Focus Groups

Clients are eligible to participate in a DBIC Focus Group when they have a product or concept at or near completion. The client’s cost for this service is $150 for the first session. The session is shared with one or two other DBIC clients, each receiving approximately 45-60 minutes of consumer feedback from the panel of 8-10 respondents. Any subsequent Focus Groups will be billed to the client at a rate of $1000 per session if the client is repeating the same test for the same product.

Focus group clients may research any or all of the following areas during a session:

Concept Test

Goal: obtain feedback on business or product ideas/concepts. This requires a summary paragraph of the proposed concept. It is important to work with DBIC research and/or marketing consultant on the development of the concept summary (sometimes flowing from a Virtual Team process).

Package Test

Goal: obtain feedback on existing or potential packaging, containers, wraps. It is important to work with DBIC consultant through Brand Development process to select options for optimum product presentation and shelf-life, then evaluated by consumers/buyers.

Logo/Label Test

Goal: obtain feedback on brand image communication via logo and application to product label/package. It is important to work with the DBIC consultant prior to this market research to create (or review) an effective Brand Development strategy and logo concepts, as well as
a Brand Positioning paragraph for the test.

Taste Test

Goal: obtain feedback on product prototypes or current products. A client must be able
to do a pilot batch if existing product samples are not readily available. (It may take several months to have prototypes done at Center for Dairy Research or UW River Falls or in plant trials).

Clients should consider working with DBIC product development consultants prior to session. The Client Manager initiates the request to the Focus Group consultants on behalf of the client. Each client receives a written report on the Focus Group research findings/feedback.

It is important to note that the cost to clients for this service is minimal, when considering the true cost for each test administered (concept, taste, logo, label, packaging, provider’s coordination fee and facility rental) is a $3,850 value. The DBIC strives to keep its free structure minimal to provide access to all clients.