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Focus Group in Market Research: Types, Examples and Best Practices

Market Research Specialist

Emma David, a seasoned market research professional, specializes in employee engagement, survey administration, and data management. Her expertise in leveraging data for informed decisions has positively impacted several brands, enhancing their market position.

Focus Group is one of the critical components of market research. It is an interactive group discussion method where selected participants share their thoughts on a particular product, service, or other things. 

Suppose you are planning to launch a new product in the market. But before that, you want to undertake extensive market research to understand customers’ thoughts and opinions. Although surveys and questionnaires are helpful to a certain extent in conducting in-depth research, it’s not practical to extract enough actionable insights into a customers’ thought process or feelings. Moreover, they can’t provide quantitative data about the subject.

By conducting a focus group, you can understand what your target audience will like, so you can incorporate those elements into it before launching the product in the market. Or how much they are ready to spend so you can set the pricing accordingly. 

This blog will discuss what a focus group is, its advantages, examples, and how to conduct one for your next research.

Let’s start.

What Is a Focus Group?

A focus group is one of the most popular and effective market research methods of gathering qualitative data through group interaction. It consists of a small group of people (usually 6-10) and a moderator to participate in a discussion. People are selected based on shared characteristics like geographic location, age group, ethnicity, shopping behavior, shopping history, or other such factors. The participants share their thoughts and feelings on the particular subject so the researcher can collect valuable data and make informed decisions.

The purpose of conducting a focus group is to understand a topic, whether it is a product, service, belief, perception, or anything in greater depth. It is used to identify people’s opinions, attitudes, sentiments and explore the reasons behind these.

Characteristics of Focus Groups

For focus research to be effective, it is essential to have the following given characteristics:

Small-Group of People

Usually, focus groups consist of 6-10 people. The group needs to be small in size to make a valuable contribution to the discussion. Large groups can hinder the focus discussion as some people may dominate the conversation, and others might not present their thoughts.

Homogenous Group

It is crucial for focus groups to have a degree of homogeneity. Specific topics can only be explored in greater depth when there is homogeneity among the participants about usage or attitudes toward the product. The participants can be similar in terms of demographic, geographical,  psychographic, purchase behavior, attitude, or any other criteria that suit your research.

Open-Ended Questions

Focus Group consists of pre-decided open-ended questions that enable participants to share their thoughts and feelings about the subject. For example, “what do you think about the features of this product?” It is important not to include close-ended questions like “Yes” or “No” as this will not result in open-ended, free-flowing discussion among the participants. 

Qualitative Data

Another essential characteristic of the focus group is that it offers qualitative data that is comprehensive in nature and not numerical. It provides a platform for in-depth discussion. Also, there is a lot more than the group interview. Essentially, it involves sharing first-hand opinions and experiences by participants. 

Types of Focus Group

Basically, there are 7 types of focus groups. Based on your research, you can select any type. Let’s have a look at them:

Two-Way Focus Group

It involves two groups; each group with its own moderator. One group discusses the topic while the other group listens and observes them. Then, the second group discusses the subject by observing the thoughts of the first group. This arrangement aims to facilitate more discussion and additional insights about the particular topic. 

Dual-Moderator Focus Group

In this type of opinion group, two moderators are used. One moderator ensures smooth execution of the session, the other guarantees that each question is covered in the discussion.

Dueling Moderator Focus Group

Just like the Dual-Moderator focus group, it also involves two moderators. The difference is that both moderators purposefully take opposite sides of the topic to explore both sides of an issue and generate new insights regarding the subject.

Client-Participant Focus Group

In this type of arrangement, a client who asked to conduct the focus group is also sitting as a participant with the group. It gives the client more control over the discussion, and he can lead the qualitative discussion wherever he wants to.

Respondent Moderator Focus Group

In this type of focus group, the researcher asks some participants to act as moderators for a temporary period to avoid unintentional bias. This type of arrangement changes the groups’ dynamics and makes people more open and honest with their answers.

Mini Focus Group

In contrast to a regular research focus group with 6-10 people, a mini focus group has only 4-5 people. This type of event is suitable when a more intimate approach is needed as ordered by the client and subject matter. 

Online Focus Group

Using a teleconference or the internet, the remote or online focus group brings together people from different places who might not meet in person. Here, participants interact through a video call, and the moderator asks the questions and leads the conversation.

How to Conduct a Focus Group

As discussed above, not all focus groups are the same. But there are some general steps that you can follow that help gather data from customers efficiently. Let’s discuss how to run a focus group:

1. Set Your Focus Group Objectives

Before you select the focus group participants, it is crucial to determine what you want to achieve from this activity. Why are you conducting this survey? For example, do you want to launch a new product or service? Or want to study in detail about your existing customers? Setting clear specific objectives will help you efficiently plan your focus group.

2. Select the Right Audience and Moderator

Establishing clear goals will help you decide the right target audience for focus groups. You need to select the people who have adequate knowledge of the topic so that they can add a valuable contribution to your group research. 

It is also equally necessary to select the right moderator. Your moderator should understand the topic, ensure participation from all members, and that group discussion is steering in the right direction that aligns with research objectives.

3. Choose Time and Venue

You can either conduct focus groups offline or online mode. Having a group discussion online will have greater flexibility as more people worldwide will be able to join the focus grouping from the comfort of their homes. If you decide to get together in person, make sure to select the location that is easy to find and access and is large enough to accommodate your participants in one space, like a meeting room or hall. 

Also, ensure to select the proper time when your target audience will be available. For instance, if your focus group requires professionals, you should go for weekends or after work hours. 

4. Write The Questions

The objective of conducting a focus group is to gather rich information. Hence, it is crucial to write the survey questions engagingly before you actually complete the event. Ensure to keep the questions open-ended with no particular answer implied. You can start questions with words like “how,” “why,” and “what” to get more participation from participants. For instance, “How do you feel about using this product?”

5. Conduct the Session and Analyze the Data

The next step is conducting the focus groups. While following the list of topics to be covered is vital, the moderator should also remain open-minded and allow participants to speak about the things that they believe are significant. Make sure to record or document the entire conversation that will help you analyze the data and make conclusions. 

Focus Group Research Best Practices

Running a successful focus group requires a lot of careful planning. So, if you’re new to this concept, you can follow the below tips to best utilize this qualitative research method .

Have a Clear Strategy

For a focus group to be successful, it is important to have a clear plan before inviting the participants. You should be clear in your approach what end-result you want to achieve. For instance, you want qualitative data regarding the launch of new products or the effect of change in the pricing of existing products.

Ask Important Questions in the Beginning

Usually, the participants are most focused at the beginning of the event. So, try to ask the most crucial focus group questions at the event’s start and steer the conservation in the direction that matches the research objectives. This will also ensure that all the essential questions are covered before the time runs out.

Use Ice Breaker Questions

You can ask the participants to introduce themselves or ask quick icebreaker questions at the beginning of the event. It will help people ease up and interact more with other participants during the focus group discussions. 

Select the Convenient Venue

It is vital to select a public place for the focus group discussion that is easy to access, well connected by public transport, and has good parking. It will ensure that participants arrive on time without facing any significant difficulties. You can also provide clear instructions on reaching the location to your audience before the event.

Create a Relaxing Environment

Participants will speak openly and freely only when they feel comfortable. Ensure to set a comfortable temperature in the hall/room, proper seating space, and arrange water bottles for everyone. You can also offer light snacks if you think the discussion will take more than 1 hour. 

Try to Interact More With Quiet Participants

In a focus group, some individuals may sometimes dominate the topic, so make sure to approach quiet participants directly so you can gain insights from everyone. You don’t have to be demanding; simply go around the room and direct particular focus group questionnaires to specific people.

Keep the Duration Short

In general, the longer your focus group runs, the less interested people are likely to be in it. This can make it more challenging for people to come up with creative ideas or have a lively debate. Try to keep it short by not exceeding 1-2 hour duration.

Focus Group Examples

A Focus group is used in various fields to collect quantitative data about a subject. It is used in situations where public opinions guide an action. Let’s look at some of the focus group examples:

Focus Group in Political Field

Suppose a political party is interested to know how the working population would react to change in a specific policy. They can conduct the focus group research method in this scenario, where they can select some of the respondents who will act as the representative sample of a population. By observing the respondents discussing those policies, market researchers would analyze the data and report their findings to the party.

Focus Group in Marketing Field

Focus groups are also used in the Marketing and Sales domain. For example, a marketing firm wants to launch a new cosmetic product for its female customers. So, they will conduct the focus group of females, where they will discuss what features are essential for them, how much they are willing to pay for those benefits, which product they are currently using, why they like it, and what problems they face while using the product. The researcher can collect in-depth data based on these discussions and draw a suitable conclusion.

Focus Group Question Examples

Focus group questions fall into four categories, each of which is discussed below.

Introductory Questions

Introductory Questions are usually open-ended questions that are asked at the beginning of the focus group. The purpose of these questions is to stimulate the members to interact with each other and set the tone of the discussion. You can use introductory focus group questions to drive the discussion in the way you want it to go.

• Today we are here to discuss product X. What are your thoughts about it?
• When was the last time you used product X?
• What is your favorite brand of product X? Why?
• How often do you use this product?
• From where did you hear about product X?
• What do you like the best about product X?
• What do you not like about product X?

Exploration Questions

As the name suggests, these questions explore the subject more deeply. They stimulate responses from the audience that offer detailed insight into what they think of the particular topic. Exploration questions should be structured to draw out as much information from members as possible. Let’s discuss some focus group questions examples in this case.

• What will you like to change about product X?
• What first comes to your mind when you think of product X?
• Why have you stopped using product X?
• What do you like about brand X as compared to brand Y?
• Has your usage of product X declined or increased in the last three years?
• What are your specific expectations while selecting this product?
• If brand X is not available in the market, which brand will you choose and why?

Follow-up Questions

After exploration questions are asked, follow-up questions are used to collect specific insights to clarify anything that is unclear or to invite more participation from participants. Let’s discuss some of the focus group examples for follow-up questions.

• How can product X be improved?
• You said …………………….. about product X. What do you mean by that?
• Can anyone else relate to this (Name) experience?
• What is it about product X that makes you feel this way?
• Is there anyone in the group that doesn’t feel this way about product X?
• What are the chances that you will recommend this product to others?

Exit Questions

After all the pre-decided topics have been covered, you can ask exit questions to ensure that nothing has been left unsaid. Make sure that your participants don’t leave the event with any lingering doubt. Exit questions are designed in a way to wrap the event. Let’s discuss some focus group questions examples in this case.

• Is there anything else that you would like to add about product X?
• Would you like to discuss any other topic related to the product?
• Anything else that you feel essential has not been covered during the discussion?
• We discussed in detail about brand X but not Y. Would you like to add anything about brand Y?

Advantages of Focus Group

The best part of focus groups is their interactive nature. It allows participants to interact and discuss topics in detail that offers rich qualitative data. Focus Groups are beneficial because they provide an alternate way of collecting data from target consumers without using surveys that only produce quantitative data. Getting into the minds of customers is extremely difficult. But the focus group research method provides an engaging way to gather first-hand information of customer thoughts, opinions, and perception of your brand, service, or product.

Also, focus groups are flexible by design. You can understand what customers feel about the subject by their body language and way of speaking. Moreover, you can steer the discussion to match your research objectives to collect the information you want.

Ready to Collect Qualitative Data to Obtain Rich Customer Insight?

By now, you must have understood the importance of a focus group. There is no better way to collect in-depth customer insights than conducting this extensive market research method. Focus groups can be utilized in different fields where the action is based on the customer’s opinion. It is an excellent way to get into a customer’s head. 

Focus groups can also be combined with other research methods like interviews and surveys to make it more effective. Based on the type of research and data you need, a focus group can be used with other research methods to offer actionable insights. You can use a robust survey tool to quickly deploy your survey and combine it with a focus group for efficient results.

About the author

Emma David is a seasoned market research professional with 8+ years of experience. Having kick-started her journey in research, she has developed rich expertise in employee engagement, survey creation and administration, and data management. Emma believes in the power of data to shape business performance positively. She continues to help brands and businesses make strategic decisions and improve their market standing through her understanding of research methodologies.

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What is a Focus Group and How to Use it in Your Market Research

Chances are, you’ve come across focus groups if you’ve looked into market research or other forms of research. 

The term focus group is often used as one of the key methods to gather qualitative research , in the market research sphere. Although not quite an interview, this hands-on approach spurs discussions between research participants, which have the potential to go into great depth on a subject of study.

As such, using this technique allows businesses to gain critical insights into their target market, along with all of its segments. 

These insights help you hone in on your marketing, branding, advertising and other business processes.

Focus groups can be conducted with other research methods , such as survey research and more.

That’s why you ought to familiarize yourself with this type of research technique. Luckily, this lengthy guide goes into the weeds of this form of research , allowing you to gain an exhaustive understanding and decide whether you should carry out this kind of research method.

This thorough guide explains what a focus group is, how to use it, how it works, its advantages and shortcomings, how it ranks against survey research and more. 

Table of Contents: What is a Focus Group and How to Use it in Your Market Research

The role of the moderator, focus group size, the focus group approach, participant discussions, focus group participants, post-research document of findings.

• Data Democratization in Post-Focus Group Research

How long does a focus group last?

The environment of the study, the types of questions used in focus groups, when to use a focus group, how online surveys are superior.

• Benefits That Are Second to None

Reach the Masses and Conduct Quantitative Research

Quantitative + qualitative data = a complete market research experience, no need to worry about recruitment, granular respondent targeting, anonymity, privacy and no social pressures, focus groups vs. an online survey platform: the verdict, defining focus groups.

Let’s begin with the heart of the matter: what is a focus group ? A focus group is a small group of people selected based on their specific shared characteristics, to take part in a discussion for market research , or other types of research . 

