Focus groups, in-depth interviews, and in-home studies with Bahamian and Bahamian-American consumers in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Broward County. HRG operates in Nassau and the Family Islands -- the only research firm with genuine expertise in both the Bahamas and the Florida diaspora.
The relationship between the Bahamas and South Florida is unlike any other diaspora connection in the Caribbean. Fort Lauderdale lies 50 miles from Nassau. Families with roots in both places have existed for generations. Bahamian workers were among the original builders of Miami in the 1890s. The Bahamian community in Broward County is not a recent immigrant wave -- it is a multigenerational presence that is deeply woven into the social and cultural fabric of South Florida.
For consumer brands and service providers, this dual-market community represents a commercially significant and relatively underresearched segment. Bahamian-Americans maintain strong ties to Nassau through regular travel, remittances, family businesses, and property ownership. The Bahamas economy depends heavily on the diaspora -- and the Florida diaspora in particular. Brands active in both markets, financial institutions serving cross-border households, and government bodies targeting the diaspora all have research needs that require genuine expertise in both the Bahamas in-country market and the Fort Lauderdale diaspora.
| Methodology | Best Application | Notes for Bahamian Community |
|---|---|---|
| Focus groups | Brand perception, food, financial services, tourism attitudes | Community church venues in Fort Lauderdale produce highest engagement; English-language throughout |
| In-depth interviews (IDIs) | Real estate, cross-border banking, remittances, return-to-Bahamas intent | Preferred for financial and dual-market decisions; phone and video IDIs well accepted |
| In-home use tests (IHUT) | Food, personal care, household products | Bahamian culinary traditions maintained in diaspora households; IHUT reveals authentic usage context |
| Paired Bahamas / Florida study | Tourism, banking, FMCG brands, government policy | HRG operates in Nassau; paired design shows how brand and service perceptions differ across the 50-mile strait |
| Online survey | Brand awareness, remittance tracking, travel frequency | Effective for second-generation; Caribbean panel with Bahamas-specific screening |
| Category | Key Research Questions | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Financial services | Cross-border banking, Bahamas vs US account management, remittances, mortgages on Bahamas property from the US | IDIs |
| Food and grocery | Kalik Beer and Bahamian food import sourcing, conch product availability, Caribbean specialty vs mainstream grocery | IHUT, focus groups |
| Real estate (Bahamas) | Property investment in Nassau, Abaco, Exumas; financing from the US; return-to-Bahamas retirement intent | IDIs, focus groups |
| Tourism and travel | Bahamas travel frequency, carrier choice, cruise vs stay travel, brand perception of Bahamas tourism boards | Focus groups, online survey |
| Telecom | BTC and Aliv (Bahamas carriers) brand awareness in diaspora; international calling plans; WhatsApp usage | Focus groups, online survey |
| Government and policy | Diaspora engagement, social service awareness, Bahamas passport renewal, dual nationality perceptions | IDIs, focus groups |
Tell us your category and target Bahamian diaspora segment and we will send a tailored research proposal within 48 hours.
Fort Lauderdale and Broward County have the largest concentration of Bahamian-origin residents in Florida and, by extension, the United States. This geographic proximity reflects centuries of movement between the Bahamas and South Florida -- the two markets are separated by only 50 miles of water, and families with roots in both places are common. Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Coconut Creek in Broward also have established Bahamian communities. In Miami-Dade, the historic Coconut Grove area and Overtown have longstanding Bahamian-American presence, as Bahamian workers were among the original settlers of Miami in the late 19th century. HRG maintains recruitment networks across all of these communities.
Bahamian-Americans are English-speaking and culturally shaped by a small-island identity that combines British Caribbean heritage, strong Christian church culture, and deep economic ties to the United States. Unlike Jamaican or Trinidadian communities, many Bahamian-American families have multi-generational presence in Florida and are highly integrated into the mainstream South Florida economy. Brand loyalties include Bahamian heritage brands (Kalik Beer, John Bull, Commonwealth Brewery products) alongside strong US mainstream preferences. Goombay music, Junkanoo cultural events, and church communities serve as primary community anchors. Bahamian consumers also represent an important segment for financial services and real estate given the high rate of dual Bahamas-Florida household structures.
Focus groups work well with Bahamian-American consumers. English is the primary and typically sole research language, and the community is comfortable with qualitative discussion formats. Community venue settings in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach produce higher engagement than formal research facilities. The Bahamian community in South Florida is well-connected through church networks, and church-affiliated recruitment often produces the strongest show rates. In-depth interviews are preferred for financial behaviour, real estate decisions with a Bahamas dimension, and immigration and residency topics. In-home use tests are effective for food categories, where Bahamian culinary traditions (conch fritters, souse, johnnycake) are maintained in diaspora households.
Yes. HRG has conducted market research in the Bahamas, with operations in Nassau, Freeport, and the Family Islands. A paired study design -- in-country Bahamas fieldwork alongside Fort Lauderdale diaspora groups -- is available for brands, financial services providers, and government agencies seeking to understand how Bahamian consumer preferences, brand perceptions, and economic behaviour differ between Nassau and the Florida diaspora. This is particularly relevant for Bahamian government tourism campaigns targeting the diaspora, financial products designed for dual Bahamas-Florida households, and FMCG brands operating in both markets.
Financial services firms studying dual Bahamas-Florida banking behaviour and remittance patterns, telecom providers tracking Bahamas-US calling and data usage (BTC/Aliv vs US carrier plans), Bahamian and Caribbean food and beverage brands tracking diaspora consumption (Kalik Beer, Bahamian rum, conch products), real estate developers and agents researching Bahamian investor-buyer behaviour in both Florida and Nassau, healthcare providers serving Fort Lauderdale-area Caribbean communities, and tourism boards promoting Bahamas travel to the diaspora are the primary sectors. The Bahamian government has also commissioned diaspora-engaged community research for social policy programs.
HRG recruits Bahamian participants through our South Florida Caribbean panel database (screened by island of origin, island of birth within the Bahamas, arrival decade, and product usage), Bahamian church networks in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, Bahamian cultural and social associations in Broward County, and direct community outreach through Bahamian-owned businesses. We screen for island of origin within the Bahamas (Nassau, Freeport, Abaco, Eleuthera), generation, and frequency of return travel. Recruitment timelines are typically 10-14 business days for Bahamian-specific studies.
Community geography, dual Bahamas-Florida household dynamics, brand loyalty patterns, cross-border financial and real estate behaviour, and research design guide for the Bahamian diaspora in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.