Focus groups tell you what participants say they feel. EchoDepth measures what they actually feel.
Updated October 2026
The gap between self-reported emotional response and objective physiological signal is well-documented in consumer research. The question is whether you build decisions on what people report, or on what their body shows.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Focus Groups | EchoDepth |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement type | Self-report | Objective physiological signal |
| Social desirability bias | High | Not applicable |
| Response time | Post-stimulus reflection | Per-frame real-time |
| Sample size | Typically 6–12 | Unlimited |
| Unconscious response | Not captured | Primary measurement target |
| Cost per session | £2,000–8,000 | From £1,500/month pilot |
| Longitudinal tracking | Complex re-recruitment | Same content, repeated measurement |
Common questions
Do focus groups and EchoDepth measure different things?
Yes - they measure at different layers. Focus groups measure what participants consciously think and are willing to articulate about their emotional response. EchoDepth measures the involuntary physiological response that occurs before conscious processing. For decisions where the unconscious response drives behaviour, EchoDepth provides the more predictive signal.
Can EchoDepth replace focus groups entirely?
For some applications - campaign pre-testing, message resonance, product concept evaluation - EchoDepth can provide the primary communication signal data. For applications where you need rich verbal insight into the reasons behind the emotional response, focus groups remain valuable. Many research teams use both.
Should you use focus groups or EchoDepth to test a campaign message?
Focus groups measure declared preference, what a typical group of 6 to 12 participants says they felt. EchoDepth measures objective physiological response per frame, with an unlimited sample, so it suits campaign pre-testing, message resonance and product concept evaluation. Social desirability bias is high in focus groups, because participants report socially acceptable reactions rather than authentic ones. EchoDepth measures the involuntary physiological response that occurs before conscious processing, which is the primary measurement target for decisions where the unconscious response drives behaviour. Focus groups remain the better tool for exploratory research, for understanding the language people use about a topic, uncovering unexpected associations and generating creative hypotheses, and for understanding the reasons behind a reaction. Many research teams use both, with focus groups shaping hypotheses and EchoDepth validating whether a specific communication will produce the intended response.
See the difference in your content.
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