1. Focus Groups

2. What is a Focus Group?
Group of people jointly participate in the interview
8-12 people (5-7 becoming more popular size)
Unstructured/Structured interview
Moderator
Used to define problems, provide background, form hypotheses

3. Why Use A Focus Group? New Product Development Studies
Positioning Studies
Habits and Usage
Packaging Assessment
Attitude Studies
Advertising/Copy Evaluation
Promotion Evaluation
Idea Generation
Employee Attitude/Motivation Studies

4. Advantages of Focus Groups
Group “Think”
Uncover “True” Feelings
Depth of Feelings
Fast
Easy
Relatively Low Cost

5. Disadvantages of Focus Groups
Non-Representative of Overall Population
Additional Data Probably Needed
Errors Due to Moderator
Sensitive Issues

6. Responsibilities of the Moderator
Success of focus group.
Experience, Enthusiasm, Prepared, Involved, Energetic, and Open-Minded.
Must Have a Discussion Guide (Written outline of topics to be covered).
Discussion Guide Leads Discussion Through (1) Establishment of rapport and rules for group interactions, (2) Provocation of intensive discussion, and (3) Summarization of significant conclusions and testing the limits of belief and commitment.

7. Activities Before the Focus Group
Determine Research Objective
Select Moderator
Participants
Number - Time
Screen - Geographic Location
Homogeneous
Develop Moderator Guide
Introduction - Key Content Section
Warm-up - Summary
Details - Debrief
Select Facility

8. Activities at the Focus Group Facility
Supervise the re-screening of participants
Use of “Pre” and/or “Post” Survey
Provide food for participants
Manage noise level
Provide name cards for participants
Room Set-up
Debrief the participants

9. Issues Concerning Focus Groups
Size
Structure
Composition
Video Taping (Digital Capture)
Payment

10. Pricing Issues Related to Focus Groups
Development of the Discussion Guide
Field Supervision (Facility mgt)
Meals - Travel
Payment of Subjects - Videotaping
Costs for Facilities - Parking
Moderating
Transcription
Data Analysis
Report Writing
Report Presentation

11. Other Qualitative Techniques
Depth Interviews (1 on 1 Interviews) with consumers may reveal what they are thinking or why they have acted a certain way.
A depth interview uncovers conscious reasons that interviewees may not disclose without probing questions.
Griffin and Hauser (Marketing Science 1993) report: (1) 1-to-1 interviews may be more cost-effective than focus groups, (2) that interviews are necessary to get 90%-95% of the customer needs, and (3) multiple analysts or team members should read and interpret raw transcripts.

12. Other Qualitative Techniques (May be Useful for Focus Groups)
Protocol Analysis: Requires subjects to “think aloud.”
Projective Techniques: Here people often divulge something about themselves they would not divulge with direct questioning. Examples include word association, sentence completion, picture, cartoon, or role-playing tests.

13. Other Qualitative Techniques
Word Association
Sentence and Story
Completion Tests:
Source: McDaniels & Gates
(2002, p. 150)

14. Other Projective Techniques
Picture Tests: Participants are provided with pictures and then instructed to describe their reactions by writing a short story about the picture. This is a good ways to test potential ads.
Cartoon or
Balloon Tests:
Role-Playing Activity: Here participants are asked to pretend that they are a “third person,” such as a friend or neighbor, and to describe how they would act in a certain situation or to a specific statement.
Chevy Volt