Matrix Partners, a pet product branding firm based in Chicago, has added web-enabled consumer focus group capabilities to their marketing services portfolio. The service was launched in response to client requests for a safe, socially distanced consumer research tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Don Tomala, managing partner at Matrix Partners.
After recently conducting online sessions for a flea and tick brand, officials said that they discovered that this tool offers other advantages as well.
“Pet owners are more comfortable attending a virtual focus session, which gives them permission to express their opinions more freely,” officials said in a statement. “Session participants can be recruited from multiple metro areas across the U.S., revealing regional differences in purchase behavior so that market-specific tactics can be devised. Stimuli for group discussion, such as options for a new package or logo design, can be more easily evaluated on-screen than in a conference room.”
In addition, clients can attend these Zoom-like sessions without traveling to a distant focus group facility and get questions answered in real time, officials added.
“When you consider the savings in logistics and travel time for clients, virtual focus group research is a very cost-effective way to shed light on what consumers expect from your brand, and why,” Tomala said.
Matrix Partners has conducted more than 200 pet owner focus sessions for both consumable and durable pet product brands, according to officials.
