tony johnstone

Focus groups that open your eyes to opportunity!

Greater Toronto Area, Canada

About

With over four decades of experience in research and marketing, I specialize in uncovering the emotional drivers behind buyer behavior. As Principal Moderator at Wiser Qualitative Inc, I utilize projective techniques, self-completion exercises, and indirect questioning to unmask the thoughts, feelings and associations that heavily influence purchasing decisions. My mission is to transform unremarkable focus groups into inspiring remakable groups. No more surface-level responses just rich, actionable insights to help you and your teams drive consumer demand.

Experience

  • Principal moderator at Wiser Qualitative Inc
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

    Empirical data unequivocally shows that people buy things because they are emotionally driven. Yet most qualitative research is very functional in design. Moderators asks direct questions in the quest to understand claimed behavior and reactions to the discussion guide. This is a waste of time and money. To understand emotionally biased decision making you need to firstly ask indirect questions that reveal true thoughts feelings and motivations about the subject matter. Individual responses to projective techniques and simple self complete exercises provide rich and interesting group generated subject matter that a skilled moderator (aka myself) can work with to get the real story from respondents at the table not the superficial one!

  • Wise marketing advice Inc (Greater Toronto Area, Canada)
    • Consultant
      Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

      Evidence based Marketing and Comms advice that drives growth

    • Consultant
      Apr 2026 - May 2026 · 2 mos

      Recent evidence from Ipsos. highlighted by Mark Ritson shows that a large majority of Canadian marketers dont know how to maximize their marketing and communications efforIs. I will help to fix this. I am offering a 3 hour session where I will summarize the evidence of what works for marketing in 2026 and beyond. I will be providing clear direction based on findings from Binet and Field. Byron Sharp. Mark Ritson. HBR and a host of other experts. Hire me for a 1 to 1 or a session with your team. It will be the best investment you have made in your career so far!

  • Co-Founder at CeliTon Costa Rica
    Apr 2021 - Apr 2026 · 5 yrs 1 mo

  • EVP Brand Effectiveness specialist at Tony Johnstone PEC
    Oct 2019 - Feb 2022 · 2 yrs 5 mos

  • Investigative marketing journalist at Self-employed
    Jul 2018 - Oct 2019 · 1 yr 4 mos