1. Qualitative Research

2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ? Purpose? Not measurements, but WORDS!
Instead of asking how many times someone purchased an item, you ask "WHY...?"
Typically the samples are small, and not "random"
Purpose?
To find out what’s on the person’s mind

3. General approaches Group interviews Individual interviews
Structured or unstructured
Focus groups
Individual interviews
Nonstructured
Structured
Projective Techniques

4. Most frequent uses Understanding basic issues
why do people buy/use our product?
Pretesting ideas or products
do people want a product that cleans their refrigerator?
Message testing
How do people like this ad?
To capture the basic feel of a problem prior to conducting a more analytical study
To aid interpreting results of quantitative research

5. Strengths Weaknesses Good for examining feelings and motivations
Longer, more flexible relationship with the respondent, results in more depth and greater richness issues
Provides insights
Weaknesses
Can’t extrapolate to the whole population
Volume of data
Complexity of analysis
Time-consuming clerical efforts

6. Focus Groups
A loosely structured interview conducted by a trained moderator among a small number of informants.

7. Popularity of Focus Group
Percentage of
Companies Using
Frequently Use %
Sometimes Use %
Never Use %
Why are Focus Groups Held?
Because of group dynamics

8. Focus Group Characteristics
members (usually paid)
homogeneous in terms of demographics and socioeconomic factors but heterogeneous views
experience related to product or issue being discussed
1 1/2 –2 hour session
1-way mirror/client may sit behind
qualified moderator
conversation may be video and/or audiotaped OR notes may be taken

9. Tiered viewing room with wrap-around mirror offers multi-perspective viewing.
Room is equipped with outlets so laptop computers can be utilized during session.
Strategically placed audio and video taping offer unobstructed viewing.
Attached Conference Room offers closed circuit television viewing for additional viewers.
focus group1
focus group

10. Common Applications of Focus Groups
Understanding Consumers
perceptions, opinions, and behavior concerning products and services
Product Planning
generating ideas about new products
Advertising
Develop creative concepts and copy material

11. Advantages Richness of data Versatility
Ability to study special respondents
Children
Professionals (doctors, lawyers)
Direct involvement of managers (vividness)
Easily understandable
Flexibility in covering topics
May uncover unanticipated ideas that are important
Can define constructs of importance
Gives “flesh” and connectedness to real consumers/people
Can show them designs, have them try out prototypes
group synergy (group dynamics)

12. Disadvantages Lack of generalizability (small sample size)
High selection bias
Might be misused
focus group is not a replacement for quantitative research
Subject to Interpretation - subjective
Cost-per-respondent is high (compared to survey)
Results dependent on skill of moderator in running the group and analysis
may be the response in the moment – which may change over time
strong personalities are a hazard
Some groups hard to assemble (e.g. professionals)
“professional respondents”

14. Process of Conducting Focus Group Research
Planning
Translate research purpose into a set of relevant questions that achieve objectives
Prepare discussion guide
Recruiting
Heterogeneity vs Homogeneity
Moderation
Critical moderating skills
Analysis and interpretation of the results
should capture the range of impressions and observations in each topic, and interprets them in the light of possible hypotheses for further testing.

15. Skills Required for Moderator
Observation
Interpersonal
Communication
Interpretive

16. Guiding the discussion
know your objectives
don’t try to do too much – 2-4 major topics
have an outline of how you want to proceed
be ready to be flexible if need be – or to rein in the discussion
Stick to the time limit
Use 2 people if possible – one to guide, one to take notes

17. Moderator’s role encourage discussion
encourage them to talk with one another not you
bring in people who aren’t speaking
Reduce influence of people who dominate
Bring out a variety of viewpoints
keep discussion on topic without stifling
allow silence
avoid premature closure

18. Introducing the process
Introduce purpose, sponsorship if applicable
Lay out guidelines, e.g. time
Be clear on the topic(s) of discussion
Make introductions
Specify that you are interested in thoughts not decisions