Focus groups are a kind of primary research . Unlike market research software , which is one of the most popular tools for conducting research in the present day, a focus group does not take place digitally—not before Covid, that is . Now, many events, whether they are research-related or otherwise, take place via online meetings. 

At any rate, focus groups occur with all members in one conjoint session , whether it’s in-person or over the internet. Researchers can opt to include a single or multiple focus group sessions, should they require further studies on the same topic or group of participants.

Focus groups are one of the main techniques of qualitative research , which delves into a wide variety of phenomena. These include: 

• Motivations 
• Reasoning behind actions
• Sentiments 

All of these aspects and topics of discussion can focus on the participants about various stimuli, such as current events, past events, plans, fears, culture, etc. 

Unlike quantitative data, which works to find the “what” and generate statistics, qualitative data aims at understanding a topic in greater depth.

Focus groups are composed of a small number of people who take part in a studied conversation alongside a moderator. The moderator is one of the main researchers assigned to this kind of study.

The role of the moderator is to ask questions, manage the discussion, make sure everyone speaks up and take notes on the discourse, which are later used to analyze it . Essentially, the moderator is a kind of host in this scenario.

Their role is multi-pronged , as they wear different hats in the study. The degree of their involvement in the study may depend on the other actors involved, typically other researchers who are part of the focus group or the larger research study. 

In addition, their roles may differ based on the other market research techniques their organization uses, whether it includes survey research , concept testing, experimental research , or others.

The following lists the different aspects of the role of the focus group moderator:

• Discussion driver
• Interviewer
• Post-session and on-site analyst

The typical size of a focus group ranges between 5-10 people. 5-7 is the ideal amount of focus group participants , as these groups are purposely kept small. 

That’s because when there are more than seven people present, it is difficult for every member to speak about a topic , or issue, and especially, to answer a specific question. It would also be difficult for the moderator to control a larger group and ensure everyone provides their insights. Additionally, some topics become irrelevant to continue discussing after the seventh person weighs in. 

This method provides an interactive approach for research participants to share their viewpoints and experiences and for researchers to collect critical data on their subjects.

In direct opposition to quantitative market research , focus groups do not involve crunching large numbers or making assumptions based on large quantities. Instead, they focus on a small group of participants who represent different market segments and customer personas . 

In keeping with the qualitative research approach, the moderator uses open-ended questions. The moderator may also use multiple-choice questions, but those are almost always followed up with questions to explain the reasoning behind choosing a particular answe r. 

Thus, these discussions are typically filled with questions that delve into the “why” and “how,” as they seek to uncover context and motivations.

The purpose of this qualitative research methodology is to gain a wealth of insights into customer behavior , customer preferences , attitudes, beliefs and more, by way of a hands-on approach. 

As such, the focus group method is intended to reap key insights from the discussion generated among participants . During the discussion, the participants are not solely encouraged to respond to questions the moderator asks  but to engage in conversations with other participants.

In doing so, participants are prompted to reflect on their memories and draw from their own experiences. 

The discussion of the focus is based on a pre-selected topic . This is usually tied to a larger market research campaign , which may be part of another business campaign, such as the strategic planning process , a marketing objective, a consumer insights campaign and more. 

In market research specifically, the participants of a focus group are members of a business’s or in broader studies, an industry’s target market . This is the broad range of customers who are most likely to buy from a business and are typically the targets of marketing campaigns.

The shared characteristics of the study can be based on demographics, psychographics, geographic location and firmographics . Firmographics characteristics are those that involve business, as such, they would be included in a B2B focus group. This is a study on other businesses, typically those who are clients of a business.

Demographic factors include characteristics such as gender, age range, ethnicity, income, education level, marital status, number of children and other such factors. These can include geographic locations, although geographical factors are considered a separate category in market segmentation .

Post-Focus Group Research

After the interview or set of interviews in this study, the moderator gathers the research and summarizes it. They may conduct their analysis or consult with other researchers on their team.

It is usually the other researchers who are better suited to understand and explain certain communication styles, and body language as well as to conduct further descriptive research . As such, there may be several rounds of analyses on the data from the focus group

Thus, in post-focus group research, which refers to post-interview research , there is usually a team of researchers involved in analyzing the group’s discussion and the data it produced. 

After conducting an analysis, the researchers, including the moderator, will consult with one another to turn the raw data and analyzed research into a presentable document. This document should include the following:

• The purpose of the focus group study
• Demographics
• Psychographics
• Geographies
• Firmographics (if business personnel were studied)
• Key findings
• Explanations of key beliefs, sentiments, opinions, or thoughts
• This should include comparing them on a higher level, as each participant can represent a different segment of a target market.
• These can include statistics drawn from other market research methods, such as using an online survey tool , other non-focus group interviews and even sources of secondary research.
• This should include what the researchers plan to do next with the data, especially about other team members.
• After all, most data and research campaigns should be actionable. You wouldn’t want your efforts and highly-coveted data to sit idly and gather dust.
• This should be concise and round off the study.
• It should include a few of the most important findings, along with the plan of action and next steps.

They would then share it with other members of their organization . This often depends on the purpose of the focus group study. 

For example, if it was for marketing purposes, the research would be primarily shared with the marketing team. If it was for customer development , it would be shared with the product team and so on. 

Data Democratization in Post-Focus Group Research 

There are going to be some cases in which the topic scrutinized in this kind of study doesn’t neatly correlate with a single department. This is perfectly fine, as certain business practices can be conducted cross-departmentally, or for the business at large.

This is where the democratization of data comes in. This concept refers to the practice and condition in which everybody in an organization has access to data. In such an environment there are no team members hindering access to the data. As such, there should be no bottlenecks preventing people from either using the data or understanding it.  

This points to the need for the data to be both highly accessible and understandable . This underscores the i mportance of creating the post-research document mentioned in the previous section.

It is this document that serves as the go-to source for examining a business’s focus group study , and most importantly, putting the study to good use . This means the actions the focus group yields will go beyond those outlined in the plan of action section in the study’s main document. 

Instead, in a democratized data environment, other team members, those who aren’t researchers or analysts, can analyze the data as well. This ability allows them to partake in the data for the decision-making process . 

This is important for all companies, as data goes unused in too many businesses. Even though  more companies are investing in customer data, up to 80% of all data goes unused . You wouldn’t want to waste your money and efforts on churning out data that goes unused. 

As such, data democratization is a must in all market research campaigns, including docs groups. 

How Focus Groups Work

Focus groups use a specific methodology to clear away any ambiguity. As aforementioned, the small group that makes up a focus group comprises 5-7 people . 

The participants are pre-recruited, similar to the mechanism for gaining research participants used in survey panels . They are enlisted based on shared characteristics, which are considered the subject of market research.

To reiterate, these characteristics include demographics, psychographics, purchase history, shopping behaviors, and other factors.  

The qualifications that researchers use to recruit participants often bind the participants to a brand’s target market. However, brands can also study people outside their target market to learn how other consumers think and possibly gain them as customers. 

Focus group discussions vary; they can involve feedback on a product, experience, or marketing campaign . They can also be used to discuss consumers’ opinions on different matters, such as pop culture, news and politics, especially if they relate to a brand’s industry. 

The discussions are led by a moderator , who prompts questions and talking points. The moderator sets the conversation in motion, along with acting as the researcher. As such, the moderator also notes their observations. 

The length, both in terms of questions and the discussion of the interviews themselves will vary. It is up to the moderator to decide whether they’ve gleaned enough information from the participants or not before moving on to another question or topic or ending the session .

Typically, these discussions involve using 10-12 questions to draw out responses on key topics that underpin the overall market research campaign. The discussion takes about 30 to 90 minutes.

A focus group environment should be o pen-minded as participants can have varying and even oppositional opinions. No one should be made to feel threatened or silenced, as every insight matters.

Focus groups are NOT to be conducted in the same way as interviews . They are far more interactive, but most importantly, they are not carried out on a one-on-one basis . Instead, they are group-focused activities, in which participants speak with each other instead of solely with an interviewer. 

As such, the participants may influence each other , possibly swaying the minds of some members, or reinforcing someone’s opinions. Some participants will draw opposition or even aversion to their responses from others, possibly from the moderators themselves. 

This is because they’re in the same broader target market, they are all individuals who hold their own opinions and convictions. 

Regardless , the moderator should not input any of their opinions or beliefs into the discussion and be as neutral as possible . They should assume this neutrality even if they severely disagree with any of the participants. 

Since focus groups are small, researchers often conduct several (3-4) of them, which includes hosting several interviews per focus group, across different geographic locations. This way they can reap the maximum amount of insights and satisfy all of their research campaigns.

The Pros and Cons of Focus Groups

This market research method offers several advantages. These will help propel you to understand your customer base or subject matter much better. They will also help carry your research to completion. But, they have a few drawbacks as well. Researchers and businesses ought to consider both before choosing this research method.

• Researchers can probe the deep feelings, perceptions and beliefs of their intended subjects.
• When members are engaged, they provide invaluable information that removes any obscurities surrounding a topic.
• They generate results fairly quickly, as each session lasts no more than 90 minutes.
• Researchers can study body language, facial expressions and other non-verbal signs.
• Not all questions need to be premeditated, as they can be produced based on the direction of the conversation.
• Given that this is a discussion, you may discover even more insights than you had originally planned, including on other adjacent topics.
• The thoughts of a small group that fits a target market are useful but are not representative of a larger population.
• Recruitment will take a significant portion of the time.
• Traversing different geographic areas, if need be, is also time-consuming.
• Some members will be dominant while others will contribute less to the discussion.
• Certain participants can sway the discussion, even making it veer towards irrelevant territories. 
• They can’t be used for quantitative research. 
• They are therefore subject to social pressures and acquiescence bias , in which respondents tend to select positive responses or those with positive connotations. 
• As such, there is a lack of accuracy, as these groups are not anonymous. 

The moderator of a focus group should ask specialized questions to reap as much intelligence as possible. While this format is generally flexible, there are still certain question types that you should incorporate. These will help you hatch the questions you’ll need. 

Here are the four types of questions that are most applicable to a focus group , along with question examples:  

• Engagement questions
• These questions are designed to ease participants into the discussion by introducing themselves, 
• These are easy questions posed early on to introduce the participants to each other, to make them more at ease, and to acquaint them with the main topic at hand. 
• Tell us a bit about yourself.
• What do you generally think about ads in this industry?
• What do you think of this ad campaign?
• Exploration questions
• These questions probe deeper into the topic to get a feel of the participants’ feelings about it. 
• These questions are to be asked after participants begin to ease into the conversation and become more active in it.
• Why do you feel that way?
• Have you seen better examples of this type of ad campaign?
• What would be a better way to go about it?
• Why do you feel this way about this [social] issue?
• Follow-up questions
• These are used to gain a better understanding of a previous question answered, or a previous topic addressed. 
• These allow the moderator to get into the nitty-gritty of participants’ feelings and motivations.
• How do you go about this issue?
• Why do you feel this way?
• Is there anything that would change your mind about [this issue, method, way, etc]?
• How can this brand improve on serving [you, releasing a campaign, etc]?
• Exit questions
• These questions help conclude the session and should be asked when the moderator is certain that the group has expressed everything they can on the topic.
• They should be used to get confirmation on certain notions.
• Are you sure these are the best approaches?
• Is there anything else on this topic you’d like to add?

Do you need a focus group? If you do, you’ll need to know when to use them, which is rooted in the reason behind conducting them in the first place. As such, the when is closely tied to the why and how.

In short, knowing when to use a focus group depends on what you need it for. This will require you to turn to your research campaigns and needs. The following presents a few key moments and reasonings for when you should use this kind of research technique:

• To better understand the results of primary quantitative research or secondary quantitative data about qualitative aspects.
• Whenever you need to gain an explanation of something, whether it’s a phenomenon, a thing of the past, something current, something you still don’t understand.
• When you seek a more interactive research method as opposed to a textual or digitally-based one.
• When you require information about behaviors, motivations and other phenomena that are too complex for a questionnaire alone to reveal.
• In this case, the senior center already has a batch of possible participants to choose from, being the members of the center.
• In this case, the club can choose from a wide range of students at the college. They can promote their group via signs, a booth, email, etc.

Focus Groups Vs Online Surveys

Now that you’ve learned about the ins and outs of focus groups, it’s time to see how they stack up with another research method: online surveys . It’s key to compare them closely when you decide on the best research method you wish to conduct.

A focus group is a suitable method to garner qualitative research . It is far more interactive than seeking and providing written responses. So how do focus groups measure up against online surveys? 

This method is useful for finding deep insights into a topic. It allows researchers to get as granular as possible, since they are speaking with the research subjects themselves and can ask anything that they didn’t include in a survey.

The following expounds on why online surveys provide researchers with more meaningful results and a more comprehensive market research experience. Use these insights to compare with the benefits of focus groups to determine the better option for your research needs.

Benefits that are second to none

An online survey platform , however, offers benefits that are second to no other market research method . That is because surveys offer more definitive results about a population  since they are not limited to 10 or fewer research participants.

A potent online survey tool allows you to reach thousands of people — in just one survey alone.

This means surveys are the most apt tool for conducting quantitative research, something that a focus group cannot do . 

What’s more, is that surveys can include open-ended questions and follow-up questions (depending on the online survey platform you use). This proves that surveys can also forge qualitative market research. 

Thus , online survey platforms grant you the power to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research, giving you the most holistic research experience possible.

Additionally, there is no recruitment element. The survey platform is the recruiter in this case, as it allows only qualified respondents to take part in a survey . 

You can create respondent requirements that are as granular as you wish, covering every minute detail of a customer profile and reaching any population. 

This is because a strong online survey platform enables researchers to select precise respondent criteria , the kind that goes far beyond demographic selections alone.

