Research: Focus Group

I asked a few on the spot questions to people in my target audience, relating to my product (sports drink). This is what was said during these conversations.

Gian Power is 17 and a friend of mine;


Scott Hailes says:
How old are you?

Gian Power says:
Seventeen

Scott Hailes says:
Do you ever drink sports drinks such as Powerade?

Gian Power says:
Lucozade Energy

Scott Hailes says:
What is your purpose of drinking this drink?

Gian Power says:
To maximise energy available especially whilst carrying out physically enduring exercise, drinking isotonic drinks do just this

Scott Hailes says:
If you were to release a new sports drink, what would you include on the design and label?

Gian Power says:
A sports drink that appeals to perhaps a younger market as with many teeangers now visiting the gym on a regular basis they are unsure about which drinks they should or should not drink. Having a design and formula inside the drink to target the younger bodies would make finding a sports drink much easier for the younger markets.

Scott Hailes says:
Would you choose to brand a fizzy drink or still, flavoured drink?

Gian Power says:
Most definatley a still flavoured drink especially in terms of sport as when carrying out exercise I find it most difficult to digest fizzier drinks. A still, highly istonic drink that would provice energy to the body would be best.

Scott Hailes says:
And what would persuade you to buy a sports drink from any other drinks?

Gian Power says:
Because i carry out exercise on a regular basis I immediatley recognise a sports drink when i see it, however i dont feel that they are advertised enough for the regular person to understand the main fucntions of the drink. If i didn't carry out sports then I wouldn't purchase sports drinks as otherwise the energy would be wasted in my body and not being used up as it should be. The sports drink should show the main features that differentiates it from its competitiors.

Scott Hailes says:
So do you feel that sports drinks should be advertised in more detail?

Gian Power says:
Yes, especially through the media, although advertising through the television is more expensive that perhaps newspapers and less technological advertising i feel that many of us are still not fully aware of the main benefits that sports drinks may have on our bodies if we were to use them.

Scott Hailes says:
Can you think of any slogans from sports/energy drinks?

Gian Power says:
No none

Scott Hailes says:
Do you relate this to poor advertising?

Gian Power says:
In one sense yes, however on the other hand although i do carry out exercise I am not heavily into it or a body builder and so I don't read every sporting newspaper that is out or every health magazine that is available and so these companies may advertise heavily through this, non the less i feel that they should target the everyday general public more about their products to increase consumer awareness.



Nathan Henry is 18 and a friend of mine;


Scott Hailes says:
How old are you?

Nathan Henry says:
im 18 years old

Scott Hailes says:
Do you ever drink sports drinks such as Powerade?

Nathan Henry says:
i drink lucozade and stuff like that but not for sport purposes just for a drink really

Scott Hailes says:
What do you think that the effects of sports drinks are?

Nathan Henry says:
i think they give you more energy or a source of sugar, because when ever i drink them i get like a lift from them

Scott Hailes says:
If you were to release a new sports drink, what would you include on the design and label?

Nathan Henry says:
i would use bright colours to make it sound out against the other sport drinks, i would probably have figures doing athletic stuff on it to promote its a sport drink

Scott Hailes says:
Would you choose to brand a fizzy drink or still, flavoured drink?

Nathan Henry says:
i chose still, its more refreshing and easier to drink and especially if its a sport drink, because fizzy drinks get you bloated from the gas, which would restrict you in sport

Scott Hailes says:
And what would persuade you to buy a sports drink from any other drinks?

Nathan Henry says:
if it was cheap but not like realy cheap and the flavouring of it, and most likely the bottle

Scott Hailes says:
Could you elaborate on 'the bottle'? Do you mean what shape, size or material?

Nathan Henry says:
the size of it, cause sometimes some bottles look bigger than others, and also if it had one of them tops that lets you suck it out, so then you can drink whilst walking or running as it wont spill out and if its taller and thin, in comparisan to small and will its easier to hold

Scott Hailes says:
And what flavour would you brand? Would you stay to one flavour? Or brand various flavours?

Nathan Henry says:
i would brand orange as a deffinate and probably blackcurrant or something tropical cause there more refreshing

Scott Hailes says:
Can you think of any slogans from sports/energy drinks?

Nathan Henry says:
adrenaline in a bottle, for a quick fix, boost in a bottle

Scott Hailes says:
Thanks very much for your time, your answers will be considered highly important.

Nathan Henry says:
thank you



Nathan Raine is 16 and a friend of a friend;



Scott Hailes says:
How old are you?

Nathan Raine says:
16

Scott Hailes says:
Do you ever drink sports drinks such as Powerade?

Nathan Raine says:
yes regurlarly

Scott Hailes says:
Which sports drinks do you drink regularly?

Nathan Raine says:
lucazade

Scott Hailes says:
What do you think the effects of Lucozade are?

Nathan Raine says:
gives you energy for doing activities

Scott Hailes says:
If you were to release a new sports drink, what would you include on the design and label?

Nathan Raine says:
a diagram of an athlete drinking the energy drink while running

Scott Hailes says:
Would you choose to brand a fizzy drink or still, flavoured drink?

Nathan Raine says:
fizzy drink

Scott Hailes says:
Why would you choose this for a sports drink?

Nathan Raine says:
as it would give more energy than a still flavoured drink and would taste nicer

Scott Hailes says:
The aim for sports drinks are to provide carbohydrate fuel in order to refresh a athletes cardiovascular system and therefore result in training for longer. Do you not think that a fizzy sports drink would bloat an athlete more than a still drink?

Nathan Raine says:
no i think that it would be the same as a still drink

Scott Hailes says:
And what would persuade you to buy a sports drink from any other drinks?

Nathan Raine says:
the price being cheaper or if my role model drank it e.g alan shearer if he were to advertise selling this i would probably buy one

Scott Hailes says:
So instead of having "a diagram of an athlete drinking the energy drink while running" on the label, would you not rather have the actual athlete on the label? E.g Alan Shearer?

Nathan Raine says:
yes but it would depend on wot it was for so if it was advertising it for just overall sport i woild like to have alan shearer advertise it but if it was advertising for a specific sport says running then an athlete would be better for the advertisment

Scott Hailes says:
If it was advertising for a sport such as running, would you not expect a runner on the design, such as Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay?

Nathan Raine says:
yes i probably would as that would encourage more ppl to buy it

Scott Hailes says:
Can you think of any slogans from sports/energy drinks?

Nathan Raine says:
no

Scott Hailes says:
As you don't recognise any slogans, do you think that sports/energy drinks should be advertised more efficiently?

Nathan Raine says:
yes as doing this may also encourage more ppl to take part in sport

Scott Hailes says:
Thanks very much for your time, your answers will be considered highly important.