19. Observing and Recording
videotaping
audiotaping
note-taker
someone other than moderator
One-way mirrors
Take notes at the end of each focus group session to identify important themes which may structure future groups’ questions
Don’t ignore the lone wolf -- exceptions

20. Reporting Fast Synthesis of important issues
Key quotations useful but NOT a transcription
Though use a transcription to create report if at all possible
Transcripts, stories, etc. must be coded for over-arching themes (e.g. accuracy, value-congruence, effectiveness)
Analysts look for connections between themes as well (e.g. effective ads resulted in expressions of pride in the company)
Fuzzy numerical qualifications may be added, such as “many,” “few,” “most,” “widely,” “typically,” “occasionally”

21. Suggest opportunities and limitations Examples:
“The qualitative findings give reason for optimism about market interest in the new product concept…We therefore recommend that the concept be further developed and formal executions be tested.”
“The results of the study suggest that ad version #3 is most promising because it elicited more enthusiastic responses and because it appears to describe situations under which consumers actually expect to use the product...

22. Example of limitations section:
“The reader is cautioned that the findings reported here are qualitative, not quantitative in nature. The study was designed to explore how respondents feel and behave rather than to determine how many think or act in specific ways. Therefore, the findings cannot serve as a basis for statistical generalizations, but should instead be viewed as working hypotheses, subject to quantitative validation.”
“Respondents constitute a small nonrandom sample of relevant consumers and are therefore not statistically representative of the universe from which they have been drawn.”

23. Key Issues
Focus groups are small numbers, not random, not statistically valid
Focus groups are a lot of work
can get insights from focus groups that can’t get in other ways
Beware of power relations

24. Use of Focus Groups
Buick division of General Motors used focus groups to help develop the Regal. Buick held 20 focus groups across the country to determine what features customers wanted in a car. The focus groups told GM they wanted a stylish car, legitimate back seat, at least 20 miles per gallon, and 0 to 60 miles per hour acceleration in 11 seconds or less.

25. Based on the results, Buick engineers created clay models of the car and mock-ups of the interior. These were shown to other focus groups. The respondents did not like the oversized bumpers and the severe slope of the hood, but liked the four-disc brakes and independent suspension.
                                                                                              

26. Focus groups also helped refine the advertising campaign for the Regal
Focus groups also helped refine the advertising campaign for the Regal. Participants were asked which competing cars most resembled Buick in image and features. The answer was Oldsmobile, a sister GM division. In an effort to differentiate the two, Buick was repositioned above Oldsmobile by focusing on comfort and luxury features. The vehicle was also due to be renamed the Buick Lacrosse in the U.S. and Canada. Younger members of focus groups in Quebec told GM that "lacrosse" was slang for self-gratification

27. The tag line for the Regal, “official car of the Supercharged family,” was based on focus group findings.
“The Perfect Addition To Any Household
“Regal encompasses Buick's renowned comfort, quality and performance capabilities in a sleek, mid-size sedan. With plenty of interior space and loads of power for the open road, Regal is perfectly equipped to meet the demands of families on the go.”

28. Online Focus Groups Chat Room Style Bulletin Style
good for capturing top-of-mind reactions to concepts, graphics, audio/video clips, web sites, etc.
Bulletin Style
good for eliciting more in-depth comments on complex issues, as well as for allowing participation by individuals who would be difficult to gather in “real time”.

29. Zoomerang

30. Advantages of Online vs traditional Focus Groups
Software controls for faster responders
Ability to show websites to participants
Clients “lurk” in “chat room”; can send questions to moderator
Transcripts produced automatically
Individual responses can be tracked
Many people are more open when NOT face to face
Friendlier, more humorous online
Distant participants
Convenient for participants
less costly than face-to-face groups

