Has anyone received an email asking you to become an Acura Advisory Panel Member? It was sent to me from "Andy Brennan, Panel Director".

There are official looking links to Honda, but the marketing is being sent from www.insightexpress.com. My ISP treated it as spam. I agreed to take the survey, but the questions weren't about car buying habits. The questions were typical marketing info- type of area I live, age, marital status, number of kids, etc. Supposedly they'll be sending me a questionaire every month! Doubt I'll take the time to fill them all out.

Bunch of crap or is this actually feedback that Honda will receive?


Here's the text:



Dear Acura Owner,

The Acura Division of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in cooperation with
Insight Express would like to invite you to be a part of a select group of
Acura owners to participate in our Acura Advisory Panel.

Honda R&D Americas believes our customers' opinions to be an integral
part of the new product development process. Through our ability to
understand the "Voice" of our customers, we strive to make products that
meet and exceed people's expectations.

Help us to shape future generations of Acura products by becoming an
active member in our panel. Panel members will be asked to complete
online surveys regularly but we will try our best to keep our survey
invitations to at most twice a month.

If you are interested in this unique opportunity please click on the
link below to take a brief profile survey to see if you qualify.

http://www.insightexpress.com/ix/Ent...ktID=600770796

Sincerely,
Andy Brennan, Panel Director
Acura Advisory Panel

More information on Honda R&D:
http://corporate.honda.com/innovatio...honda_overview
More information on InsightExpress:
http://insightexpress.com/index.asp?core=3&pageid=9

To unsubscribe:
If you no longer wish to receive invitations to participate in online
research studies from Honda R&D Americas, Inc. related to your Acura
vehicle please respond with the following in the subject line: REMOVE.

 

I got it as well. Filled it out.

 

insight express seems to be a legitimate research organization.

 

Its legit

 

Just filled it out as well.

 

It's legit.

Just filled mine out.

 

Yup, got mine too. Complete.

 

Filled mine out last night.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Hey advisory panel members!

Check your emails! There's a new survey looking at potential future features in Acuras. Holy crap at what Acura is thinking about adding to their next gen cars.......some features are.....wow......and others are "meh". If they implement some of these features in the next RL or TL, I am there!

They even ask about drivetrain, but RWD was not an option.

 

I got the email about the survey and filled it out just a few minutes ago.
As neuronbob said some of the features they are asking about sound fantastic!!!

 

I like the HDD to burn all my CDs to, but hate thinking about loading/burning them all. Now, if I could just download my iTunes library right into the car...well...I'd be all over that!

 

Can someone perhaps post a copy of these features?

 

I got that survey, too.

All they need to do is make a decent iPod interface. Most of us already have iPods or a similar music device... and I've already invested hours ripping my music to disc, so why should I sit in my car and do the same thing?

I also took the opportunity to rip them up and down, again, for putting out the embarrassing piece of crap that is their current iPod link. Mine has FINALLY been fixed (1 year and 2 months after I got the car...) but the interface still sucks even when it works as designed.

Other interesting features they were polling about were things like a 2-way remote control with an LCD screen that gives car status, real-time weather on the navi system, cellular text messaging through the HFL (this strikes me as a very bad idea...), some kind of goofy battery charge management system that would slightly increase fuel economy by shutting down unused electrical systems while driving, always-on power adapter sockets, automatic wipers, standard backup camera (either in the navi stack OR inset into the rear-view mirror), and a built-in car vacuum system (using the car's AC system. WTF were they thinking on that one?).

Those are all I can remember. Anyone else?

 

I think the vacuum system is a great idea....

Also, not everyone owns an iPod and text messages while driving.

 

I just filled out the new "features" survey
seems legit although they are getting a lot of free info from real car enthusiasts
did you see the entry for a $100.00 gift certificate ?
we will have to see if anyone on this site actually wins / sorry just a little skeptical

 

I could care less about winning a gift certificate. This is our chance to influence what features go into new Acuras.

As far as telling what the features are....I actually copied all of them down, but I'm not sure we're allowed to mention the features. Frankly, there was no statement indicating that this was secret so I guess I could....

 

NO!!!! Do NOT tell those of us who are not privileged to be Advisory Panel members.

We are not worthy. If we were, we would have been named to this august Panel like you. Obviously, they have looked into our past and found ugly things about us that make us undesirable, and unfit to know about potential future features to be incorporated into our cars.