That is because the screener portion of an online survey allows you to ask specific questions and only permits respondents who chose particular answers to take the survey.  

When taking an online survey, respondents cannot be swayed by other participants as they would in a focus group as surveys are lone activities. Therefore, respondents take them in privacy. 

Most importantly, survey software grants responders anonymity . There is no anonymity in a focus group, so more reserved members will feel less inclined to speak about certain things. 

Additionally, when domineering respondents are present, it adds another layer of difficulty to the reticent participants , especially when it comes to speaking about views that are contrary to those of a dominant member.

However, with the anonymity of a survey, respondents are free to speak their minds. As such, surveys too can provide qualitative details — so long as researchers include open-ended questions.

So which is the better research technique? The answer is, it depends on your needs. Most often a focus group is used in tandem with other market research methods. As such, we recommend using both online surveys and focus groups for your research campaigns.

Here’s why:

Researchers can use a focus group to their advantage when they seek deeper insights into the perceptions and thoughts of various business matters. 

Whether you’re testing out a new product idea, seeking the sentiment on an ad campaign, trying out new messaging, or seeking insights for any other purpose, a focus group is a useful method. However, they are but one market research method; as such they can and often are used with other market research techniques. 

However, survey research is one of the most powerful forms of research , in that it empowers researchers to probe into anything and reach relatively anyone (should the survey platform allow it). 

A strong online survey tool will deploy your survey to the most popular websites and apps , and take no more than 2 days to gather the number of respondents you input. In addition, it can send your survey to specific individuals through specific online channel s , such as social media, email, or landing pages. Your survey platform would need to offer the Distribution Link feature to do this.

In addition, the online survey platform you choose should allow you to create logic in your survey, that is, to route respondents to appropriate follow-up questions based on the answer they provide to a question . Choose a platform that offers advanced skip logic to do this. 

All in all, researchers who are serious about conducting market research campaigns should use surveys alongside any other research method , including that of a focus group. It provides quantitative data, which focus groups do not, along with a wide breadth of key features and capabilities to complete any market research campaign. 

Frequently asked questions

What is a focus group.

A focus group is a small group of survey research subjects, typically composed of 6-10 participants who take part in a moderated discussion about a particular topic. The participants are chosen based upon similar characteristics.

What is the moderator’s role in a focus group?

The moderator of a focus group leads the discussion by asking questions, proposing talking points, studying the responses and taking notes on the findings. The moderator keeps the conversion flowing and ensures that the discussion remains amicable, even when discussing sensitive topics or opposing opinions.

How can focus groups support a qualitative research project?

Focus groups are used in qualitative research to help gain a deeper understanding of the motivations behind the behavior, attitudes, or feelings of a group of people. By directly addressing a portion of the sample population, researchers can delve into the “why” or “how” behind data that has already been collected.

What are some of the benefits of a focus group?What are some of the disadvantages of focus groups? Focus groups are conducted with a smaller group of people, therefore the recruitment phase can take longer and the thoughts of the group may not represent the larger population. In addition, it is possible that stronger voices can dominate the conversation and influence or obscure the findings.

Focus groups allow for the exploration of deep feelings and opinions, can provoke thoughtful insights, provide quick results, allow researchers to study non-verbal signals that accompany the discussion, and can result in unexpected information.

What are some of the disadvantages of focus groups?

Focus groups are conducted with a smaller group of people, therefore the recruitment phase can take longer and the thoughts of the group may not represent the larger population. In addition, it is possible that stronger voices can dominate the conversation and influence or obscure the findings.

Do you want to distribute your survey? Pollfish offers you access to millions of targeted consumers to get survey responses from $0.95 per complete. Launch your survey today.

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Home » Focus Groups – Steps, Examples and Guide

Focus Groups – Steps, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

Focus Group

Definition:

A focus group is a qualitative research method used to gather in-depth insights and opinions from a group of individuals about a particular product, service, concept, or idea.

The focus group typically consists of 6-10 participants who are selected based on shared characteristics such as demographics, interests, or experiences. The discussion is moderated by a trained facilitator who asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes towards the topic.

Focus groups are an effective way to gather detailed information about consumer behavior, attitudes, and perceptions, and can provide valuable insights to inform decision-making in a range of fields including marketing, product development, and public policy.

Types of Focus Group

The following are some types or methods of Focus Groups:

Traditional Focus Group

This is the most common type of focus group, where a small group of people is brought together to discuss a particular topic. The discussion is typically led by a skilled facilitator who asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions.

Mini Focus Group

A mini-focus group involves a smaller group of participants, typically 3 to 5 people. This type of focus group is useful when the topic being discussed is particularly sensitive or when the participants are difficult to recruit.

Dual Moderator Focus Group

In a dual-moderator focus group, two facilitators are used to manage the discussion. This can help to ensure that the discussion stays on track and that all participants have an opportunity to share their opinions.

Teleconference or Online Focus Group

Teleconferences or online focus groups are conducted using video conferencing technology or online discussion forums. This allows participants to join the discussion from anywhere in the world, making it easier to recruit participants and reducing the cost of conducting the focus group.

Client-led Focus Group

In a client-led focus group, the client who is commissioning the research takes an active role in the discussion. This type of focus group is useful when the client has specific questions they want to ask or when they want to gain a deeper understanding of their customers.

The following Table can explain Focus Group types more clearly

How To Conduct a Focus Group

To conduct a focus group, follow these general steps:

Define the Research Question

Identify the key research question or objective that you want to explore through the focus group. Develop a discussion guide that outlines the topics and questions you want to cover during the session.

Recruit Participants

Identify the target audience for the focus group and recruit participants who meet the eligibility criteria. You can use various recruitment methods such as social media, online panels, or referrals from existing customers.

Select a Venue

Choose a location that is convenient for the participants and has the necessary facilities such as audio-visual equipment, seating, and refreshments.

Conduct the Session

During the focus group session, introduce the topic, and review the objectives of the research. Encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions by asking open-ended questions and probing deeper into their responses. Ensure that the discussion remains on topic and that all participants have an opportunity to contribute.

Record the Session

Use audio or video recording equipment to capture the discussion. Note-taking is also essential to ensure that you capture all key points and insights.

Analyze the data

Once the focus group is complete, transcribe and analyze the data. Look for common themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from the discussion. Use this information to generate insights and recommendations that can be applied to the research question.

When to use Focus Group Method

The focus group method is typically used in the following situations:

Exploratory Research

When a researcher wants to explore a new or complex topic in-depth, focus groups can be used to generate ideas, opinions, and insights.

Product Development

Focus groups are often used to gather feedback from consumers about new products or product features to help identify potential areas for improvement.

Marketing Research

Focus groups can be used to test marketing concepts, messaging, or advertising campaigns to determine their effectiveness and appeal to different target audiences.

Customer Feedback

Focus groups can be used to gather feedback from customers about their experiences with a particular product or service, helping companies improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Public Policy Research

Focus groups can be used to gather public opinions and attitudes on social or political issues, helping policymakers make more informed decisions.

Examples of Focus Group

Here are some real-time examples of focus groups:

• A tech company wants to improve the user experience of their mobile app. They conduct a focus group with a diverse group of users to gather feedback on the app’s design, functionality, and features. The focus group consists of 8 participants who are selected based on their age, gender, ethnicity, and level of experience with the app. During the session, a trained facilitator asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions on the app. The facilitator also observes the participants’ behavior and reactions to the app’s features. After the focus group, the data is analyzed to identify common themes and issues raised by the participants. The insights gathered from the focus group are used to inform improvements to the app’s design and functionality, with the goal of creating a more user-friendly and engaging experience for all users.
• A car manufacturer wants to develop a new electric vehicle that appeals to a younger demographic. They conduct a focus group with millennials to gather their opinions on the design, features, and pricing of the vehicle.
• A political campaign team wants to develop effective messaging for their candidate’s campaign. They conduct a focus group with voters to gather their opinions on key issues and identify the most persuasive arguments and messages.
• A restaurant chain wants to develop a new menu that appeals to health-conscious customers. They conduct a focus group with fitness enthusiasts to gather their opinions on the types of food and drinks that they would like to see on the menu.
• A healthcare organization wants to develop a new wellness program for their employees. They conduct a focus group with employees to gather their opinions on the types of programs, incentives, and support that would be most effective in promoting healthy behaviors.
• A clothing retailer wants to develop a new line of sustainable and eco-friendly clothing. They conduct a focus group with environmentally conscious consumers to gather their opinions on the design, materials, and pricing of the clothing.

Purpose of Focus Group

The key objectives of a focus group include:

Generating New Ideas and insights

Focus groups are used to explore new or complex topics in-depth, generating new ideas and insights that may not have been previously considered.

Understanding Consumer Behavior

Focus groups can be used to gather information on consumer behavior, attitudes, and perceptions to inform marketing and product development strategies.

Testing Concepts and Ideas

Focus groups can be used to test marketing concepts, messaging, or product prototypes to determine their effectiveness and appeal to different target audiences.

Gathering Customer Feedback

Informing decision-making.

Focus groups can provide valuable insights to inform decision-making in a range of fields including marketing, product development, and public policy.

Advantages of Focus Group

The advantages of using focus groups are:

• In-depth insights: Focus groups provide in-depth insights into the attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of a target audience on a specific topic, allowing researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the issues being explored.
• Group dynamics: The group dynamics of focus groups can provide additional insights, as participants may build on each other’s ideas, share experiences, and debate different perspectives.
• Efficient data collection: Focus groups are an efficient way to collect data from multiple individuals at the same time, making them a cost-effective method of research.
• Flexibility : Focus groups can be adapted to suit a range of research objectives, from exploratory research to concept testing and customer feedback.
• Real-time feedback: Focus groups provide real-time feedback on new products or concepts, allowing researchers to make immediate adjustments and improvements based on participant feedback.
• Participant engagement: Focus groups can be a more engaging and interactive research method than surveys or other quantitative methods, as participants have the opportunity to express their opinions and interact with other participants.

Limitations of Focus Groups

While focus groups can provide valuable insights, there are also some limitations to using them.

• Small sample size: Focus groups typically involve a small number of participants, which may not be representative of the broader population being studied.
• Group dynamics : While group dynamics can be an advantage of focus groups, they can also be a limitation, as dominant personalities may sway the discussion or participants may not feel comfortable expressing their true opinions.
• Limited generalizability : Because focus groups involve a small sample size, the results may not be generalizable to the broader population.
• Limited depth of responses: Because focus groups are time-limited, participants may not have the opportunity to fully explore or elaborate on their opinions or experiences.
• Potential for bias: The facilitator of a focus group may inadvertently influence the discussion or the selection of participants may not be representative, leading to potential bias in the results.
• Difficulty in analysis : The qualitative data collected in focus groups can be difficult to analyze, as it is often subjective and requires a skilled researcher to interpret and identify themes.

Characteristics of Focus Group

• Small group size: Focus groups typically involve a small number of participants, ranging from 6 to 12 people. This allows for a more in-depth and focused discussion.
• Targeted participants: Participants in focus groups are selected based on specific criteria, such as age, gender, or experience with a particular product or service.
• Facilitated discussion: A skilled facilitator leads the discussion, asking open-ended questions and encouraging participants to share their thoughts and experiences.
• I nteractive and conversational: Focus groups are interactive and conversational, with participants building on each other’s ideas and responding to one another’s opinions.
• Qualitative data: The data collected in focus groups is qualitative, providing detailed insights into participants’ attitudes, opinions, and behaviors.
• Non-threatening environment: Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences in a non-threatening and supportive environment.
• Limited time frame: Focus groups are typically time-limited, lasting between 1 and 2 hours, to ensure that the discussion stays focused and productive.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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What is a Focus Group and How to Conduct It? (+ Examples)

Appinio Research · 14.09.2023 · 19min read

Have you ever wondered how businesses gain deep insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and opinions? Introducing focus groups—a powerful tool that unlocks the authentic voices of participants and reveals invaluable qualitative data. In this guide, we'll walk you through every step of the focus group process, from meticulous planning and skillful moderation to insightful analysis and actionable recommendations. Whether you're a researcher, marketer, or decision-maker, this guide equips you with the knowledge and strategies to harness the potential of focus groups and make informed, impactful decisions.

What is a Focus Group?

At its core, a focus group is a structured conversation involving a small group of individuals who share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences regarding a particular subject. The primary purpose of a focus group is to uncover nuanced insights that might not emerge through other research methods . You're essentially providing a platform for participants to express themselves freely, leading to a richer, more holistic understanding of the topic.

Why are Focus Groups Important in Market Research?

Focus groups play a pivotal role in market research . They allow you to delve into consumers' motivations, desires, and pain points, helping businesses tailor their products and services to better meet customer needs. Unlike quantitative data, focus groups provide qualitative context, shedding light on "why" people feel the way they do.

Focus groups serve as invaluable tools for gaining insights into people's opinions, attitudes, and perceptions. They bring together a diverse group of participants to engage in open discussions on a specific topic, offering qualitative data that goes beyond quantitative surveys. 

Benefits of Conducting Focus Groups

Conducting focus groups offers a range of benefits that contribute to informed decision-making and improved outcomes:

• Rich Insights: Focus groups elicit detailed responses, offering a deeper understanding of participants' perspectives.
• Real-time Interaction: Observing participants' interactions in real-time provides valuable non-verbal cues that text-based surveys can't capture.
• Group Dynamics: Group discussions can stimulate new ideas as participants bounce thoughts off each other.
• Uncovering Unconscious Factors: Focus groups can reveal subconscious opinions or emotions that participants might not even be aware of.
• Flexible Approach: The open-ended nature of focus groups allows for unexpected insights to emerge.

How to Set Up a Focus Group?

