What a location offers a key issue to decide when selecting a city to host a focus group, and it is also a major consideration when deciding where to put a focus group firm’s headquarters. New Orleans is unique in its combination of national representativeness cultural richness and logistical convenience and makes the ideal home for EmCee Research’s flagship research facility.
A City That Reflects the Nation
New Orleans is one of the few cities that most closely mirrors the demographic, economic and social mix of the United States. This representative mix means that EmCee Research can assemble focus group panels that reflects the entire United States, and not only the city or the Gulf Coast. Clients looking to test new ideas, gauge sentiment or evaluate products for a general U.S. audience will find that New Orleans offers a reliable proxy for national trends.
The city’s racially and economically diverse population closely mirrors the composition of many other parts of the U.S. These parallels offer clients’ a participant pool that looks like “mainstream” America. Looking like “mainstream” America goes beyond race and income bracket, the city’s population lives in household types in similar percentages to what exits in other communities across the U.S. including single parent homes, intergenerational households and high-income professionals. New Orleans’s diversity makes it a valuable location to test products or campaigns that must resonate across demographics.
Educational Diversity That Reflects Real-World Audiences
New Orleans offers a more balanced educational profile than major tech hubs where graduate and professional degrees are clustered in a higher proportion compared to the rest of the country. The city’s rate of educational attainment is similar to the national average, making it easier to recruit participants that match the broad middle of the American educational spectrum.
Clients often need to hear from everyday consumers, not only highly educated early adopters or white collar industry insiders. New Orleans’s diverse population provides the required mix, the city is home to:
- Skilled tradespeople with technical certifications and deep practical expertise
- Working parents juggling family and employment
- High school graduates and community college students who are the core of America’s middle-market consumers
- Blue-collar workers and service industry staff whose voices are often sought, but rarely heard in focus groups and qualitative research
- Retirees across income brackets who have time to participate in focus groups and an interest in sharing their views
The EmCee Research Focus Suite: Built for Insight
Our 4,100-square-foot research suite is the only dedicated focus group facility between Houston and Atlanta and is in the heart of downtown New Orleans. We designed the facility with both clients and participants in mind. Our three traditional focus rooms seat up to 16 participants around a conference table, private observation rooms outfitted with premium AV and easy access to lodging and transit, the EmCee Research Focus Suite offers a world-class environment for serious research.
A City Worth Visiting
New Orleans is more than a research-friendly metro, it’s a destination. Clients enjoy easy flight access, world-renowned cuisine and a walkable, vibrant downtown. Participants arrive motivated and comfortable and moderators appreciate the relaxed, open environment that the city creates.
Regional and National Research in one city
New Orleans gives clients the flexibility to recruit either a nationally representative sample or a Gulf Coast-specific population without needing to change venues. Our recruiters’ local knowledge, our custom-built research suite and our commitment to high-quality recruiting standards mean every focus group delivers real, actionable insights. When clients conduct research in New Orleans with EmCee Research, they get the depth of a national study with the agility of a local one.
Schedule a call with our team today to learn how we can help find the right people, in the right places to get the answers every project requires.