Agency research interview questions are the foundation of every study your team delivers. A concept test, brand health tracker, competitive analysis, or shopper study is only as good as the questions driving it. This guide provides 150+ questions organized by the six study types agencies run most often, with laddering probes designed to reach 5-7 levels of depth on every conversation.
These templates work for both human-moderated and AI-moderated interviews. For AI-moderated deployment on User Intuition, upload the discussion guide directly and the AI moderator handles adaptive follow-up probing automatically.
How Do You Use These Templates?
Each study type section includes three components:
- Core questions — the main questions that anchor the interview
- Laddering probes — follow-up sequences that drive from surface to motivation
- Discussion guide template — a ready-to-deploy structure with timing and flow
The laddering framework: Every core question is designed to open a laddering sequence. The moderator (human or AI) follows the participant’s response through five levels:
- Level 1 — Attribute: What they noticed, chose, or experienced
- Level 2 — Consequence: What happened as a result
- Level 3 — Functional value: Why that consequence matters practically
- Level 4 — Emotional value: How that makes them feel
- Level 5-7 — Identity value: What that says about who they are
This progression is what separates agency-grade research from survey data. A survey captures Level 1. A good interview reaches Level 5-7.
1. Concept Testing Interview Questions
Concept testing is the highest-volume study type for most agencies. These questions evaluate new product concepts, campaign ideas, packaging designs, or service propositions.
Core Questions
Initial reaction (unstructured):
- “I’m going to show you something. Take a moment to look at it, then tell me your honest first reaction — whatever comes to mind.”
- “What stands out to you about this concept? Walk me through what you notice.”
- “If a friend asked you what this is, how would you describe it in your own words?”
Relevance and need:
- “Think about the last time you were looking for something like this. What were you trying to accomplish?”
- “Where does this fit — or not fit — into how you currently handle [category need]?”
- “If this existed today, would it replace something you already use, add to it, or would you not need it at all?”
Believability and credibility:
- “What about this concept feels realistic to you? What feels like a stretch?”
- “If a brand made this claim, what would you need to see to believe it?”
- “On a scale from ‘obviously true’ to ‘probably not,’ where does this land? Walk me through why.”
Purchase intent and barriers:
- “Imagine you saw this at [relevant channel]. What would make you pick it up — or walk past it?”
- “What would need to be true for you to try this? What would stop you?”
- “If the price were [range], how would that change your reaction?”
Laddering Probes for Concept Testing
After any core question response, follow with:
- “You mentioned [attribute]. What about that matters to you?” (Level 2)
- “When [consequence] happens, what does that mean for your day/life/routine?” (Level 3)
- “Why is that important to you specifically?” (Level 4)
- “What kind of person values that? Do you see yourself that way?” (Level 5+)
Discussion Guide Template: 30-Minute Concept Test
| Time | Section | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 min | Warm-up | Current category behavior, recent purchase occasion |
| 3-8 min | Unstructured reaction | Show concept, capture first response with laddering |
| 8-15 min | Relevance deep-dive | Need fit, current alternatives, switching triggers |
| 15-22 min | Credibility and barriers | Believability, price sensitivity, purchase conditions |
| 22-28 min | Comparative reaction | Compare to current solution or competing concept |
| 28-30 min | Final association | ”If this concept were a person, how would you describe them?“ |
2. Brand Health Interview Questions
Brand health research tracks perception, associations, and competitive positioning over time. These questions are designed for both baseline studies and longitudinal tracking.
Core Questions
Unaided awareness and associations:
- “When you think about [category], what brands come to mind first? Tell me what each one means to you.”
- “If I said [brand name], what three words come to mind immediately?”
- “Think of someone you know who uses [brand]. How would you describe them?”
Brand relationship:
- “Tell me about your history with [brand]. When did you first encounter them?”
- “How has your opinion of [brand] changed over the past year? What caused that shift?”
- “If [brand] disappeared tomorrow, what would you miss? What would you not miss?”
Competitive positioning:
- “When you’re choosing between [brand] and [competitor], what’s the thing that tips the decision?”
- “What does [brand] do better than anyone else? What do they do worse?”
- “If you had to explain why someone would choose [competitor] over [brand], what would you say?”
Emotional territory:
- “Describe a moment when [brand] made you feel something — positive or negative.”
- “If [brand] were a place, where would it be? Walk me through why.”
- “What would [brand] need to do to make you recommend them to someone you care about?”
Laddering Probes for Brand Health
- “You associated [brand] with [word]. What experience or memory drives that association?” (Level 2)
- “When a brand delivers [quality], what does that enable for you?” (Level 3)
- “Why does that matter more to you than [alternative quality]?” (Level 4)
- “What does choosing a brand like this say about your priorities?” (Level 5+)
3. Competitive Analysis Interview Questions
Competitive analysis interviews uncover why customers choose, switch, or stay. These questions work for both consumer and B2B contexts.
Core Questions
Decision process:
- “Walk me through the last time you chose between options in [category]. Start from the moment you realized you needed something.”
- “Who else did you consider? What made them contenders — and what eliminated them?”
- “Was there a single moment when you knew which one you’d choose? What triggered it?”
Switching triggers:
- “Have you switched from one [category product] to another in the past 12 months? Tell me about that.”
- “What was the final straw — the thing that made you actually make the change versus just thinking about it?”
- “What did you expect would be different? What actually was different?”
Competitive perception:
- “If [brand A] and [brand B] were people at a dinner party, how would each one behave?”
- “What does [competitor] understand about customers like you that [brand] doesn’t?”