Before you embark on your focus group journey, thorough planning and meticulous preparation are crucial to ensuring the success of your sessions. Let's delve deeper into each step of this vital phase.

1. Identify Research Objectives

Research objectives serve as the compass guiding your focus group sessions. Clearly define what you aim to achieve through these discussions. Are you seeking insights into customer preferences, testing a new product concept, or exploring perceptions of a brand? Align your objectives with the overarching goals of your research to maintain focus and relevance.

2. Select Participant Demographics

Choosing the right participants is instrumental in obtaining diverse and representative insights. Consider the characteristics that are relevant to your research objectives. These may include:

• Income level

By selecting participants who mirror your target audience, you enhance the accuracy and applicability of your findings.

3. Recruit Participants

Effective participant recruitment is crucial for the success of your focus groups. Utilize various channels such as social media, online forums, email lists, and professional networks. Craft clear and compelling recruitment messages that communicate the focus group's purpose and participation benefits. Ensure that participants are genuinely interested, reliable, and willing to engage in open discussions.

4. Create Discussion Guidelines

Discussion guidelines provide structure to your focus group sessions while allowing for spontaneous conversations. Clearly outline the scope of the discussion, the key topics you intend to cover, and any specific areas of interest. Having a flexible framework ensures that discussions remain on track while permitting organic exploration of the subject matter.

5. Choose a Skilled Moderator

The role of the moderator is pivotal in shaping the dynamics and outcomes of your focus group. Opt for a skilled moderator who possesses strong facilitation and interpersonal skills. The moderator should be capable of guiding discussions, managing group dynamics, and ensuring that all participants have an equal opportunity to contribute. A skilled moderator can navigate unexpected twists in the conversation and encourage deeper insights.

How to Design a Focus Group?

Designing your focus group sessions requires thoughtful consideration of various elements to create an environment conducive to rich discussions.

1. Determine Group Size

The size of your focus group impacts the quality of interactions and the depth of insights. Aim for a balance between having a sufficiently diverse group and maintaining a manageable discussion. Generally, a group of 6 to 10 participants is optimal, allowing for a variety of viewpoints without overwhelming the conversation.

2. Select the Location

The choice of location plays a significant role, particularly for in-person focus groups. Select a comfortable and neutral venue that minimizes distractions and fosters open dialogue. If virtual sessions are more practical, ensure that the online platform is user-friendly and accessible to all participants, regardless of their technical proficiency.

3. Set the Duration

The duration of your focus group session impacts participant engagement and the quality of insights. Sessions typically last between 1 to 2 hours, striking a balance between allowing participants to delve into the topic without exhausting their attention spans. Longer sessions may lead to participant fatigue, which can hinder the quality of responses.

4. Prepare Stimuli (if applicable)

If your research involves presenting stimuli such as visuals, prototypes, or samples, careful preparation is essential. Ensure that your material is ready and relevant to the discussion topics. Stimuli can serve as conversation starters and tangible references for participants, enriching the depth of their responses.

5. Develop Open-Ended Questions

Crafting open-ended questions is an art that drives meaningful conversations. These questions encourage participants to openly share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Avoid closed-ended or leading questions, as they limit the scope of responses. Developing thoughtful and open-ended prompts creates opportunities for participants to express themselves authentically.

As you move forward with your focus group journey, remember that every aspect of planning and designing contributes to the quality of insights you'll gain. Your meticulous preparation sets the stage for rich, valuable discussions that uncover nuances and perspectives that quantitative data alone can't provide.

How to Conduct a Focus Group?

With your meticulous planning in place, it's time to bring your focus group to life. Conducting a focus group involves skillful facilitation, attentive moderation, and the ability to navigate diverse perspectives.

Let's explore the intricacies of this process and how to ensure a successful session.

Icebreaker Activities

Begin your focus group session with engaging icebreaker activities. Icebreakers serve multiple purposes, from easing participants into the conversation to creating a comfortable atmosphere for open sharing.

Some common icebreaker activities include:

• Introduction Round: Have each participant introduce themselves, sharing their name, background, and a fun fact related to the topic.
• "Two Truths and a Lie": Participants share two factual statements and one false statement about themselves, prompting discussion as others guess the lie.

Establishing Group Norms

Setting clear group norms from the outset creates a respectful and productive discussion environment. Norms ensure participants feel valued, heard, and safe sharing their viewpoints.

• Active Listening: Encourage attentive listening by asking participants to refrain from interrupting while others speak.
• Respectful Interaction: Emphasize the importance of respectful disagreement and constructive feedback.
• Confidentiality: Stress that participants should keep the discussion content confidential, fostering an environment of trust.
• Equal Participation: Encourage balanced participation by ensuring everyone has a chance to share their thoughts.

Moderator's Role and Techniques

The role of the moderator is pivotal in guiding discussions while maintaining a balanced and focused conversation. A skilled moderator employs various techniques to facilitate meaningful interactions:

• Active Listening: The moderator listens attentively to participants' responses, demonstrating that their opinions are valued.
• Probing: The moderator asks follow-up questions to dig deeper into participants' responses and uncover underlying motivations.
• Reflection: Summarizing participants' contributions shows that their thoughts are being accurately captured.
• Redirecting: If discussions veer off-topic, the moderator gently guides the conversation back to the main subject.

Encouraging Balanced Participation

Balanced involvement ensures that all participants have the opportunity to contribute. Some individuals naturally dominate discussions, while others might hesitate to speak up.

Techniques to encourage balanced participation include:

• Direct Questions: Address specific questions to participants who haven't spoken much, inviting their input.
• Round-Robin Sharing: Go around the group, giving each participant a chance to share their thoughts on a particular topic.
• Thought Pairing: Ask participants to pair up and share their perspectives with a partner before sharing with the larger group.

Probing for Deeper Insights

As discussions progress, employing probing techniques helps uncover deeper insights beneath surface-level responses. Probing involves asking follow-up questions that encourage participants to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings:

• "Why" Questions: Ask participants to explain the reasoning behind their opinions. For example, "Why do you think this approach would be effective?"
• "Tell Me More" Prompt: Encourage participants to elaborate by simply asking them to share more details about a specific point they made.
• Hypothetical Scenarios: Present hypothetical scenarios related to the topic and ask participants how they would respond, leading to more nuanced insights.

By skillfully employing these techniques, you can create an environment where participants feel comfortable expressing their opinions and where discussions naturally flow, leading to in-depth insights that you can later analyze.

How to Collect Focus Group Data?

With your focus group sessions successfully conducted, the next phase involves extracting meaningful insights from the rich discussions. We'll look at popular data collection and analysis methods to ensure that your findings are both accurate and actionable.

Recording and Transcribing Sessions

Recording focus group sessions is essential to capture participants' responses in their own words and preserve the nuances of the conversation.

• Recording: Use audio or video recording equipment to capture the entire discussion. Ensure that participants are comfortable with being recorded and understand the purpose of the recording.
• Transcribing: Transcribe the recorded sessions verbatim. Transcriptions provide a textual version of the discussions, which is easier to review and analyze.

Identifying Key Themes and Patterns

As you review the transcribed discussions, focus on identifying emerging themes and patterns. Themes are recurring topics or ideas that participants discuss, while patterns involve the connections between these themes. Look for insights that align with your research objectives.

• Open Coding: Start with open coding, where you assign preliminary labels to sections of the text corresponding to certain themes.
• Axial Coding: Organize the open codes into broader categories or themes, establishing relationships between them.
• Selective Coding: Refine the codes further, focusing on the most significant themes and their connections.

Coding and Categorizing Responses

Coding and categorization involve systematically organizing participants' responses based on identified themes and patterns. This process allows you to aggregate and compare the data, making it easier to draw conclusions.

• Codebook Development: Create a codebook that outlines the themes, definitions, and examples for each code.
• Applying Codes: Read through the transcribed data and apply the relevant codes to sections corresponding to each theme.
• Categorization: Group similar codes together to form categories that encapsulate broader concepts.

Using Qualitative Analysis Software

Qualitative analysis software can streamline the process of coding, categorization, and data management. Platforms like Appinio offer features that enhance the efficiency and accuracy of your analysis:

• Code Management: Software allows you to easily create, apply, and modify codes.
• Search and Retrieval: Quickly search for specific keywords or themes within the transcribed data.
• Visualization: Some tools provide visual representations of the data, making it easier to identify patterns and trends.

Extracting Actionable Insights

From the coded and categorized data, you can extract actionable insights that inform decision-making. These insights are drawn from the participants' perspectives and can lead to improvements in products, services, or strategies:

• Quoting Participant Responses: Use direct quotes from participants to illustrate key points and provide authenticity to your findings.
• Patterns and Trends: Identify overarching patterns and trends that provide a holistic understanding of participants' opinions.
• Identify Opportunities: Look for opportunities for innovation, improvements, or addressing pain points that participants highlight.

By meticulously analyzing the transcribed data and extracting meaningful insights, you bridge the gap between raw conversation and actionable recommendations that can drive positive change.

How to Analyze Focus Group Data?

As you move into the interpretation and reporting phase of your focus group research, you'll synthesize the gathered insights into a coherent narrative. Here's how you can effectively interpret and communicate your findings to various stakeholders.

1. Summarize Findings

Summarizing the key findings of your focus group sessions provides a concise overview of the insights gathered. Focus on the most salient themes, patterns, and opinions that emerged during the discussions. This summary sets the stage for more in-depth exploration in the subsequent sections.

2. Relate Findings to Research Objectives

Connect the dots between your findings and the initial research objectives you established. Highlight how each identified theme or pattern addresses specific research goals. This linkage reinforces the relevance of your insights and underscores the value of your focus group research.

3. Provide Rich Descriptions

Enrich your report with detailed descriptions of participants' responses. These descriptions add depth and context to your findings, helping stakeholders understand the nuances of participants' opinions and perspectives. Paint a vivid picture of the discussions to ensure your audience gains a comprehensive understanding.

4. Incorporate Participant Quotes

Incorporating direct quotes from participants adds authenticity and humanizes your findings. Quotes allow stakeholders to hear participants' voices firsthand, making the insights more relatable. Select quotes that encapsulate key points, emotions, or unique perspectives shared during the focus group discussions.

5. Make Data-Driven Recommendations

Formulate actionable recommendations based on the insights extracted from your focus group data. These recommendations should be grounded in the participants' perspectives and aligned with your research objectives. Whether refining a marketing strategy, modifying a product feature, or enhancing customer service, your recommendations should be informed and practical.

How to Lead a Focus Group?

Conducting focus groups comes with its own set of challenges. By adhering to best practices, you can navigate these challenges effectively and ensure the integrity of your research.

• Ensure Objectivity and Impartiality: Maintain objectivity throughout your focus group research. As the moderator, your role is facilitating discussions, not influencing outcomes. Avoid expressing personal opinions or steering the conversation in a particular direction.
• Minimize Groupthink and Bias: Be vigilant about group dynamics that might lead to groupthink, where participants conform to the majority opinion. Encourage diverse viewpoints and foster an environment where participants feel comfortable expressing dissenting views.
• Deal with Dominant Participants: In some focus groups, specific individuals may dominate the conversation. Gently redirect the discussion to ensure all participants have an equal contribution opportunity. Use techniques like directly addressing quieter participants for their input.
• Address Sensitive Topics: When discussing sensitive topics, create a supportive and nonjudgmental environment. Approach these discussions with empathy and use considerate language. Clearly communicate that participants are free to share their thoughts without fear of judgment.
• Adapt to Virtual Focus Groups: Virtual focus groups offer convenience but present unique challenges. Ensure participants are comfortable with the technology and provide clear instructions for joining the virtual session. Be prepared to troubleshoot technical issues that may arise.

Navigating these best practices and challenges ensures that your focus group research is conducted ethically, rigorously, and effectively.

Focus Group Examples

Let's explore how focus groups can be applied across various domains to extract valuable insights and drive informed decisions.

Example 1: SaaS Product Development

Imagine a SaaS company aiming to enhance its project management software. To gather insights for improvements, they conduct a focus group with current users:

• Planning: The company identifies research objectives, including user experience enhancement and feature preferences.
• Participants: They recruit a diverse group of existing users, ranging from freelancers to project managers.
• Discussion: The focus group discusses pain points, desired features, and overall user satisfaction.
• Analysis: The company analyzes transcribed discussions, identifying recurring themes like seamless collaboration and customizable dashboards.
• Insights: These insights lead to data-driven decisions, resulting in feature updates like improved collaboration tools and a user-customizable interface.

Example 2: Business Strategy Alignment

A retail chain considers expanding its product offerings. To align their business strategy with customer preferences, they conduct a focus group:

• Planning: The company defines research objectives to understand customer preferences and potential demand.
• Participants: They select a mix of loyal and potential new customers from various demographics.
• Discussion: The focus group explores participants' shopping habits, preferences, and thoughts on the proposed products.
• Analysis: The company identifies patterns, discovering that participants value eco-friendly products and unique offerings.
• Insights: Equipped with insights, the retail chain refines its expansion strategy to include sustainable products and innovative offerings, resonating with customer expectations.

Example 3: Academic Research

An academic researcher is exploring attitudes toward online learning. They decide to use focus groups to delve into students' perspectives:

• Planning: The researcher outlines research objectives centered around understanding students' experiences with online learning.
• Participants: A mix of online and in-person students with varying academic backgrounds and preferences.
• Discussion: The focus group conversations revolve around challenges, advantages, and suggestions for enhancing online education.
• Analysis: The researcher uncovers recurring themes, such as the importance of interactive content and effective communication.
• Insights: The researcher contributes to developing more engaging online courses, prioritizing interactive elements and clear communication channels.

These examples showcase the versatility of focus groups in capturing nuanced insights across diverse domains. Whether it's shaping software features, refining business strategies, or informing academic research, focus groups provide a platform to tap into authentic participant perspectives, resulting in well-informed decisions and strategies.

