Here at Barfly, we’re not overly keen on traditional research techniques. We know that most things have a time and a place, but having been on the client side, we’ve never been convinced of the over-reliance on focus groups in sterile research facilities. For us, these feel a million miles away from the real world.

So instead, to keep things authentic and the insight rich, we run “Drinks Buddies” projects, enabling clients to hear groups of friends talking about categories, drinks, brands, trends or whatever fits the brief, all in their natural settings. The premise is simple – to get as close as possible to what matters most to your business and to your brands.

These projects are normally preceded by some real-world tracking via, for example, drink diaries, drink-alongs or observing pre-gaming sessions with friends at home.