- “If you could take one thing from [competitor] and give it to [brand], what would it be?”
Loyalty and vulnerability:
- “What would [competitor] need to offer to get you to switch away from [current choice]?”
- “Is there anything [current brand] could do that would make you leave immediately?”
- “If price were identical across all options, which would you choose and why?”
Laddering Probes for Competitive Analysis
- “You mentioned [competitor advantage]. What does that enable you to do?” (Level 2)
- “When you can do [outcome], what changes about your work/life?” (Level 3)
- “Why is that outcome more important than [alternative outcomes]?” (Level 4)
- “What kind of buyer prioritizes that? Is that how you see yourself?” (Level 5+)
4. Shopper Insights Interview Questions
Shopper research captures the in-store and online purchase journey. These questions reconstruct the shelf decision at depth.
Core Questions
Pre-store mindset:
- “Before your last shopping trip where you bought [category], what was already decided and what was open?”
- “Did you have a specific brand in mind, or were you open to whatever caught your attention?”
- “Where did you get information about [category] before going to the store?”
Shelf moment reconstruction:
- “Walk me through the moment you were standing in front of the [category] shelf. What did you see first?”
- “How many options did you actually pick up or look at closely? What made those ones stand out?”
- “Was there a product you almost chose but put back? What made you change your mind?”
Decision architecture:
- “In those few seconds at the shelf, what was the most important factor — price, brand, packaging, something else?”
- “If the shelf were rearranged and your usual choice was harder to find, what would you do?”
- “Tell me about a time you bought something different than usual in this category. What happened?”
Post-purchase evaluation:
- “After you got home and used [product], how did you feel about your choice?”
- “Would you buy the same thing next time, or are you already thinking about trying something else?”
- “If someone asked you to recommend a [category product], would you recommend what you bought? Why or why not?”
Laddering Probes for Shopper Insights
- “You noticed [product attribute] on the shelf. Why did that catch your eye?” (Level 2)
- “When a product looks/feels like [attribute], what does that signal to you?” (Level 3)
- “Why is that signal important when you’re choosing [category]?” (Level 4)
- “What does the way you shop for [category] say about your priorities?” (Level 5+)
5. Audience Profiling Interview Questions
Audience profiling builds psychographic depth beyond demographics. These questions reveal motivations, values, and decision-making patterns.
Core Questions
Identity and values:
- “Tell me about a typical weekday. What matters most to you about how you spend your time?”
- “When you think about the brands you’re loyal to — across any category — what do they have in common?”
- “What’s a purchase you made recently that you felt really good about? Walk me through what made it satisfying.”
Category relationship:
- “How would you describe your relationship with [category]? Are you an enthusiast, pragmatist, or something else?”
- “When did you first start paying attention to [category]? What changed?”
- “Among your friends and family, are you the person others ask for advice about [category]?”
Information and influence:
- “When you’re making a decision about [category], where do you go first for information?”
- “Whose opinion matters to you when choosing [category product]? Why them specifically?”
- “Think about the last recommendation you followed for [category]. What about it convinced you?”
Aspiration and tension:
- “If money and time were no object, how would your approach to [category] change?”
- “What’s the gap between what you want from [category] and what’s currently available?”
- “Is there a brand or product in another category that you wish existed in [category]?“
6. Win-Loss Interview Questions (B2B/Agency New Business)
Win-loss research for agencies focuses on understanding why clients chose (or didn’t choose) your agency versus competitors.
Core Questions
Decision journey:
- “Take me back to the beginning. What triggered the need for [service]? What was happening in the business?”
- “How did you build your shortlist? What criteria mattered at the RFP stage versus the final decision?”
- “Who was involved in the decision? Were there different priorities among the decision-makers?”
Evaluation criteria:
- “When you compared the proposals, what dimensions mattered most? Walk me through your evaluation.”
- “Was there a moment when one option clearly separated from the rest? What caused that?”
- “What did the winning [agency/vendor] demonstrate that others didn’t?”
Decision drivers (going deep):
- “You mentioned [factor]. Help me understand — was that the deciding factor or one of several?”
- “If [factor] had been equal across all options, what would have tipped the decision?”
- “Was there something you couldn’t fully articulate at the time that influenced your choice?”
Post-decision reflection:
- “Now that you’ve been working with [chosen provider], has your initial impression held up?”
- “If you were making this decision again, would you evaluate anything differently?”
- “What advice would you give to someone going through the same evaluation process?”
Adapting Templates for AI-Moderated Deployment
All templates above work on AI-moderated platforms. When deploying on User Intuition:
- Upload the core questions as your discussion guide. The AI moderator uses these as the conversation skeleton.
- Laddering happens automatically. The AI moderator probes 5-7 levels deep based on participant responses, following the attribute-consequence-value chain without manual instruction.
- Set time parameters. Specify 30-minute interviews for standard studies or 15-20 minutes for rapid screening.
- Sample size recommendations: 50-100 interviews for most agency studies. Thematic saturation occurs at 30-40 interviews; additional interviews reveal minority patterns and segment-level differences.
For a complete guide to white-label research delivery under your agency brand, or to understand the 3-day turnaround methodology, explore our agency resources.
Download and Customize
These templates are starting points. Every client engagement requires customization based on category context, research objectives, and audience characteristics. The core methodology — open questions, laddering probes, identity-level depth — remains constant. The specific language adapts.
For more on how agencies are using AI-moderated research across all study types, see our complete guide to consumer research for agencies or visit User Intuition for agencies.