Focus groups are not just discussions—they're windows into understanding, catalysts for improvement, and sources of innovation. Following the steps outlined in this guide, you've gained the tools to orchestrate meaningful conversations, extract nuanced insights, and translate those insights into actionable recommendations. Remember, each participant's voice adds a unique brushstroke to the canvas of insights, and your role as a skilled moderator brings those brushstrokes to life.

As you venture into focus groups, approach each session with curiosity and openness. Listen actively, probe gently, and navigate group dynamics with finesse. Whether you're fine-tuning a marketing campaign, shaping the next product iteration, or charting the course for your organization's future, the authentic perspectives gathered through focus groups will guide your way. Embrace the art of facilitation, savor the richness of discussion, and let the insights gained propel you toward confident decisions and successful outcomes. Your commitment to the power of dialogue ensures that participants' voices continue to shape meaningful change.

How to Conduct a Focus Group online in Minutes?

Discover the revolutionary way to conduct focus groups and gain invaluable insights in just minutes. Appinio , a dynamic real-time market research platform, empowers companies to tap into consumer perspectives swiftly and effectively.

By handling the research and technology complexities, Appinio frees you to focus on what truly matters – swift, data-driven decision-making. Uncover the excitement of seamless integration, intuitive processes, and lightning-fast answers to fuel your business success.

Why Appinio?

• Transformative Speed: From questions to insights in minutes, Appinio ensures rapid access to the consumer pulse.
• Seamless Integration: Integrate real-time consumer insights seamlessly into everyday decision-making.
• Empower Your Choices: Embrace the power of data-driven decisions without the hassle of traditional research methods.

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Marketing research focus groups: a complete guide.

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Focus group insights serve as a vital tool for understanding consumer behavior, preferences, and motivations. By facilitating discussions among diverse participants, marketers can extract valuable feedback and identify patterns that traditional surveys may overlook. This qualitative approach allows researchers to dive deep into the emotions and thoughts that drive purchasing decisions, enriching their overall marketing strategy.

As we explore focus group insights, it’s crucial to recognize their potential in shaping product development and brand positioning. Engaging directly with target audiences uncovers unmet needs and pain points, enabling businesses to tailor their offerings accordingly. This section will guide you through the intricacies of gathering and interpreting these insights, emphasizing their significance in successful marketing research.

Importance of Marketing Research Focus Groups

Marketing research focus groups play an essential role in acquiring valuable insights that shape business strategies. Focus Group Insights offer a unique platform for understanding the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of target audiences. By engaging participants in a moderated discussion, businesses can uncover deep emotional drivers that influence customer decisions, leading to more effective marketing campaigns.

These sessions provide qualitative data, helping to identify patterns and trends that might not emerge from quantitative research alone. The interactive nature of focus groups allows for the exploration of complex topics, fostering a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences. By analyzing this feedback, businesses can enhance product offerings, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive growth. Understanding the importance of these insights is crucial for companies aiming to make informed decisions and stay competitive in their markets.

Definition and Purpose of Focus Group Insights

Focus Group Insights refer to the qualitative data gathered from group discussions that offer an in-depth understanding of participant opinions and behaviors. This form of marketing research allows businesses to explore customers' emotions, motivations, and pain points, facilitating a deeper connection to their target audience. By analyzing the interactions within a focus group, researchers can identify crucial themes and trends that may otherwise go unnoticed in quantitative data.

The purpose of Focus Group Insights is to inform strategic decisions. These insights guide product development, advertising tactics, and customer engagement strategies. They provide context behind statistics, ensuring that businesses can tailor their offerings to meet specific needs. Furthermore, they enable brands to test concepts before launch, minimizing risks associated with misunderstandings of the market. Effectively utilizing these insights can ultimately lead to more effective marketing campaigns and stronger customer relationships.

Key Benefits for Businesses

Focus group insights offer significant advantages for businesses seeking to enhance their marketing strategies. By engaging directly with target audiences, companies can gather qualitative feedback that quantifies customer needs and preferences. This direct interaction helps to better understand pain points and desires that might not emerge through traditional research methods.

One of the critical benefits of focus group insights is the ability to observe group dynamics and discussions. Through this observation, businesses can identify common themes, uncover emotional triggers, and even gauge reactions to potential product changes or marketing messages. Additionally, the insights obtained allow companies to tailor their offerings and communications more effectively, ultimately driving better engagement and improved customer satisfaction. By tapping into the collective intelligence of focus groups, businesses can make informed decisions that resonate with their target market, fostering loyalty and enhancing brand reputation.

Designing Effective Focus Groups for Accurate Insights

Designing effective focus groups requires careful planning to ensure accurate insights. Start by defining a clear objective for the focus group. Knowing what information you want to gather is essential to guide the discussion effectively. Select participants who represent your target audience, as their diverse perspectives can provide valuable insights into customer needs and preferences.

Next, create a conducive environment that encourages open dialogue. This includes choosing a comfortable setting and establishing ground rules for respectful communication. Prepare engaging questions that prompt discussion while allowing room for follow-up inquiries. Finally, ensure a skilled moderator is present to facilitate conversation and steer the group back on track when necessary. This combination of well-defined goals, appropriate participants, and skilled moderation will ultimately lead to richer focus group insights, driving informed marketing strategies.

Planning and Recruiting Participants

Planning and recruiting participants is a crucial step in obtaining valuable Focus Group Insights. To start, it is essential to outline the target demographic you wish to involve. Defining this audience ensures that you gather relevant perspectives that truly reflect the market you aim to analyze. Consider factors such as age, gender, income levels, and specific interests when selecting participants.

Once your target group is defined, the next phase is to actively recruit these individuals. Use various channels like social media, community boards, and email marketing to reach out and invite participants. Make sure your recruitment message emphasizes the benefits of participation, such as contributing to valuable research and potential incentives. By carefully planning and executing your recruitment strategy, you can ensure a diverse group of participants who will provide meaningful insights crucial for your market research.

Creating the Right Environment

Creating the right environment for focus groups is essential for gathering meaningful insights. This involves creating a comfortable and open atmosphere where participants feel free to express their thoughts. Start by selecting a neutral, well-lit venue that minimizes distractions. Setting the right seating arrangement encourages collaboration and dialogue among participants.

Next, establish ground rules that promote respectful communication. Inform participants about the purpose of the session and encourage them to share their perspectives openly. To enrich focus group insights, consider incorporating activities or icebreakers to ease participants into the discussion. Additionally, having a skilled moderator can significantly enhance the quality of insights gathered, as they can skillfully guide conversations and probe deeper into participants' responses. By focusing on these aspects, you cultivate an environment conducive to valuable and authentic discussions, leading to more reliable data insights.

Conducting Focus Groups: Gathering Valuable Insights

Conducting focus groups effectively is essential for gathering Focus Group Insights that inform decision-making. The first step is selecting a representative group of participants who align with your target market. Carefully planned and executed discussions help uncover underlying attitudes, motivations, and even pain points that might otherwise go unnoticed. Creating a comfortable atmosphere encourages openness, allowing participants to share their thoughts freely.

Once the session begins, skilled moderators play a critical role. They guide discussions, probe deeper into responses, and ensure every voice is heard. Capturing these insights requires attentive note-taking and recording. Analyzing collected data allows teams to spot trends, identify commonalities, and understand consumer behavior on a deeper level. Ultimately, Focus Group Insights provide invaluable context, enhancing marketing strategies and product development to better satisfy customer needs.

Moderation Techniques for Focus Group Insights

Effective moderation is crucial for extracting valuable focus group insights. Moderators play a key role in guiding discussions and ensuring all participants have a voice. A strong moderator asks open-ended questions, encouraging dialogue and deeper exploration of participants’ thoughts and feelings. This approach can reveal underlying motivations, helping to uncover nuances that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Moreover, utilizing active listening techniques is essential. By summarizing what participants share and prompting them to elaborate, moderators foster an inclusive environment. It's also important to create an atmosphere of trust, where participants feel comfortable sharing candid feedback. This not only enhances focus group insights but also leads to more authentic and actionable information. Being aware of group dynamics and managing dominant voices ensures that insights are balanced and representative of all perspectives. Thus, skilled moderation transforms a focus group from a simple discussion into a robust source of valuable insights for effective marketing strategies.

Analyzing Data and Extracting Key Points

Analyzing data from focus group insights is crucial for uncovering valuable trends and themes. Start by organizing the raw data to identify participant feedback, discussions, and reactions. This will help you to pinpoint the most relevant points that may inform your marketing strategies. Utilize coding techniques to categorize this information, making it easier to reference later.

Next, focus on summarizing the key insights. Highlight recurring themes that emerged during discussions and pay attention to divergent opinions, as they often reveal underlying market dynamics. By synthesizing this information, you can create actionable recommendations that address both customer needs and business objectives. Additionally, considering factors like demographics and psychographics will provide deeper context. Ultimately, a thoughtful analysis of focus group insights will enhance your decision-making and foster a stronger connection with your target audience.

Conclusion: Leveraging Focus Group Insights for Success

Successfully utilizing insights from focus groups can significantly enhance your marketing strategies. By understanding participants' thoughts, preferences, and experiences, organizations can better tailor their offerings. Focus group insights reveal valuable information about customer pain points and desires, allowing businesses to refine their products and messaging.

To maximize the benefits of these insights, it is crucial to analyze the feedback thoroughly and integrate it into decision-making processes. By doing so, companies can foster stronger connections with their target audience and drive overall success. Ultimately, gathering and acting on focus group insights enables businesses to remain relevant and competitive in an ever-evolving market.

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How to Run a Focus Group for Your Business

Updated: March 22, 2022

Published: February 02, 2022

When you're developing or launching a new product, service, or business, you'll want to have a general sense of how receptive your target market will be to it.

Typically, this is done through extensive market research — and one key component of the research process is running a focus group.

In this article, we'll define what a focus group is, give you an agenda to follow when conducting on, explain how to run a focus group step-by-step, and help you plan your questions with a focus group questionnaire .

What is a focus group?

A focus group is a small group of people, typically representative of your target market, with whom you share ideas and ask questions about your product, service, or business. The individuals who make up the focus group should be a mix of current customers and people who’ve never made a purchase but might in the future. The ideal outcome is a stronger understanding of how the subject of the focus group would be received by a wider audience, and what changes (if any) should be made before the formal roll-out.

Now you may be asking, is information gathered from focus groups really important? And is it a good strategy to gather information?

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Focus Group Strategy

Focus groups can provide your business with priceless information if the participants are a reflection of your target audience .

The data you collect from them is important because it can help you build successful strategies by:

• Collecting more accurate needs assessments from customers.
• Pulling meaning behind facts and numbers obtained from more general surveys.

You can take this information and apply it to how you choose to market your product or service, adjust the features to better suit your customers’ pain points .

Now that we understand the importance of focus groups to your operation, you have to have a focus group agenda to follow before you bring in your own participants.

Focus Group Agenda

To get started with your focus group, you’ll need an agenda to stay on task during the meeting. Here are the main points to follow when making your own.

1. Welcome the focus group participants.

First, you’ll want to welcome the participants in the focus group and introduce yourself and other researchers who may be present. This step is important as it establishes rapport with the group and builds trust.

2. Have the participants introduce themselves.

This does a few things: it continues building rapport among the group members, and it confirms the pronunciation of everyone’s names — you don’t want to spend the next hour or more together saying everyone’s names incorrectly!

3. Establish some ground rules for the group.

Before asking questions, establish some ground rules for the group. Take this moment to clarify any concerns such as:

• If a topic could become controversial, let that be known and set boundaries for how far a discussion can go.
• If you’ll be asking for information that isn’t normally shared in a group setting, assure the cohort that the findings won’t have names or identifying data attached to the responses.
• If your company is reimbursing expenses or providing payment to the focus group participants, let them know how and when they’ll receive their disbursements.

Once these are clarified — as well as any others they may ask during this portion of the session — you can begin asking the questions about your product, service, or business.

4. Ask questions methodically.

Now, here’s the fun part. Although you may have one broad topic to discuss during the focus group, you’ll likely have several subtopics that need to be addressed separately. Structure your questions in such a way that the flow of the conversation makes sense. This could be by theme, chronological order, or the current-future state of your business.

5. Wrap up final thoughts.

Once you’ve reached a stopping point during the conversation, wrap up any lingering questions and ideas within the group. Finally, thank everyone for their time and end the session.

If you need those steps organized in a handy agenda, we’ve got you covered. Download the PDF below and save it for your next focus group.

Now that you have an understanding of how to conduct the session, let’s dive into what it takes to run a successful focus group from the very beginning.

How to Run a Focus Group

• Choose your topic of discussion
• Choose your questions or discussion prompts
• Prepare your focus group questionnaire
• Appoint a notetaker
• Recruit and schedule participants
• Get consent and start the discussion
• Have everyone introduce themselves
• Ask your questions
• Seek equal representation from the group
• End the meeting in a reasonable amount of time
• Analyze and incorporate feedback

Follow Along With a Free Focus Group Questionnaire Template

HubSpot's Market Research Kit includes everything you need to run an effective round of market research, including a focus group questionnaire and a guide on how to run focus groups. Download the kit now to incorporate the steps in this post into your focus group strategy.

1. Choose your topic of discussion.

Going into a focus group, your discussion should be narrowed down to one or a few topics. Keep in mind that you won't be able to thoroughly address every area you want to discuss in one short focus group session.

Because of this, it's not uncommon for companies to run multiple rounds of focus groups around different topics. For example, if you're launching a new product, you could center one focus group around the product's marketing and brand positioning, and another one around the usability and functionality of the product itself.

2. Choose your questions or discussion prompts.

Once you determine the topic of discussion for your focus group, create a list of questions and discussion prompts that will help you gather the data you need.

