So, what is a Customer Advocacy Group?
What Is a Customer Advocacy Group?
For companies building capital equipment, the most valuable insights often come long before launch — in the unfiltered voices of the people who actually use the machines you make. Those field-level conversations, when structured intentionally, can become your competitive edge.
That’s the role of a Customer Advocacy Group, or CAG.
A CAG is not a focus group. It’s not a quarterly survey. And it’s definitely not a group of people you ask for testimonials after launch. A well-run CAG is a living feedback loop made up of your most experienced users — the people who know your product inside and out, rely on it for their livelihood, and can tell you in plain terms what’s working and what isn’t.
At iron echos, we help product teams translate that field noise into clarity and direction. In this article, we’ll break down what a CAG is, how it works, and how to build one that delivers strategic value — not just a bunch of opinions.
What Is a Customer Advocacy Group?
A Customer Advocacy Group (CAG) is a curated team of 6 to 10 real users and purchase decision-makers for your product category. Most members should be active, experienced users of your product, but it’s critical that at least one member is a user of a competitive brand. That competitor’s perspective helps surface blind spots, benchmark assumptions, and drive urgency for improvement.
A CAG is not a short-term research tool. It’s an ongoing relationship.
These are your power users, your harshest critics, your early testers, and your reality check — all in one room.
Why Build a CAG?
There are plenty of ways to gather customer feedback — surveys, site visits, usage data. So why form a CAG?
Because none of those other methods offer the same depth, continuity, or strategic alignment.
CAGs help you:
Stay grounded in what real users actually need — not what internal teams assume
Spot failure points early, when they’re still cheap to fix
De-risk launches by involving your most influential users before products hit the field
Build advocates who help drive adoption in their regions, networks, or organizations
Challenge your roadmap with perspectives from people outside your brand bubble
A strong CAG helps you avoid the most expensive product mistake of all: building something that is not demanded.
What a CAG Isn’t
Before we get into how CAGs work, let’s be clear about what they are not.
Not a sales pitch: This isn’t a disguised demo or brand loyalty campaign. CAGs only work when you’re open to hearing what’s broken.
Not a customer satisfaction survey: You're not asking them to rate their experience — you're asking them to help shape it.
Not a focus group: CAGs aren’t a one-off conversation. They’re a standing body that evolves with your product.
CAGs require trust. That starts by treating them like partners, not prospects.
How a CAG Works
A good CAG has three phases: Kickoff, Ongoing Collaboration, and Early Access.
1. Kickoff Event
The CAG should launch with a dedicated in-person or virtual event. This is not a PowerPoint parade. It’s a working session built around deep, structured discussions on the product — current pain points, workflow friction, unmet needs, wish-list features, and trade-offs they’ve accepted for too long.
This event sets the tone. It shows these customers that their feedback matters — and that you’re not just looking for compliments.
2. Ongoing Collaboration
After the initial kickoff, the CAG becomes a standing group. Regular meetings — usually quarterly or semi-annually — are held to:
Share product updates and get real-time feedback
Validate roadmap direction
Gather reactions to concepts or early-stage designs
Debrief field performance after releases
You’re not asking them to write your roadmap. You’re using them to check your blind spots, pressure-test ideas, and ground your decisions in reality.
3. First to Know. First to Try. First to Break.
CAG members should be the first to learn about what’s coming, the first to get their hands on prototypes or beta builds, and the first to tell you what breaks down in the real world.
That early access isn’t just a perk — it’s your early-warning system.
Who Belongs in a CAG?
When building your group, aim for:
Diverse use cases: Different job roles, geographic regions, operating conditions
High-experience users: People who know your product inside out — and know how it compares to others
At least one competitive user: This is crucial. They bring an outside perspective, push your team’s thinking, and highlight areas where the competition might be ahead
A mix of end users and decision-makers: You want both the boots-on-the-ground perspective and the fleet-level strategic view
Above all, you want people who care enough to be honest — and seasoned enough to explain why things matter the way they do.
Common Concerns
Isn’t this just more meetings?
No — it’s fewer wasted ones. A well-run CAG saves you time by preventing misaligned launches, last-minute rework, and product recalls.
Won’t people complain too much?
That’s kind of the point. Your job is to hear complaints before they show up as warranty claims or lost deals.
Isn’t it risky to include customers who use a competitor?
It’s riskier not to. You need that tension. It sharpens your understanding of where you truly lead — and where you’re lagging.
Why iron echos Believes in CAGs
At iron echos, we specialize in helping product teams in capital equipment industries translate field insight into product clarity.
CAGs are one of the most effective tools we’ve seen to create that clarity — not through guessing, but through conversation. Real voices, real stories, real pain points.
But here’s the key: A CAG only works if it’s structured with intention and managed with discipline.
That’s where we come in. We help you:
Select the right participants
Plan and facilitate productive sessions
Translate raw input into usable specs
Keep the feedback loop alive and impactful
If you’re building complex equipment that needs to work in the real world — not just on paper — it’s time to get serious about listening.
Ready to Build Your Own CAG?
If you’re ready to start building a better product by listening more intentionally to the people who use it, we’d love to help.
👉 Get started with iron echos to learn how to structure your Customer Advocacy Group and turn field-level insight into a competitive edge.