Consumers are hard to understand, and their behaviour is based on an elusive mix of rational, emotional, subconscious and social drivers. There is no one-size-fits-all research solution capable of tackling all of these drivers at the same time.

We offer a full suite of research solutions facilitating consumer discussions, all of which take advantage of the unique possibilities of online: consumers are more genuine about what they share, we enable people to talk to other people anywhere and anytime, and it becomes far easier for organizations to witness or join consumer discussions.

Through a range of creative techniques, we get the best out of engaged consumers as they, openly share their views. Our recipe means we can dig deeper into the true drivers behind consumer behaviour, either on an ad hoc or always-on basis, in synchronous or asynchronous discussions.

Online research communities

A research community is a carefully screened group of a maximum of 150 consumers, gathered around a common interest, who join a closed online platform for a certain amount of time. Communities are professionally and permanently managed by passionate moderators who interact with consumers in their native language anywhere in the world. The longitudinal character of communities means they offer the benefits of consecutive learning, yield more relevant and deeper feedback, and give us access more complex opinions. They exist in different formats:

• Tactical communities (3 weeks) to deal with concrete, well-defined problems or tasks
• Strategic communities (3-6 months) to craft your strategy together with consumers
• Always-on communities (unlimited in duration) to make the consumer part of the decision-making process throughout the entire organisation
• Consumer connect communities (1-3 months) to help organizations to become connected to today's consumers

Click here to find out more about InSites Research Communities.

Online discussion groups

An online discussion group is a live chat between 4-8 consumers, professionally guided by our moderators on a specifically designed platform offering a broad range of creative possibilities. While similar to traditional central location qualitative focus groups in several respects, online groups add extra value by ensuring consumers share in a more honest and focused way from the comfort of their own environment. Online discussion groups bring together consumers from distant places and make it easier for marketers and researchers to join sessions, wherever they are.

Online 1-on-1 interviews

Online 1-on-1 interviews use VoIP and remote desktop technology to facilitate in-depth dialogues between one consumer and one qualitative moderator. They provide a very powerful and efficient way to connect with and talk to consumers individually, wherever they are.

Our discussion solutions have helped many international brands understand consumer behaviour and forge better connections with customers, including Microsoft, Vodafone, Heinz, Danone, Unilever and Kraft.