You’ve heard of paired depths as a research method – a great in between of interviews and small groups with many benefits to specific and time sensitive projects – but what are friendship pairs in market research?  

Chatting with your friend – whether it be gossip, a personal issue, a TV show you’re both watching or asking for career advice – is either going to be fun, easy, considered or all of the above.

A friendship pair, as you can imagine, is an interview with a pair of friends. Friendship as a methodological approach is a wonderful way to stimulate conversation and a hugely impactful tool. From getting each friend to introduce the other (which normally involves some kind of joke about them): who are they, what do they do, how long have you known them and from where, it is enjoyable for both participants and moderators.

The chemistry between two friends discussing an idea for advertising or their own personal habits is positively contagious. For more awkward, or personal topics the value of friendship pairs is unmatched.

A moderator’s role is to create an relaxed and non-judgemental environment to help people open up, but friendship pairs are an effective tool in helping people feel safe to say what they think in the space of someone they know.

Friends can bounce off one another, remind each other about habits, tell inside jokes or if they are playing up an experience too much. They can help each other in articulating points, especially if there is a lot of detail (for which paired depths are great method to conduct research) or if the adcept or advertising being explored is very conceptual.

It is also a brilliant way to explore topics which feel more individual, such as the subject of humour which at The Nursery we have successfully researched with friendship pairs in the past.

Or when speaking to certain age groups. At The Nursery, our 12.18 Youth Research explores the lives of young people. And over the past year, we have been discovering the lives of those entering adulthood in 2023 and this increasingly influential audience at this pivotal point of their lives. Friendship pairs (and groups) have been a brilliant way to help young people, who may find the experience of research daunting, ease into and open up in a comfortable space.

And as moderators, it’s fun to explore how different friendships interact and discuss advertising. You are almost let into a ‘real world’ rendition of how people might respond to advertising, in the personal and specific language people use with friends and loved ones.

On a logistical note, in theory it is harder to manage no-shows and rescheduling as one friend can just text the other and ask where they are!

But on the flip side, a friendship pair is a sample of 2. It will be dependent on the project type, but several sessions may be needed to cover all audiences and the intended sample.

To conclude on my case for market research friendship pairs, they are a valuable tool in creating a space for people to discuss personal views or the finer detail of advertising to produce authentic insights.

As pioneers in brand research, get in touch to find out more about how we can help achieve your research goals at hello@the-nursery.net

The Nursery’s expertise covers the full range of the planning cycle from Market Understanding, Segmentation, Proposition Development, Creative Development, Campaign Evaluation and Brand and Experience Tracking

The value of friendship pairs

Market Research 101