Let's return to the product launch example from above. If you're running the product marketing focus groups, you could ask questions like:

• What do you think of the packaging design?
• How much money would you spend on a product like this?
• What other companies do you think of when you see a product like this?

Meanwhile, for a focus group about the product itself, you’ll want to ask about the product's functionality, ease of use, and perceived favorability.

Also, remember to ask open-ended questions — "Do you like the product?" and "What do you think of the product?" may seem similar in nature, but the latter will produce more detailed results.

3. Prepare your focus group questionnaire.

After you've chosen your questions and discussion prompts, organize them on a focus group questionnaire . Be sure to leave enough space on the questionnaire for overall notes, a list of common responses, and one or two noteworthy responses that really stood out.

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4. appoint a notetaker..

Your focus group discussion should be facilitated by at least one person while another person on your team should be a designated notetaker.

Why? The facilitator's job is to facilitate — to guide the discussion and foster new ideas from participants. This task can get easily derailed if the facilitator also needs to pause the discussion to write down big, bold ideas and reactions from participants.

To avoid this possibility of disruption, appoint a notetaker before going into the focus group who can focus solely on jotting down the general consensus from the group, unique and noteworthy individual responses, and the key takeaways for the business.

5. Recruit and schedule participants.

One of the most challenging parts of running a focus group is getting people to actually show up. After you select a time and a place, you'll want to start spreading the word to participants.

Here are a few ways to find them:

Reach out to existing customers.

If you're doing market research for an existing company, reach out to your customers through account managers or an email database. Since current customers will likely be the first to use what you're launching, this will be the perfect opportunity to gauge early reactions for the official launch.

For incentives, you could offer free or discounted services or reward them on a customer advocacy program like Influitive .

Advertise on social media.

Looking for middle-aged males or senior citizens in the greater Ann Arbor area? No problem! Social media advertising offers advanced targeting options for you to reach your target market.

You should also think about which sites are most used by the people you want in your focus group. If you're interested in surveying middle-aged working professionals, you'll probably have better luck on LinkedIn than you would on TikTok.

Try location-based promotion.

If you're hyper-targeting a location, supplement your recruiting efforts with advertisements that will only be seen by those in your area. A few examples include:

• Location-based social media campaigns (Location targeting ads)
• Public Transit-Based Ads (Trains, Busses, Taxis, etc.)
• Ads in Local Publications and Newspapers
• Billboard Ads

Be prepared to offer incentives.

People rarely do anything for free. In your advertisements and promotional assets, highlight the incentive you're prepared to offer — which could be cash, a gift card, or a discount on whatever you're selling.

If you're strapped for cash, consider hosting a raffle or giveaway for participants. That way, if you host a focus group of eight people, you could offer a chance at a $100 gift card (rather than a guaranteed $25 per participant) to save you $100.

6. Get consent and start the discussion.

Before you start your focus group discussion, remind participants of the purpose of the group and hand out a consent form. The consent form should reiterate the purpose of the event, outline the participants' rights, identify the compensation, list the facilitators' contact information, and prompt participants to sign.

After everyone signs off, it's time to run the focus group.

7. Have everyone introduce themselves.

To break the ice and get people talking, start the discussion off by introducing yourself and inviting the participants to do the same.

This is another chance for you to learn more about your target market. In addition to having participants say their names, consider asking them to share their industry or interests to get a more personal understanding of how your product, service, or business could play a role in their everyday lives.

8. Ask your questions.

Remember, this is not an interview! Before the focus group begins, you should prepare a list of five to 10 questions .

That being said, it can be easy to tie yourself to your list of questions or discussion points, but sticking too closely to this can hamper natural and effective conversations. If the group takes a slightly different turn than you were expecting, don't be afraid to allow the conversation to veer off-course if it seems productive.

The point of a focus group is not just to confirm information you think is true, but also to uncover what you don't know.

So long as it's not too far off-topic, allow the conversation to happen naturally and use an agenda as a guide rather than a point-by-point checklist of topics to cover.

Additionally, you may not ask every question on your list, depending on the direction of the conversation. Make sure you ask the most important questions first, and follow up on certain discussion points to keep things flowing rather than hosting a pure question-and-answer forum.

9. Seek equal representation from the group.

Your session involves an entire group of people, so you have to make sure you hear from each and every one of them! That may seem obvious, but a focus group can quickly turn into an interview of one or two of the most talkative members.

If you run into this problem, be ready to jump in when someone has been quiet for too long by thanking the most active participants for their input and re-opening the floor to the other participants. Say something along the lines of "Isabella, what's your input here?" or "Raheem, what do you think about what Isabella said?" for the rest to chime in.

10. End the meeting in a reasonable amount of time.

Exhaustion and the law of diminishing returns are real, so keep them in mind when planning the time frame for your focus group.

At the start of the session, in your advertisements, and/or on your consent form, you should specify how long the focus group will last. It's your responsibility to moderate the discussion in a way that ensures the time frame is not exceeded.

Now, if the exercise lasts for an hour and five minutes and you promised an hour focus group, that's acceptable. However, if you promised a 45-minute session and it goes well over an hour, your attendees could be resentful and less likely to offer valuable feedback.

When the discussion is over, thank your attendees for their time and deliver the promised incentive, if applicable. Additionally, remind them of your contact information if they decide they have more feedback or comments they'd like to provide.

11. Analyze and incorporate feedback.

Ideally, your focus group has provided you with plenty of responses, unique angles, and actionable ideas to help your business thrive. After all of your focus groups have taken place, have your team compile and analyze the commonalities of the ideas presented and what changes, if any, are applicable to the product, service, or business in question.

You have a step-by-step guide for conducting a focus group, let’s take a look at a real-world application of one.

Focus Group Example

This recent focus group study follows most of the guidelines we’ve recommended and derived useful information for real-world application.

Post-Election Focus Group

Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service conducted a focus group with first-time voters after the 2020 election. It could have been very easy for this focus group to get off track and into political affiliations; However, you’ll notice in this example that the researcher had a topic in mind — the first-time-voter experience — and didn’t deviate from that topic. She asked probing questions and sought out a variety of perspectives from the group.

Watch this focus group to get a better understanding of how to start these conversations and keep them going to get the insights you need.

The information can now be studied for political research thus helping guide future campaigns for first-time voters.

Run a Successful Focus Group

Taking this methodical approach to running a focus group can produce better and more insightful feedback from your participants. To keep your questions, thoughts, and responses organized, we developed a focus group template, which you can use to run a better focus group. Download it for free now to get the most out of your marketing research.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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The definitive guide to focus groups.

15 min read Interested in focus groups but not sure where to start? Use our definitive guide to grasp the essentials and learn how you can leverage focus groups to better know your audience.

Written by : Will Webster

Fact Checked by : Karen Goldstein

What is a focus group?

Focus groups are a type of qualitative research that bring together a small group of people representing a target audience. In a conversation usually guided by a moderator, this group will discuss a specific topic, products, services or concepts in a controlled environment.

The purpose of focus groups is to have a relaxed, open-ended conversation to gain insights that may not be possible from a survey or individual interview. They’re a very valuable tool in the research toolkit.

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Focus group roles

In any focus group there are typically three main roles being played.

When should a focus group be used?

Focus groups are a very popular type of research method that’s used in virtually every sector, from tech to academia, and marketing to political science.

Focus groups are a great choice if you want to go deep into a particular topic. If surveys are a brilliant tool for understanding what someone feels about something, focus groups help us to explore why – which is why the two work great in tandem. Focus groups give us an opportunity to capture the human element – the emotions and non-verbal cues that numbers often miss – and help us to explore underlying motivations.

Here are some of the most common focus group use cases.

New product or concept testing

If you’ve got a new product or concept in the works, a focus group can provide valuable feedback before you launch it into the market. You can get a sense of how people might react to it, what they like or dislike, and any improvements they might suggest.

In fact, focus groups are often used by brands to improve on and even co-create products in real time, with concepts discussed and iterated over the course of the session.

Understanding customers better

Focus groups are a great market research tool to help you better understand why customers think and behave the way they do. If, for example, a product isn’t selling as expected, a focus group with your customers can shine light on their barriers to purchase.

Beyond current customers, businesses can also use focus groups to better understand new prospects and bring their target customer segments to life.

Marketing and advertising

Before you invest a lot of money into a marketing or advertising campaign, you could use a focus group to test your messaging and visuals. Once any tweaks are made, you should be left with a campaign that will better resonate with your target audience.

Exploratory research

Focus groups are great when you don’t know what you don’t know. If you’re entering a new market or targeting a new customer segment, they can help you explore and understand the landscape.

When quantitative data isn’t enough

Sometimes, numbers and stats don’t tell the whole story. If you have quantitative data but want to delve deeper into the ‘why’ and ‘how’, focus groups are a great way to do that.

Focus groups can provide rich, qualitative insights that quantitative research methods might miss. But it’s important to remember that they aren’t right for every situation.

If you need to make definitive conclusions about a large population, a quantitative survey will be a better option. The same applies if you’re focusing on sensitive topics that people may not feel comfortable discussing in a group setting, such as financial or health matters.

At the end of the day, the best research method for your use case really depends on your specific goals, who you’re collecting insights from and the nature of the information you’re seeking.

Types of focus groups

Focus groups can take different forms depending on the objectives of the study, the participants, and the nature of the topic being discussed. Ranging from the common to the seldom used, here are the different types of focus group methods.

One-way focus groups

The classic focus group format: a moderator leads a discussion among a group of participants about a particular topic.

Two-way focus groups

Here one group watches another , observing the discussion, interactions and conclusions. This format is used to provide additional insights and a deeper understanding of the topic.

Dual-moderator focus groups

A focus group with two moderators. One ensures the session runs along smoothly; the other makes sure all topics are covered. The aim of this format is to create a more comprehensive discussion.

Dueling-moderator focus groups

Like dual moderator focus groups in that there are two moderators, but here the moderators take opposing viewpoints on the topic. The purpose of this format is to help the participants consider and discuss a wider range of points.

Respondent-moderator focus groups

Where one respondent – or several – plays the role of moderator. This format counters the unintentional bias that can come from a single moderator, and encourages variety in the discussion,

Mini focus groups, dyads and triads

Exactly as they sound, mini focus groups involve fewer participants than usual. These smaller groups – typically made up of 4 to 5 participants – are well suited to complex topics.

There are also focus groups involving two participants and a moderator – known as dyads – and groups with three participants and a moderator, which are known as triads.

Remote focus groups

An online focus group. This format is a great way to give your research a wider geographical reach and access a greater pool of people.

How to run a focus group: Step-by-step guide

The focus groups that generate the best insights are often those that are planned best. Here’s our guide for every step of the process.

1. Research and define your goal

The first step is to identify what you want to learn from the focus group. Are you testing a new product or exploring consumer behavior? Maybe you’re seeking feedback on a marketing campaign or getting to know a new target market?

2. Choose a moderator

If planning is the key ingredient for a great focus group, a good moderator is a close second.

The moderator is the most important person in the room, and needs to be someone who can facilitate discussions, manage a group of strangers, and keep the conversation on track and be able to elicit the feedback desired..

3. Choose a location

The most important consideration here is how you create a comfortable, non-judgmental environment where participants feel safe to share their thoughts and opinions.

And you also need to answer the big question: in-person or online? In-person sessions typically enable better conversation and group chemistry, while online focus groups give you access to a much bigger, broader pool of potential participants.

4. Recruit the right participants

Next, work out who you need to participate in the focus group to reach your goal. Whatever your target audience is, you want the respondents to meet the baseline criteria – noting that the ideal size for a focus group is typically between 6 and 8 participants, and that none of your participants should know each other.

Once you’ve worked out who you want there, you need to recruit them. This is often done via ads, invitations to your CMS database or a third party. Incentives, like cash or gift cards, are typically used to encourage participation.

5. Create a discussion guide

In tandem with step four, it’s time for the moderator to develop a document that will guide the discussion. Based on your research goal or goals, this guide should include a list of focus group questions or topics you want to cover during the session, and strike a good balance between structured and flexible – so you can gather the data you need while not discouraging spontaneous conversation.

6. Conduct the focus group

The big day has arrived. With everything in place, all you need to do is make sure that every participant is given an opportunity to speak.

Don’t forget to record the focus group (with the participants’ consent) and make efforts to capture non-verbal cues from participants.

7. Debrief and iterate

Debrief after each session to understand your key findings, and if necessary, edit the discussion guide for future focus groups based on your learnings and observations so far.

8. Analyse and report on the findings

Now’s time to transcribe your recordings and analyse them for key themes and insights. The aim here is to interpret your findings in the context of your initial goal.

It’s best practice to present your key focus group results and findings in a report, alongside recommendations based on them.

How many people should be in a focus group?

The ideal size of a focus group is generally said to fall between 6 and 8 participants .Why is this the sweet spot? Because it’s small enough to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak and share their views, but large enough to provide a variety of perspectives.

That said, the goal of your research and the topic(s) you’re focusing on can change things. For instance, if the topic is particularly complex or sensitive, a smaller group may be better.

If you have a larger pool of potential focus group attendees, best practice would be to split them up and conduct multiple focus groups, instead of one focus group with too many people.

Focus groups vs in-depth interviews

Focus groups and in-depth interviews are two of the most popular forms of qualitative research . They do, however, differ in what they can bring to your research – which is why they’re often used in tandem to answer a single research question.

The benefits of focus groups over in-depth interviews

Focus groups are designed to encourage interaction between a collection of people, often revealing insights that may not surface in a one-on-one conversation. They give researchers an opportunity to observe group dynamics and how individuals influence each other and can be influenced themselves.

A big advantage of focus groups is their efficiency – in one session you can gather a broad range of insights from multiple individuals.