It is important that you keep this information to yourselves, and keep it out of the grubby hands of the riffraff that are The Unchosen. Discuss it amongst yourselves, but keep it close and honor those who have entrusted you with it.

And always show the secret sign, so others may know that you are one of ... Them.

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You missed my point
Some were questioning how legit these people really are
I hope they are for real & they listen to some of our ideas
We will see

 

....the unchosen.....

 

Agree. What's interesting is that a couple of years ago, a few months after I bought my Land Cruiser I received an invitation to a focus group.

Toyota had hired a firm that rented out a hotel conference room. This room was set up with computers that basically took you through a similar sequence as Acura is doing now. THey would ask you about options, and to answer as if you were truly buying, what would you pay for.

They went through several option packages and the survey took about two hours.

At the end, I received a check for $350.

Seems like they're getting a free lunch with this.

 

I feel slighted...I am Unchosen.

 

Seriously, every feature they mentioned sounded awesome. I particularly liked the vacuum. Asking me if I would add these features for an extra $50 or a hundred is a no brainer. When you're dealing with $35k-50,000 cars, what's an extra $50 or $100 for such convenient/cool features.

I can't wait to see what comes out in the future.

 

The vacuum seemed a little wierd to me, but the rest were pretty cool.

 

Hey Don't feel bad, about a month ago I got a call from someone representing Acura. They asked if I would be interested in going to a car show of new items for cars. It was in Anaheim, ca area.They even offered to pay $200. They asked me a few questions and when they found out I was retired. They withdrew the offer. Like retired people don't buy cars. Shows how F*** up they are

 

That is so true Once you hit 50 years old you are no longer in the "target group"
However many people including myself have more $$$$ to spend on autos then when i was 30 years old & raising a family
I quess they figure we are all going to kick the bucket @ 60

 

That is such a good point. It's almost as bad as with TV advertisers and their all-important 18-49 demographic. I don't have time or inclination to spend my money, I'm too busy raising a family and saving for my little one's (one year old soon!) private schooling. I barely have time to watch TV.

 

how come I didn't get the email.... I guess I am one of the unchosen ones.....

 

Don't feel bad. I'm thinking about putting together a Panel of The Unchosen, and we'll discuss things that WE'D change about future RL's. And we won't tell The Chosen what we're working on, either. Nosiree. That'll teach 'em.

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Great point!

A few enlightened companies are finally recognizing what some of us saw coming years ago...namely that baby boomers (1) have way more disposable income than their younger siblings and (2) refuse to get old. The traditional demographics no longer describe the reality of the marketplace. Companies are unable to reach this group with their snarky, youth-oriented ads. The Financial Times had a piece on this a couple of months back.

Hellooo! I'm 50 and I ain't joing the AARP!!

 

As a member of The Chosen, I propose that my fellow Chosen Ones work to suggest and vote in untenable basic "enhancements" that the Unchosen will have to live with.

Some mods I will be proposing (feel free to add your own):
- Brushed Aluminum used tampon receptacle
- Red/Black electric shoe shiner (remember those?!?!)
- 1,000 lb supplemental stability weighting system (helps keep vehicle "planted" while cornering)
- Sock odor detector
- "My Little Pony" screensaver for NAV system
- 8-TRACK, Baby!!!

 

x 2

 

Hey, merton - we Unchosens feel alienated enough as it is, so don't antagonize us further. You could end up damaging our self-esteem if you're not sensitive enough in dealing with us.

Remember that we're in a fragile place right now, and we're feeling really vulnerable. So if you jack with us, we'll tell your mommy so fast it'll make your pimples bleed.

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Instead of cooled seats, add an air ionizer in the seats to take care of the inevitable after eating a nice bowl of chili.

 

I'm playing a very sad song with the world's tiniest violin and crocodile tears streaminng down my face because of the way I feel for the "unchosen ones".

People actually want more junk emails to go through?

 

Nah, it's just that The Unchosen need love, too.

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I received a new survey today. I gave up about half way through it as it was all about search engines, nothing about automobiles. I sent them an email telling them I was ONLY interested in answering surveys regards cars.

 

The one I received today was all about extra features on acura in the future.

 

I got it too, and I presume acura has hired a market research company to compile the information. It isn't like they are going to do it themselves. They would hire a company that specializes in performing these types of surveys. All of the questions were relevant to Acura, and I saw a lot of promising features, and some not so promising. I am sure they will use the information we provide, as we are their target market.