What is a community?
A community is a private online site where participants regularly meet to share ideas, emotions and experiences, discuss trends and issues, and to help companies with product and marketing issues. Unlike most public consumer forums and message boards, these private communities are facilitated by Cooper Research and its partner, Communispace, to deliver deep insights and to keep the dialogue strategically relevant and targeted.

What is an example of an online community?
Let's assume for a moment that one wishes to understand diabetes and diabetes care. Let's also assume that the sponsor of this community is a major manufacturer of consumer test kits. A community would be created of diabetes sufferers, including those who are new to the disease, those who have had the disease for a long time, and those who are in different stages of disease progression. The value of this community is immense. The manufacturer of diabetes testing devices could test new concepts and product prototypes, develop a greater understanding of consumer coping mechanisms, and obtain feedback about different test products that are on the market today.

What kinds of research can be done with a community?
There are a wide range of research activities that can be conducted in a community.

• Research Surveys
• Bulletin Boards
• Live Chats & Focus Groups
• Brainstorming Sessions

Online communities are an exciting new way to interact with targeted buyers and people with common concerns. Some communities we are working on today include the following:

• Diabetes Sufferers
• Chronic Pain Sufferers
• Infection Control Managers
• Arthritis Sufferers
• Hypertension Sufferers
• Cardiac Sufferers
• Stroke Sufferers

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