31. Disadvantages No body language (often part of analysis)
Harder to read emotions
Sampling issues (who is more likely to participate?)
Difficult to probe
Sometimes asynchronous (I.e. over several days)
The Internet approach to focus group relies on an individual's ability to type effectively to participate fully
Can’t show "external stimuli" to groups in order to obtain their reactions
Hard for skilled moderator to utilize the group dynamics to explore an issue
Comments likely to be short
problem of lag in responses
Lack of interaction, synergy
Easy for participants to NOT participate

32. Depth Interviews

33. What is an In-depth Interview?
A conversation on a given topic between a respondent and an interviewer
Used to obtain detailed insights and personal thoughts
Flexible and unstructured, but usually with an interview guide
Purpose: to probe informants’ motivations, feelings, beliefs
Lasts about an hour
Interviewer creates relaxed, open environment
Wording of questions and order are determined by flow of conversation
Interview transcripts are analyzed for themes and connections between themes

34. In-depth Interviews Technique: Laddering
questioning progresses from product characteristics to user characteristics
An example
“Why do you like wide bodies? (in airplane seats)”
“They’re more comfortable”
“Why is that important?”
“I can accomplish more”
“I will feel good about myself”

35. Advantages Disadvantages Tendency to have a freer exchange
Can probe potentially complex motivations and behavior
Easier to attach a particular response to a respondent
Disadvantages
Qualified interviewers are expensive
Length and expense of interview often leads to small sample
Subjectivity and “fuzziness”

36. Focus Groups Vs. In-depth Interview
Advantages of focus groups
relatively lower cost per person
stimulating effect from group interaction
vividness to managers
Advantages of in-depth interview
more information from each respondent
flexible with the use of physical stimuli

37. Projective Techniques

38. Projective Techniques
Projective techniques are unstructured and indirect forms of questioning which encourage the respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issues of concern.
Depth Interview methods or surveys can’t get reliable answers to questions like:
How does this soda can make you feel about yourself?
Which color graphic on the can would make you feel like a sexier person when you bought it?
projective techniques

39. Main Types of Projective Techniques
Word Association
asks the respondents to give the first word or phase that comes to mind after the researcher presents a word or phrase
Completion Test
asks the respondents to complete sentences, dialogs, or stories, etc.
Picture Drawing and Interpretation
Third Person Techniques
Role Playing

40. Example: Word Association
Results of a Word Association Test with Alternative
Brand Names for a New Fruit-Flavored Sparkling
Water Drink
Possible Brand Name Associated Words
Ormango Green, tart, jungle
Tropical Fruit Juice, sweet, island
Orange Sparkle Light, bubbly, cool
Paradise Passion Fruity, thick, heavy

41. Example: Completion Test
Investigate teenagers’ attitudes to tea
Someone who drinks hot tea is ______________
Tea is good to drink when __________________
Making hot tea is _________________________
My friend thinks tea is _____________________
sentence completion

42. Sentence Completion Example: Department Store Patronage Project
A person who shops at Sears is ___________________________________________
A person who receives a gift certificate good for Zeller’s would be ______________________________________.
The Bay is most liked by ________________________.
When I think of shopping in a department store, I ___________________________________________

43. Story Completion Example: Department Store Patronage Project
“A man was shopping for a business suit in his favorite department store. After spending 45 minutes and trying several suits, he finally picked one he liked. As he was proceeding to the checkout counter, he was approached by the salesman, who said, “Sir, at this time we have higher quality suits which are on sale for the same price. Would you like to see them?”
“What is the customer’s response? Why?

44. Another Projective Technique:
Shopping Lists -- Ask respondents about the type of person who would buy a particular group of products
Instructions to Subjects:
“Read the shopping list below. Try to project yourself into the situation as far as possible until you can more or less characterize the woman who bought the groceries. Then write a brief description of her personality and character. Whenever possible indicate what factors influenced your judgment.”

45. Advantages Disadvantages
May elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study. non-threatening
Helpful when underlying motivations, beliefs and attitudes are operating at a subconscious level.
Disadvantages
Require highly trained interviewers and interpreters of results
Serious risk of misinterpreting.
Subjectivity
Is the psychological material uncovered related to the topic or to the person?