Focus group research gives marketers the chance to really hear consumers. They explain what they think, feel and do in conversations that let you ask follow-up questions to truly understand feelings, opinions, and motivations. They reveal how consumers respond to features, packaging, price points, messaging, and experiences, while uncovering problems you may not have anticipated. This insight is invaluable in product development, product testing and product launch planning.

How to best use focus group research

With focus groups, you can explore rather than just measure. Dig deep to understand the “why” behind an opinion or behavior. Learn how consumers think through decisions. Uncover unexpected insights, capture emotional reactions, and identify objections or things that confuse consumers. You hear the words consumers actually use. The results may even generate ideas for product improvements.

Where are focus groups especially helpful? 

Consider these scenarios for consumer product testing:

• Understanding consumer motivations and the reasons behind purchase decisions
• Testing new product concepts before investing in development or launch
• Conducting sensory research, including taste, fragrance, texture and product experience
• Exploring cultural differences when developing or adapting products for different markets
• Exploring consumer language to learn how people naturally describe a product, problem or need
• Testing names, claims and concepts before committing to a market launch
• Testing positioning and messaging to see what resonates and what falls flat
• Evaluating packaging to see what attracts attention, communicates value and creates confusion
• Exploring pricing to understand how consumers perceive value and what price feels appropriate
• Identifying barriers to purchase that a survey may not uncover
• Comparing competitive products and understanding how consumers perceive the differences
• Generating hypotheses for quantitative research by identifying the questions that deserve broader testing
• Getting reactions from key opinion leaders or other influential audiences

How Doritos used focus groups in product development

Frito-Lay is always looking for innovations that will keep the Doritos brand fresh and relevant. In a series of focus groups used to evaluate flavors, textures, shape, color, flavor names, positioning, and packaging, they uncovered an exciting insight into consumers’ interest in a thinner, lightly seasoned chip, leading to the creation of Dorito Tortilla Thins®. Today, Frito-Lay has formalized consumer research with standing panels of people who regularly interact with the product and the brand.

When NOT to rely on a focus group

While a focus group is good for exploring, it can’t effectively measure. For statistically reliable results, you must survey a much larger sample. For a statistically reliable read of a large population, surveying about 1,067 respondents gives you a 95% confidence level with roughly a ±3 percentage-point margin of error.

When quantitative research is superior to focus group research 

• When you need to know what percentage of the market prefers a product, package, or message, for example, you need a larger sample to project results to the entire market.
• Estimating market size, measuring demand requires statistically valid numbers that a focus group cannot deliver.
• To compare small differences or measure preference requires asking a large number of people the same questions.
• You need a quantitative pricing study to forecast the effect of price on potential demand.
• When the topic is sensitive, the anonymity of a survey may provide more honest results versus discussing a sensitive subject in public.
• Groupthink is a potential risk with focus groups. A vocal panelist may sway how others think. You may need to support a focus group with alternative market research methods. 

McDonald’s overweighted focus group results for a failed launch

McDonald’s conducted an exhaustive number of focus groups in creating the Arch Deluxe® burger. Enthusiastic respondents liked the product, leading McDonald’s to invest heavily to launch it nationwide. While focus groups answered “Do you like it?”, the company didn’t get an accurate answer to the question “Will you buy it?” Inadequate consumer product testing contributed to one of the most expensive product launch flops in history.

New York City is effective test market

New York City offers marketers unique advantages in product development and product testing. Because of its size and cultural diversity, marketers can efficiently recruit consumers from many backgrounds. New York moves fast, making it possible to quickly explore how different audiences respond to a new product, package, price or positioning. While consumers in one city cannot exactly predict how every American consumer will respond, New York makes for a useful learning laboratory. 

Multi-country focus groups are vital to multinational brands

International product launches benefit from focus groups. A product that succeeds in North America may need changes before it enters Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America or the Middle East. Tastes, habits and expectations affect what people value in a product. Different advertising and retail environments can drive packaging and promotions. Running focus groups in various countries benefits international brands seeking to understand how to balance global consistency with local appeal. 

Going beyond consumer ratings to understand the “why” behind their opinions

A global fried-chicken QSR needed to decide which new products deserved a place on the menu in which countries. There was no shortage of ideas, but no good way to evaluate the options and make choices about which dishes to launch, which to fix, and which to abandon. 

The company ran focus group taste tests in six markets around the world, testing eight products per market in actual restaurants or just adjacent to them, reaching 600 people in 31 days. 

The results showed the market-by-market approach made sense. No dish finished first globally. Instead, each market had particular tastes—with a dish finishing first in one market being ranked last in another. 

Details matter: 

• One dish finished last in taste, with just 46% of consumers rating it favorably. The numbers suggested the brand should drop it. But consumer explanations behind the ratings told a different story. They actually liked the dish but found it under-seasoned and wanted a richer flavor and more concentrated sauce. The product team could fix those issues rather than abandon a promising recipe.

• Another dish also earned a low score. Discussions revealed that the flavor combination worked, with the sauce complementing the fried chicken. The problem came from the sauce softening the breading. That insight showed that changing how the dish was assembled and adjusting its hold time fixed the problem.

These focus groups uncovered details that rating scales could never capture, providing details for tweaking recipes, processes and presentation. The findings revealed more than winners or losers;  they showed what to do to optimize each taste experience. 

Understanding and measuring require qualitative and quantitative insights

Focus groups work best for understanding the thinking behind consumer preferences and behaviors. They can uncover nuances that quantitative research may miss. The strongest research programs use both techniques. 

Frequently asked questions about focus group research

When should you use a focus group?

Use focus groups to understand why people feel, think, decide, and act. They are also ideal for exploring ideas in depth. You can explore concepts, uncover consumer needs, test ideas, and understand reactions to products, brands, messages, or experiences.

When should you not use a focus group?

Because you are only talking to relatively few people and conversations can vary group to group, focus groups do not provide statistically reliable measurements that can apply to a larger population. If your topic is sensitive, people may be reluctant to share in a group setting. 

How do focus groups differ from quantitative research?

Focus groups are a type of qualitative research designed for conversations that give you depth and understanding about a top. Quantitative research is all about measuring, using large data sets and consistent survey designs for results you can project on a larger population.

Can focus groups provide statistically significant results?

No. Because the number of participants is small and conversations, though structured, vary from group to group, you cannot get statistically significant results.