branding products, especially medical products.

The site is secured by Entrust, leaders in internet security for companies.

They have an up-to-date privacy policy and terms and conditions information, which are accessible before you sign up so you know what you are getting yourself in for.

Brand Institute is a legit company that offers a real opportunity to make money from home.

What does Brand Institute Offer?

Brand Institute offers paid market research surveys for some major brands.

Their point of difference is that they specialize in medical products.  Because of this specialization, they target medical professionals such as doctors and nurses to join the panel, and have surveys exclusively for people working in that field.

However, just because they specialize in medical products doesn’t mean the rest of us miss out!

Anybody can join, and they still offer great surveys with a very competitive rate of pay.  Just the medical surveys (which tend to pay more) are off limits.

Panel members are sent email invitations to surveys, which they need to follow up on as soon as possible to make sure they don’t miss out.

The information is sent to the company who needs consumer opinions, who pays Brand Institute, who passes some of the money over to you.  Everybody wins!

Key Features

• Specialize in the pharmaceutical industry
• Surveys and perks just for medical professionals
• Free to join
• In-depth surveys
• PayPal or check for payment
• No minimum payment
• Reasonably good pay

Who Can Join?

Brand Institute is free to join; and anyone can participate, worldwide.

You have to be 18 years or older and fill out your demographic information.

Don’t forget that while anyone can join, there are certain regions where the consumer opinions might not be in high demand, as most surveys are targeted to specific demographics.  But sign up, and see how you do.

How Do You Sign Up?

I decided to trial this website for myself.  I actually found it a little bit hard to find, and when I did find it I thought I must be in the wrong place.

The look and feel of the website is very simple, especially for a company that is attempting to attract highly skilled professionals.  They also didn’t have an accessible FAQ section, which I prefer to read before I sign up so that I know what the company has to offer.

But they do have their terms and conditions available with the privacy policy, and it was very easy to sign up.

After providing my email address and other contact information, I had to confirm my email address and then fill in some extra profile information.

There is an extra section at this point that you can fill out if you are a medical professional, which will give you access to even more surveys at a better rate of pay.

I spent a long time waiting and only received one survey – however, that survey was very detailed and interesting.

Once the survey closed (after about 3 weeks) I was paid the money earned straight into my PayPal.  I’m still waiting for more surveys, but if the opportunity does come up I will take it.

VIP Program

If you are committed to staying on long term, Brand Institute offers a VIP program that gives you added perks.  Once you have been with the Brand Institute survey panel for at least 6 months, you can apply to become a VIP member.

The company will review your history and match your information with the answers you gave to past surveys to check your reliability.

If you are accepted (some people are not), then you no longer have to wait for survey invitations to be emailed to you – you have the added bonus of being able to log onto the site and access available surveys there.

You can also then join the referral program, where you will earn money for referring other people to the site.

How Much Can I Earn?

Medical professionals are specifically sought after and have surveys available only to them.

In general, most surveys pay around $2 – $5 for the general consumer surveys, and specialized medical surveys pay $5 – $30, although there have been surveys that have paid more.

When you complete a survey, your payment won’t be released until the survey is closed – most surveys close in around 3-4 weeks, or when they have reached the limit of responses needed.  There is no minimum amount required for payout.

The payment will then be sent to you either via PayPal or by check, whichever you have nominated.

Be aware that receiving a check in the mail will take a while, whereas PayPal is free to join and your payment is available almost instantly.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Referrals are a great way to earn money (but only available to VIPs)
• Great for medical professionals
• Surveys are much more interesting and engaging than the usual options.
• No minimum payment, and pays cash

Cons:

• Low number of surveys
• Great for medical professionals – not as good for others
• Some perks only available to VIPs
• Poor web design

Conclusion: Should You Sign Up?

I definitely think it is worth signing up for Brand Institute – as long as you join other sites to complement this one.

You will probably not receive many surveys, so you want to have a number of companies to choose from so that you have more options.

Some of the best sites are Swagbucks and MySurvey panel – signing up to those as well as Brand Institute will give you a really good range of surveys to choose from.

Read more: 39 Legitimate Online Survey Sites That Actually Pay Cash

You won’t get rich but you can earn some extra money.

Sign up for Brand Institute and take up the chance to influence major branding decisions for top international companies – and get paid as well.

Official sites:

Swagbucks: www.swagbucks.com

MySurvey: www.mysurvey.com

Brand Institute: www.brandinstitute.com

 

Related Posts:

• Is Big Spot Survey from TV a Scam?
• 29 Best Places You Can Sign Up to Be a Human Guinea Pig for Money
• Where to Find Work at Home Jobs in the Medical Field
• MorningStar Panel is Recruiting
• Top 10 Employers Seeking Brand Ambassadors: Find Your Dream Role