Adknowledge will reward Facebook users who opt in and take part in surveys with virtual currency and game points.

The firm’s European managing director John Cole said: “There are hundreds of millions of social gamers on Facebook, 80% of which play at least once a day, and we’ve seen that they are happy to trade their time and attention for rewards in the games they play. This gives us enormous reach to gather opt-in data for brands, resulting in immediate, customised information on any topic.”

Techlightenment co-founder Ankur Shah (pictured) said: “In the same way that Hollywood studios screen movies to gauge consumer reaction prior to general release, companies can use the Social Research Platform to test and refine brand messaging or get feedback on products. And we can reach more than 10,000 people, online, in a day.”

Footwear manufacturer Dr. Martens has already tested the platform.