Focus group are a marketing research tool designed to study and understand a consumer’s feelings, behaviors, and reactions to a particular product or service.

The British Market Research Association, BMRB, sets the industry standard and oversees methodology development for focus groups in the UK. Marketers use focus groups to gauge consumer reactions to new products, packaging, services, advertisements, and ideas.

Market researches use several variants of focus groups to conduct research. The type of focus group used will depend on the type of information the researcher needs.

Traditional focus groups consist of 6 to 12 individuals who represent a sampling of potential customers. Sometimes moderators of the group may intentionally take opposing side of an issue to see how the group respondents react; this is called a dueling moderator focus group. A mini group, consisting of 5 to 6 people, allows for more interaction between the moderator and the participants.

Many kinds of businesses benefit from the information gathered from focus groups. Fast food restaurants often use focus groups in the form of tasters before they introduce new food items on their menu. When considering packaging changes for a recognizable product, many manufacturing companies test use focus groups to gauge the potential reaction of the general public.

Attorneys, usually in preparation for cases involving a large amount of money, often use focus groups to analyze trial strategies, defenses, and possible verdicts. Before launching a national campaign, a company will conduct several focus groups in various locations to evaluate potential customer reactions to the product or service.

Focus groups can provide information about potential customer reaction to products before the products are released to the general public. Smart businesses can utilize the information gathered to make necessary adjustments to the product or service and increase their profit margin.