The benefits of in-depth interviews over focus groups

In-depth interviews are one-on-one discussions between a researcher and participant.

Whereas focus groups are by definition a group discussion, in-depth interviews provide a more personal and detailed exploration of an individual’s perspectives and experiences. Because of this, interviews are great for sensitive or personal topics, and the interviewee won’t be as influenced by others when giving their honest opinions – which is a risk with focus groups.

Another benefit of in-depth interviews is that the researcher/interviewer has greater control over the conversation, which gives you a greater chance of covering all topics thoroughly.

Advantages and disadvantages of focus groups

Like any research method, focus groups come with a variety of pros and cons that are typically associated with any type of qualitative research.

Advantages of focus groups

• They give you qualitative insights . Exploring the ‘why’ behind people’s behaviors, views and decisions
• They enable interactive discussions . Often leading to deeper insights as participants explore topics and ideas
• They give immediate findings . Observing real-time reactions means you can quickly implement them on a concept, product or campaign
• You can capture non-verbal data . Non-verbal cues and body language often give a further layer of insight into participants’ attitudes and feelings
• You have real-time flexibility . The moderator can steer the conversation to explore new points and topics if they arise

Disadvantages of focus groups

• Your sample size is small . And less likely to represent how the total population feels
• You’re at risk of conforming beliefs . Meaning that participants may change what they’re saying to match the majority opinion or the loudest voice
• They require a skilled moderator . Your findings could be a lot less valuable without one
• Data analysis can be time consuming . If you’re hosting multiple groups, transcribing and deciphering data can be labour-intensive and complex
• They can be expensive (especially if done in person) . You may need to pay for participant travel, accommodation and incentives, venue rent and even moderator fees

Related resources

Market intelligence 10 min read, marketing insights 11 min read.

Analysis & Reporting

Thematic Analysis 11 min read

Ethnographic research 11 min read, mixed methods research 17 min read, data saturation in qualitative research 8 min read, how to determine sample size 12 min read, request demo.

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• What Is a Focus Group? | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

What is a Focus Group | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on December 10, 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest.

Table of contents

What is a focus group, step 1: choose your topic of interest, step 2: define your research scope and hypotheses, step 3: determine your focus group questions, step 4: select a moderator or co-moderator, step 5: recruit your participants, step 6: set up your focus group, step 7: host your focus group, step 8: analyze your data and report your results, advantages and disadvantages of focus groups, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about focus groups.

Focus groups are a type of qualitative research . Observations of the group’s dynamic, their answers to focus group questions, and even their body language can guide future research on consumer decisions, products and services, or controversial topics.

Focus groups are often used in marketing, library science, social science, and user research disciplines. They can provide more nuanced and natural feedback than individual interviews and are easier to organize than experiments or large-scale surveys .

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Focus groups are primarily considered a confirmatory research technique . In other words, their discussion-heavy setting is most useful for confirming or refuting preexisting beliefs. For this reason, they are great for conducting explanatory research , where you explore why something occurs when limited information is available.

A focus group may be a good choice for you if:

• You’re interested in real-time, unfiltered responses on a given topic or in the dynamics of a discussion between participants
• Your questions are rooted in feelings or perceptions , and cannot easily be answered with “yes” or “no”
• You’re confident that a relatively small number of responses will answer your question
• You’re seeking directional information that will help you uncover new questions or future research ideas
• Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order.
• Semi-structured interviews : A few questions are predetermined, but other questions aren’t planned.
• Unstructured interviews : None of the questions are predetermined.

Differences between types of interviews

Make sure to choose the type of interview that suits your research best. This table shows the most important differences between the four types.

Topics favorable to focus groups

As a rule of thumb, research topics related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. If you are seeking direction, explanation, or in-depth dialogue, a focus group could be a good fit.

However, if your questions are dichotomous or if you need to reach a large audience quickly, a survey may be a better option. If your question hinges upon behavior but you are worried about influencing responses, consider an observational study .

• If you want to determine whether the student body would regularly consume vegan food, a survey would be a great way to gauge student preferences.

However, food is much more than just consumption and nourishment and can have emotional, cultural, and other implications on individuals.

• If you’re interested in something less concrete, such as students’ perceptions of vegan food or the interplay between their choices at the dining hall and their feelings of homesickness or loneliness, perhaps a focus group would be best.

Once you have determined that a focus group is the right choice for your topic, you can start thinking about what you expect the group discussion to yield.

Perhaps literature already exists on your subject or a sufficiently similar topic that you can use as a starting point. If the topic isn’t well studied, use your instincts to determine what you think is most worthy of study.

Setting your scope will help you formulate intriguing hypotheses , set clear questions, and recruit the right participants.

• Are you interested in a particular sector of the population, such as vegans or non-vegans?
• Are you interested in including vegetarians in your analysis?
• Perhaps not all students eat at the dining hall. Will your study exclude those who don’t?
• Are you only interested in students who have strong opinions on the subject?

A benefit of focus groups is that your hypotheses can be open-ended. You can be open to a wide variety of opinions, which can lead to unexpected conclusions.

The questions that you ask your focus group are crucially important to your analysis. Take your time formulating them, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions , which can affect your responses.

Overall, your focus group questions should be:

• Open-ended and flexible
• Impossible to answer with “yes” or “no” (questions that start with “why” or “how” are often best)
• Unambiguous, getting straight to the point while still stimulating discussion
• Unbiased and neutral

If you are discussing a controversial topic, be careful that your questions do not cause social desirability bias . Here, your respondents may lie about their true beliefs to mask any socially unacceptable or unpopular opinions. This and other demand characteristics can hurt your analysis and lead to several types of reseach bias in your results, particularly if your participants react in a different way once knowing they’re being observed. These include self-selection bias , the Hawthorne effect , the Pygmalion effect , and recall bias .

• Engagement questions make your participants feel comfortable and at ease: “What is your favorite food at the dining hall?”
• Exploration questions drill down to the focus of your analysis: “What pros and cons of offering vegan options do you see?”
• Exit questions pick up on anything you may have previously missed in your discussion: “Is there anything you’d like to mention about vegan options in the dining hall that we haven’t discussed?”

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It is important to have more than one moderator in the room. If you would like to take the lead asking questions, select a co-moderator who can coordinate the technology, take notes, and observe the behavior of the participants.

If your hypotheses have behavioral aspects, consider asking someone else to be lead moderator so that you are free to take a more observational role.

Depending on your topic, there are a few types of moderator roles that you can choose from.

• The most common is the dual-moderator , introduced above.
• Another common option is the dueling-moderator style . Here, you and your co-moderator take opposing sides on an issue to allow participants to see different perspectives and respond accordingly.

Depending on your research topic, there are a few sampling methods you can choose from to help you recruit and select participants.

• Voluntary response sampling , such as posting a flyer on campus and finding participants based on responses
• Convenience sampling of those who are most readily accessible to you, such as fellow students at your university
• Stratified sampling of a particular age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or other characteristic of interest to you
• Judgment sampling of a specific set of participants that you already know you want to include

Beware of sampling bias and selection bias , which can occur when some members of the population are more likely to be included than others.

Number of participants

In most cases, one focus group will not be sufficient to answer your research question. It is likely that you will need to schedule three to four groups. A good rule of thumb is to stop when you’ve reached a saturation point (i.e., when you aren’t receiving new responses to your questions).

Most focus groups have 6–10 participants. It’s a good idea to over-recruit just in case someone doesn’t show up. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have fewer than 6 or more than 12 participants, in order to get the most reliable results.

Lastly, it’s preferable for your participants not to know you or each other, as this can bias your results.

A focus group is not just a group of people coming together to discuss their opinions. While well-run focus groups have an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere, they are backed up by rigorous methods to provide robust observations.

Confirm a time and date

Be sure to confirm a time and date with your participants well in advance. Focus groups usually meet for 45–90 minutes, but some can last longer. However, beware of the possibility of wandering attention spans. If you really think your session needs to last longer than 90 minutes, schedule a few breaks.

Confirm whether it will take place in person or online

You will also need to decide whether the group will meet in person or online. If you are hosting it in person, be sure to pick an appropriate location.

• An uncomfortable or awkward location may affect the mood or level of participation of your group members.
• Online sessions are convenient, as participants can join from home, but they can also lessen the connection between participants.

As a general rule, make sure you are in a noise-free environment that minimizes distractions and interruptions to your participants.

Consent and ethical considerations

It’s important to take into account ethical considerations and informed consent when conducting your research. Informed consent means that participants possess all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate in the research before it starts. This includes information about benefits, risks, funding, and institutional approval.

Participants should also sign a release form that states that they are comfortable with being audio- or video-recorded. While verbal consent may be sufficient, it is best to ask participants to sign a form.

A disadvantage of focus groups is that they are too small to provide true anonymity to participants. Make sure that your participants know this prior to participating.

There are a few things you can do to commit to keeping information private. You can secure confidentiality by removing all identifying information from your report or offer to pseudonymize the data later. Data pseudonymization entails replacing any identifying information about participants with pseudonymous or false identifiers.

Preparation prior to participation

If there is something you would like participants to read, study, or prepare beforehand, be sure to let them know well in advance. It’s also a good idea to call them the day before to ensure they will still be participating.

Consider conducting a tech check prior to the arrival of your participants, and note any environmental or external factors that could affect the mood of the group that day. Be sure that you are organized and ready, as a stressful atmosphere can be distracting and counterproductive.

Starting the focus group

Welcome individuals to the focus group by introducing the topic, yourself, and your co-moderator, and go over any ground rules or suggestions for a successful discussion. It’s important to make your participants feel at ease and forthcoming with their responses.

Consider starting out with an icebreaker, which will allow participants to relax and settle into the space a bit. Your icebreaker can be related to your study topic or not; it’s just an exercise to get participants talking.

Leading the discussion

Once you start asking your questions, try to keep response times equal between participants. Take note of the most and least talkative members of the group, as well as any participants with particularly strong or dominant personalities.

You can ask less talkative members questions directly to encourage them to participate or ask participants questions by name to even the playing field. Feel free to ask participants to elaborate on their answers or to give an example.

As a moderator, strive to remain neutral . Refrain from reacting to responses, and be aware of your body language (e.g., nodding, raising eyebrows) and the possibility for observer bias . Active listening skills, such as parroting back answers or asking for clarification, are good methods to encourage participation and signal that you’re listening.

Many focus groups offer a monetary incentive for participants. Depending on your research budget, this is a nice way to show appreciation for their time and commitment. To keep everyone feeling fresh, consider offering snacks or drinks as well.

After concluding your focus group, you and your co-moderator should debrief, recording initial impressions of the discussion as well as any highlights, issues, or immediate conclusions you’ve drawn.

The next step is to transcribe and clean your data . Assign each participant a number or pseudonym for organizational purposes. Transcribe the recordings and conduct content analysis to look for themes or categories of responses. The categories you choose can then form the basis for reporting your results.

Just like other research methods, focus groups come with advantages and disadvantages.

• They are fairly straightforward to organize and results have strong face validity .
• They are usually inexpensive, even if you compensate participant.
• A focus group is much less time-consuming than a survey or experiment , and you get immediate results.
• Focus group results are often more comprehensible and intuitive than raw data.

Disadvantages

• It can be difficult to assemble a truly representative sample. Focus groups are generally not considered externally valid due to their small sample sizes.
• Due to the small sample size, you cannot ensure the anonymity of respondents, which may influence their desire to speak freely.
• Depth of analysis can be a concern, as it can be challenging to get honest opinions on controversial topics.
• There is a lot of room for error in the data analysis and high potential for observer dependency in drawing conclusions. You have to be careful not to cherry-pick responses to fit a prior conclusion.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest. It is one of 4 types of interviews .

As a rule of thumb, questions related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. Take your time formulating strong questions, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions , which can bias your responses.

There are various approaches to qualitative data analysis , but they all share five steps in common:

• Prepare and organize your data.
• Review and explore your data.
• Develop a data coding system.
• Assign codes to the data.
• Identify recurring themes.

The specifics of each step depend on the focus of the analysis. Some common approaches include textual analysis , thematic analysis , and discourse analysis .

Every dataset requires different techniques to clean dirty data , but you need to address these issues in a systematic way. You focus on finding and resolving data points that don’t agree or fit with the rest of your dataset.

These data might be missing values, outliers, duplicate values, incorrectly formatted, or irrelevant. You’ll start with screening and diagnosing your data. Then, you’ll often standardize and accept or remove data to make your dataset consistent and valid.

The four most common types of interviews are:

• Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order. 
• Focus group interviews : The questions are presented to a group instead of one individual.

It’s impossible to completely avoid observer bias in studies where data collection is done or recorded manually, but you can take steps to reduce this type of bias in your research .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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The Ultimate Focus Group Marketing Guide: Definition, Benefits & More

Struggling to understand your customers’ deepest thoughts? Focus groups have been unlocking consumer insights since the 1940s. Our ultimate guide offers you key tactics to tap into what really makes your audience tick through effective focus group marketing.

Dive in and discover how!

Key Takeaways

• Focus groups provide qualitative insights by bringing together 6 – 10 people to discuss and give feedback on topics, helping marketers understand consumer behavior and opinions.
• They originated in the mid – 20th century for sociological studies and have evolved with technology, now including virtual formats that expand reach across locations.
• The role of a skilled moderator is crucial to guide discussions, maintain engagement, and ensure every participant has a voice during the focus group session.
• Best practices include establishing clear ground rules before discussion, seeking diverse participant representation, using co-creation for idea development, and involving clients to add credibility.
• Consider alternatives to focus groups when statistical data is required or when time constraints demand quicker research methods.

Table of Contents

What is a Focus Group?

A focus group is a research powerhouse, assembling selected individuals to deep dive into opinions and attitudes about products or services, providing marketers with invaluable qualitative insights.

