Focus Groups and IDIs in South Florida
HRG conducts bilingual focus groups and in-depth interviews across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Our 15,000+ South Florida Hispanic panel covers Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Haitian communities with bilingual English/Spanish moderation as standard.
South Florida as a Qualitative Research Market
South Florida's tri-county region has a combined population of approximately 6.3 million, of whom more than 2.5 million are Hispanic or Latino. For US brands targeting Hispanic consumers and for Latin American brands entering the US market, South Florida is the most efficient single geography for bilingual qualitative research. No other US metro area offers the same concentration of diverse Hispanic nationalities, high bilingual fluency, and proximity to Latin American business networks.
The region's four dominant qualitative use cases are: food and beverage product testing with Hispanic consumers (Doral and Hialeah for Venezuelan and Cuban palates), retail and QSR channel research covering Hispanic trade zones, financial services and fintech studies targeting immigrant-origin households, and healthcare and pharmaceutical studies covering Spanish-dominant patients. HRG has active project experience in all four categories.
Coverage by County
| County | Population | Hispanic % | Key Communities | HRG Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 2.7M | 68% | Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian, Nicaraguan | Doral, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Brickell, North Miami |
| Broward | 1.95M | 32% | Colombian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Haitian | Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood |
| Palm Beach | 1.47M | 23% | Puerto Rican, Dominican, Guatemalan | West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Focus Groups vs IDIs in South Florida: Which Method?
The choice between focus groups and in-depth interviews in South Florida depends on your topic, audience, and the type of interaction you need to observe. Both methods have strong application in the South Florida bilingual market.
| Use Focus Groups When | Use IDIs When |
|---|---|
| Testing new product concepts that benefit from group reaction | Researching financial decisions, health behaviours, or immigration attitudes |
| Exploring category usage patterns and brand associations | Interviewing executives, business owners, or professionals |
| Evaluating advertising, packaging, or naming with multiple stimuli | Topic may cause social desirability bias in a group setting |
| Understanding social norms and peer influence in purchase decisions | Recruiting into groups is logistically difficult (e.g. shift workers) |
| Generating a range of ideas or language for subsequent survey design | Deeper individual narrative and life history are required |
Bilingual Moderation in South Florida
HRG moderators for South Florida are selected based on native-level Spanish fluency, cultural fluency with the specific Hispanic communities being studied, and professional training in qualitative research moderation. We do not use interpreters. Moderators work directly in both languages.
For studies requiring separate English-dominant and Spanish-dominant groups, we can use two moderators with a consistent discussion guide and a joint debrief to identify language-based differences in responses. This design is particularly effective for bilingual packaging research, advertising pre-testing, and brand perception studies where language of communication affects how messages land.
For Miami-specific city-level focus group details, see our Miami focus groups page. For research specifically covering the Hispanic food and FMCG category, see our Hispanic focus groups Florida methodology guide.
Design Your South Florida Qualitative Programme
Discover which research methodology best fits your Caribbean market entry strategy.
South Florida Qualitative Research Use Cases
- Food and beverage product testing - bilingual concept and product tests with Hispanic shoppers in Doral and Hialeah trade zones, including bilingual packaging evaluation for brands entering Hispanic grocery channels
- Financial services - remittance behaviour, banking trust, insurance consideration, and investment attitudes among first- and second-generation Hispanic households across Miami-Dade and Broward
- Healthcare and pharmaceuticals - patient communication, medication adherence, and health literacy studies with Spanish-dominant populations across South Florida community health centres
- Retail and QSR - shopper journey studies covering Hispanic-facing supermarkets, specialty grocery, and quick-service chains in South Florida Hispanic trade zones
- Real estate and home services - homeownership aspiration, contractor selection, and renovation decision research with Miami-Dade and Broward Hispanic homeowners
- Government and nonprofit - community needs assessments, public health communication testing, and civic engagement research with immigrant and mixed-status households
Related Services
- Focus Groups Miami - Miami-specific focus group details and pricing
- Hispanic Focus Groups Florida - methodology and community guide
- Market Research Miami - full Miami quantitative and qualitative overview
- Market Research Florida - statewide research capabilities
- Focus Groups - full methodology and global coverage
- Qualitative Research Caribbean - for brands active in both South Florida and the Caribbean
Frequently Asked Questions
What counties does HRG cover for focus groups in South Florida?
HRG conducts focus groups and IDIs across all three South Florida counties: Miami-Dade (Miami, Doral, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Brickell, North Miami, Homestead), Broward (Fort Lauderdale, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Davie), and Palm Beach (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth). For studies requiring all three counties, we can design a multi-site programme with consistent screener criteria and consolidated reporting.
What is the difference between a focus group and an IDI? Which should I use in South Florida?
A focus group brings 6-10 respondents together simultaneously, which generates interactive dialogue, spontaneous reactions, and social proof dynamics useful for creative testing, concept evaluation, and category exploration. An in-depth interview (IDI) is a 1-on-1 conversation, typically 45-90 minutes, which is better for sensitive topics, executive audiences, or research designs where group conformity could distort results. In South Florida's bilingual market, IDIs are especially valuable for financial research, health research, and immigration-related attitudes where respondents may be reluctant to speak openly in a group setting.
How many focus groups do I need for a South Florida study?
The standard rule in qualitative research is a minimum of two groups per cell to allow for between-group comparison and to catch outlier dynamics. For South Florida Hispanic research, a basic study typically uses 4 to 6 groups: for example, two groups in Miami with Cuban-origin adults, two groups in Doral with Venezuelan-origin adults, and two groups in Broward with Colombian-origin adults. Bilingual studies that want both English-dominant and Spanish-dominant sessions would double the group count per segment.
Do you offer online focus groups for South Florida respondents?
Yes. HRG conducts online focus groups via Zoom and Microsoft Teams for South Florida respondents. Online groups are particularly useful for reaching South Florida Hispanics who have since relocated (tracking diaspora attitudes), for after-hours sessions accommodating working adults, and for studies where the geographic spread across the tri-county area makes in-person convening expensive. Online groups run at USD 3,500 to USD 4,500 per group including bilingual moderation, recruitment, and a written report.
Can HRG moderate in Haitian Creole for South Florida studies?
Yes. South Florida has a substantial Haitian-origin community, particularly in northern Miami-Dade and Broward County (Miramar, North Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes). HRG can source Haitian Creole-speaking moderators for studies targeting this community. Haitian Creole focus groups are quoted separately from English/Spanish bilingual programmes. Contact us with your target audience specifications.
What industries run qualitative research in South Florida with HRG?
HRG works with food and beverage brands testing bilingual packaging and new product concepts with Hispanic South Florida consumers; financial services firms studying attitudes toward remittances, banking, and investment among immigrant-origin households; healthcare systems and pharmaceuticals studying Hispanic patient communication; retail brands entering Hispanic trade zones in Doral and Hialeah; and government agencies conducting needs assessments with immigrant communities. We also serve Caribbean-headquartered brands using South Florida as a US market entry point.
How does HRG handle bilingual respondents who switch between English and Spanish?
Code-switching is natural and expected in South Florida focus groups. HRG moderators are trained to work in both languages simultaneously and will not interrupt or redirect respondents who switch languages mid-sentence. Transcripts are provided verbatim in whatever language the respondent used. Analysis reports translate all Spanish-language quotes into English with the original Spanish preserved in an appendix. We do not force respondents into a single language, as doing so suppresses naturalistic communication.
Download: South Florida Hispanic Research Planning Guide
A practical guide to designing qualitative research with South Florida Hispanic consumers. Covers community segmentation, language decisions, screener design, and analysis frameworks.