The Power of Focus Groups: Unlocking deeper Customer insights
Focus groups are a powerful tool for understanding customer behavior and preferences, offering rich qualitative insights that go beyond data. By engaging directly with customers, companies can uncover the “why” behind buying decisions, providing deeper context for refining products and services.
One example is Coca-Cola, which used focus groups to understand customer reactions to their ill-fated "New Coke" formula in the 1980s. While initial surveys indicated a preference for the new taste, focus groups revealed emotional attachment to the original formula, leading to a quick pivot back to "Coca-Cola Classic"—saving the brand from a potential disaster.
In Australia, Bondi Sands, the self-tanning brand, sun care, and skincare brand used focus groups to gain deeper insights into what customers were looking for in sunless tanning products. Feedback from focus groups helped the company refine the texture, scent, and packaging of their products, ensuring they met customer expectations. This hands-on feedback was instrumental in helping Bondi Sands tailor their offerings to the needs of both first-time and regular tanners, contributing to their global success.
Focus groups allow businesses to hear directly from customers in a controlled environment, encouraging candid feedback and nuanced discussion. By observing reactions, tone, and body language, companies can refine product features, marketing messages, or even customer experience strategies.
With Scale Research, you can conduct focus groups to make more informed decisions and develop products and services that truly resonate with your target audience.
