Company Description

The Farnsworth Group is a full-service qualitative and quantitative custom research firm serving manufacturers, retailers, dealers and distributors in the building products, hardware, home improvement and lawn and garden industries for nearly 40 years.

Building products manufacturers and suppliers trust us to gain deep insights in their customers’ behaviors, brand and strategic opportunities/risks.

Our deep category expertise and long-standing experience with both Consumers (DIYers) and Professional Tradespeople deliver actionable insights that drive measurable market performance.

Core capabilities include:

Customer Usage, Attitude and Behavior Research

Brand Health Research

Product Development Research

Market Sizing Research

We help clients solve critical business challenges across four primary areas:

1. Understand Customers and Unlock Growth:

Identify high-potential customer segments, premium trade-up opportunities, replacement triggers and category expansion paths. Understand shifting demand between DIY and professional channels and the impact of emerging trends.

Quantitative and qualitative methodologies include:

Market Sizing Analysis: Combines primary surveys, client data and secondary sources to size current and/or total addressable market (TAM)

Customer Segmentation: Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to profile and group customers by needs, behaviors or attitudes

Attitudes and Usage Exploration: Uncover category sentiments and behaviors, measure purchase drivers and track trends

Opportunity Mapping: Uncover jobs-to-be-done via qualitative and measure via quantitative to reveal “white space” and priority segments for growth

Questions we help anwer:

Which customer segments are most likely to trade up to premium products?

How do emerging lifestyle trends (e.g., energy efficiency, wellness, design aesthetics) shape demand?

Where are opportunities for category expansion/adjacent product adoption?

How is demand shifting between DIY and professional installation channels?

2. Strengthen Brand Position:

Determine which attributes drive awareness, preference, loyalty and repeat purchase. Evaluate perceptions of quality, innovation, value, sustainability and reputation across key audiences.

Quantitative and qualitative methodologies include:

Brand Health Tracking: Ongoing wave-over-wave tracking of KPIs (awareness, usage, satisfaction and NPS) to capture trends and impacts of brand activities

CX Tracking and Touchpoint Analysis: Qualitative and quantitative research to map how well your brand delivers on expectations at key moments of truth (e.g., sales interactions, service support, digital presence)

Brand Satisfaction and Loyalty Drivers: Multivariate analysis to identify what truly drives loyalty and repeat purchase and advocacy

Brand Portfolio Architecture Strategy: Survey customers to determine the optimal structure of brands within a portfolio, especially supporting mergers and acquisitions

Questions we help anwer:

Which brand attributes most influence choice and loyalty among key decision makers?

How do perceptions of quality, innovation and value differ across audiences (DIY, pros, specifiers)?

How do marketing investments (ads, digital, sponsorships) translate into brand awareness and trust?

What differentiates top-performing brands in customer satisfaction and repeat purchase?

3. Optimize Products and Innovation:

Pinpoint the features and claims that drive purchase and satisfaction. Uncover unmet needs and customer trade-offs between cost, performance and aesthetics.

Quantitative and qualitative methodologies include:

Concept Screening and Validation: Monadic or comparative surveys to determine acceptance, appeal and improvement areas for product ideas

Feature Prioritization: Identify which product features or benefits drive the most preference, satisfaction and differentiation

Pricing and Value Analysis: Reveal price elasticity and the ideal price-feature combinations to maximize adoption and margin

Line Optimization: Determine the optimal product mix to maximize customer reach and minimize cannibalization

Packaging and Messaging Testing: Test alternative packaging, claims or marketing messages for clarity and impact at shelf or online

Questions we help anwer:

What product features and performance claims most drive purchase and satisfaction?

Which pain points or unmet needs create opportunity for innovation or line extension?

How do performance expectations vary by project type, budget level or geography?

What are the tradeoffs customers are willing to make between cost, performance and aesthetics?

4. Enhance Channel and Go-to-Market Strategies:

Map buyer journeys across retail and digital channels. Assess pricing, promotions, merchandising and service impacts on conversion and loyalty.

Quantitative and qualitative methodologies include:

Path-to-Purchase and Journey Mapping: Qualitative interviews and/or quantitative surveys to capture the steps, influences and pain points in the buying process.

Channel Selection and Satisfaction: In-store shopper missions and surveys to understand how and why customers choose and rate distribution channels.

Go-to-Market Optimization Analysis: Integrate survey data with sales and channel performance to refine distribution, sales coverage and partner strategies.

Distributor Experience Assessments: Evaluate dealer perceptions of your brand to optimize brand support and performance improvements.

Questions we help anwer:

How do customers research, compare and purchase products across channels?

What in-store and digital experiences most influence conversion and loyalty?

How do pricing, promotions and availability shape retailer or distributor preference?

How can messaging and merchandising be tailored to different buyer journeys and decision points?

Get Strategic Insights from Advanced Analysis Techniques

We apply advanced analytics, segmentation, conjoint, driver modeling, forecasting and optimization to link insight to action. Our approach guides product, pricing, portfolio and go-to-market decisions to maximize growth, ROI and competitive advantage.