This dynamic tool has evolved over the years to become a crucial element in gauging consumer response before market strategies are carved in stone.

Definition and History

A focus group is a market research method that gathers people to discuss and provide feedback on products, marketing campaigns, or ideas. It presents a dynamic way to collect qualitative insights from participants through interactive group discussions.

Typically, the discussion happens under the guidance of a moderator who steers the conversation towards critical talking points while ensuring everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts.

The origins of focus groups trace back to sociological studies and opinion polling in the mid-20th century. Social scientist Robert Merton is often credited with developing this technique during World War II when it was used to assess the effectiveness of propaganda.

Since then, marketers have harnessed focus groups for consumer behavior analysis, concept testing, and gathering consumer insights crucial for product positioning and market segmentation.

This method has expanded over time with technological advancements allowing online focus groups and virtual formats that accommodate broader participation across geographical locations.

Focus Group Format

In a focus group, typically 6-10 people come together to discuss and give feedback on specific topics or products. The session often takes place in a comfortable room with one-way mirrors for observers.

Each group follows a structured format that includes an introduction by the moderator, who explains the purpose of the discussion and sets out any rules. Participants are then encouraged to openly share their thoughts, which creates valuable qualitative insights into consumer behavior.

The moderator plays a crucial role throughout; they keep the conversation on track while ensuring everyone has an opportunity to speak. Audio or video recordings capture everything said so that nothing is missed during analysis.

Tools like whiteboards or projectors may be used to stimulate discussion and showcase concepts for participant reaction. This interactive group setup allows for dynamic exchanges between participants, sparking deeper discussions about market segmentation, product positioning, and customer insights.

Pros and Cons

After discussing the format of focus groups, it’s important to weigh their advantages and disadvantages to better understand their role in market research.

Moving forward, understanding how to run a focus group effectively is crucial for harnessing these benefits while mitigating the drawbacks.

How to Run a Focus Group

Diving into the heart of qualitative market research, we uncover the steps necessary to steer a focus group from inception to insightful conclusion. It’s about orchestrating an environment conducive to candid conversation and extracting valuable nuggets of truth that can pivot your marketing strategy in real-time.

Choosing a Topic

Selecting an engaging topic is vital for the success of a focus group. The chosen subject must resonate with your participants and align with the objectives of your market research.

It should delve into areas where you seek qualitative insights, such as consumer behavior or product positioning. Aim to identify gaps in your understanding or aspects of consumer feedback that could significantly influence your marketing strategy.

Pick a theme that encourages interactive group discussion and keeps everyone invested throughout the session. This ensures that each participant has ample opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives, leading to richer data analysis later on.

Once the topic is set, you’ll move on to crafting questions designed to probe deeply into participants’ thoughts and experiences.

Preparing Questions

Once you’ve pinpointed the topic, crafting questions for your focus group comes next. These questions are vital tools that guide the interactive group discussion toward valuable insights.

Make sure they are open-ended to encourage participants to share their thoughts in detail. Your inquiries should tap into consumer behavior and explore different aspects of product positioning and brand perception.

Design every question with a clear purpose in mind, aiming to gather qualitative research data that highlights market segmentation issues or identifies customer insights during product testing.

Questions must be structured in a way that prevents confusion and keeps the conversation on track for actionable feedback. Avoid leading or biased wording which could skew the results; instead, prioritize clarity and neutrality to ensure authentic responses from your target audience.

Recruiting and Scheduling Participants

Recruiting the right participants for a focus group is crucial. Scheduling them effectively ensures a smooth market research process.

• Identify your target audience to make sure the feedback is relevant and insightful.
• Use various channels such as social media, email campaigns, or recruitment agencies to find potential participants.
• Screen candidates with surveys or quick phone calls to verify they match your market segmentation criteria.
• Provide clear information about the focus group’s purpose and what will be expected from the participants.
• Offer incentives that appeal to your demographic, whether it’s cash, gift cards, or products.
• Schedule sessions at different times to accommodate diverse schedules and increase attendance rates.
• Confirm participation with reminders via email or text messages as the date approaches.
• Prepare backup participants in case of last – minute dropouts to keep your focus group fully staffed.
• Ensure that privacy policies are explained and consent forms are sent out ahead of time for a seamless start during the actual event.
• Use online scheduling tools for virtual focus groups to manage time differences and technical setup.

The Role of the Moderator

The moderator serves as the navigator of a focus group, ensuring the conversation stays on course and every voice is heard. They create an inviting atmosphere where participants feel comfortable sharing their honest thoughts and reactions.

It’s the moderator’s job to probe deeper into responses for clearer understanding while keeping discussions lively yet focused. Their skill in asking the right questions at just the right time can unearth valuable consumer insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

A skilled moderator effectively manages group dynamics, preventing any one participant from dominating and encouraging quieter members to contribute. They’re adept at reading non-verbal cues, sensing when someone has more to add or if a topic shift is needed to maintain engagement.

By balancing between guiding the discussion and letting it flow naturally, moderators play a crucial role in gathering comprehensive feedback critical for market research success.

Facilitating the Discussion

Facilitating the discussion in a focus group is like conducting an orchestra; every voice counts, and harmony is key. A skilled moderator guides participants through interactive group discussions, ensuring everyone has the chance to share their thoughts.

They keep conversations on track and probe deeper into consumer behavior and insights without influencing responses with their own opinions or biases.

Effective facilitation involves listening actively, asking open-ended questions that encourage qualitative insights, and managing dynamics so that dominant personalities don’t overshadow quieter members.

This approach leads to rich data analysis and helps uncover valuable feedback for product testing and market segmentation. Up next: establishing ground rules ensures every session hits the right note.

Best Practices for Running a Successful Focus Group

4. Best Practices for Running a Successful Focus Group: To harness the full potential of focus group marketing, it’s crucial to hone in on strategies that foster effective communication and participant engagement.

Discover how fine-tuning the dynamics of your focus groups can lead to richer insights and more actionable results, setting the stage for informed decision-making in your marketing efforts.

Establishing Ground Rules

Establishing ground rules is a critical step in focus group marketing to maintain clear, productive discussions. Before the interactive group discussion begins, lay out expectations for participant behavior.

This includes guidelines on how to respect each other’s opinions, when to speak, and listening attentively without interrupting. Clear instructions foster an environment where qualitative insights can flourish.

Make sure everyone understands the importance of confidentiality and honesty during the session. Stress that there are no wrong answers, encouraging open communication among all participants.

Ground rules help ensure feedback is genuine and useful for market research, giving facilitators the data they need for in-depth analysis and helping with product positioning and consumer insights later on.

Seeking Equal Representation

Ensuring your focus group includes a diverse range of participants is critical for gaining comprehensive insights. It’s about tapping into a variety of perspectives that reflect your target audience’s demographics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

This approach not only enriches the discussion but also helps prevent any one viewpoint from dominating. The goal is to capture the full spectrum of consumer feedback by having equal representation.

Carefully vet potential members to construct a well-rounded group that mirrors your market segmentation. This method bolsters the credibility of your focus group findings and leads to more accurate reflections of consumer behavior and preferences in your data analysis.

Such meticulous recruitment can ultimately guide better product positioning and marketing strategy development based on robust customer insights.

Using Co-Creation for Idea Development

Imagine a room where customers and creators brainstorm together. This is co-creation for idea development at work in focus groups. By involving your target audience directly in the creative process, you tap into their insights and get real-time feedback on new concepts or products.

It’s not just about listening to consumer opinions; it’s empowering them to become part of the solution, shaping ideas as they form.

Facilitators encourage participants to share their experiences and perspectives, leading to more innovative and user-centered ideas. Co-creating with consumers can uncover needs that might not have been obvious before, giving businesses an edge in product positioning and market segmentation.

Throughout this process, brands create deeper connections with their audience by acknowledging their contributions in developing solutions that resonate on a personal level.

Involving the Client for Credibility

Bringing the client into focus group discussions can significantly increase the credibility of the findings. Clients provide a unique perspective, ensuring that customer feedback aligns with business objectives and market positioning.

Their presence often adds weight to the conversation, as participants know their insights are valued and directly influence real-world decisions. Including clients also allows them to witness firsthand consumer behavior and reactions, which can be eye-opening and invaluable for refining marketing strategies.

Engaged clients during these sessions help bridge the gap between what consumers want and what businesses offer. They get a deeper understanding of market segmentation and consumer insights, fostering better product positioning.

This collaboration is vital for building trust with participants who feel their input is taken seriously by decision-makers. As they contribute to concept testing and interactive group discussions, clients leverage qualitative research in ways that surpass traditional data analysis, turning raw feedback into actionable strategies for brand positioning.

When Not to Use Focus Group Marketing

Involving clients can bolster a focus group’s credibility, yet there are scenarios where this marketing method may not be the best fit. For instance, if you’re after quantifiable data to support large-scale business decisions, focus groups might fall short.

They offer qualitative insights but lack the statistical weight needed for broader market analysis. It’s also important to avoid using focus groups when confidentiality is paramount, as controlling information among participants can be challenging.

Suppose time constraints are tight and quick decisions need to be made; in that case, focus group marketing could slow you down due to the scheduling and preparation involved. Moreover, with sensitive topics or issues prone to strong opinions, a group setting might inhibit honest feedback as individuals become reluctant to share their true thoughts amid peer pressure.

Benefits of Focus Group Marketing

Dive into the dynamic world of focus group marketing where nuanced conversations bring forth a treasure trove of insights, shaping products and strategies with real-world input. Uncover how this approach not only fine-tunes your market understanding but also fosters a collaborative space for innovation and immediate customer feedback.

In-depth Insights

In-depth insights are the gold mine of focus group marketing. By engaging in interactive group discussions, marketers unearth the subtleties of consumer behavior that surveys might miss.

These qualitative insights reveal what customers truly think and feel about a product or service. They go beyond surface-level reactions to explore deeper emotions and complex opinions that influence buying decisions.

Focus groups serve as a real-time lab for concept testing and brand positioning. Participants often feed off each other’s comments, leading to more nuanced feedback on market research efforts.

This dynamic allows companies to pinpoint specific aspects of their marketing strategy that resonate with their target audience or highlight areas needing improvement before a large-scale rollout.

Rapid Feedback

Focus groups prove invaluable for quick feedback on products, services, or marketing campaigns. The interactive group discussion format allows companies to present ideas and immediately gather consumer reactions and thoughts.

This direct line of contact with the target audience can lead to adjustments in real-time, unlike other market research methods that may take weeks or even months.

Moderators skillfully guide conversations to ensure feedback gathering is thorough and relevant. Real-time reactions from participants help businesses understand consumer behavior more accurately than quantitative data might reveal.

As focus group marketing feeds into product testing and concept testing, it paves the way for co-creation and idea development—essential elements for any robust marketing strategy.

Co-creation and Idea Development

After receiving rapid feedback, focus group marketing takes an exciting turn with co-creation and idea development. This stage transforms passive participants into active collaborators.

Engaging your target audience in the creation process unlocks a treasure trove of consumer insights and innovative concepts. By working together, companies and consumers shape products or services in real-time, ensuring that the end result resonates well with the market.

Co-creation sessions within focus groups can spark a burst of creativity and lead to unique product positioning opportunities. Participants feel valued as their input directly influences market offerings, fostering a sense of ownership and loyalty toward the brand.

Through this synergy of thoughts and experiences, businesses garnish fresh perspectives on consumer behavior, making it easier to tailor marketing strategies that hit home with their target demographic.

Client Involvement

Client involvement in focus group marketing is not just beneficial; it’s essential for authentic insights. Clients bring their firsthand understanding of the product or service, allowing them to provide valuable context during discussions.

They can clarify any misunderstandings on the spot and witness consumer behavior and preferences firsthand, which can be eye-opening. This direct observation enables clients to grasp subtle nuances that might not be as clear through second-hand reports.

Encouraging clients to actively engage with participants also builds rapport and trust – a key aspect of qualitative research like this. It helps ensure that the feedback gathered aligns closely with actual customer experiences, leading to more accurate market segmentation and product positioning strategies.

When clients ask questions or contribute to interactive group discussions, they glean deeper consumer insights than they could from data analysis alone, making client involvement a powerful component of market research process success.

When to Use (and Not Use) a Focus Group

Determining the right occasion for a focus group can be crucial for its success – it’s all about picking the perfect time for this qualitative tool to shine. On the flip side, recognizing when alternatives might serve your research needs better is just as essential to avoid missteps in your marketing strategy.

When to Use a Focus Group

Focus group discussions shine when you need deep insights into consumer behavior. They tap directly into customer thoughts and feelings, offering qualitative research that surveys can’t match.

• Use a focus group when launching a new product to gauge initial reactions and preferences. This helps tailor your marketing strategy before hitting the market.
• Organize focus group sessions for concept testing of advertisements, logos, or branding to see how they resonate with your target audience.
• Apply this method when seeking to understand the emotional triggers behind consumer decisions, which can fine-tune product positioning.
• Opt for a focus group approach if market segmentation is required. They help identify distinct customer profiles within broader markets.
• Engage in interactive group discussions when you need rapid feedback on issues or crises affecting brand perception.
• Utilize focus groups during product testing phases to observe how users interact with your product and what improvements could be made.
• Plan a virtual focus group for convenience and broader geographical reach if conducting in – person sessions are logistically challenging.
• Lean towards these gatherings when detailed consumer feedback is crucial for complex decision – making processes in business development.
• Choose this market research process when you aim to facilitate co – creation and idea development among consumers and stakeholders.

Alternatives to Focus Groups (such as online surveys)

Focus groups offer a unique insight into consumer behavior, but they aren’t the only method available for market research. Let’s explore some effective alternatives that can complement or sometimes replace focus groups in gathering valuable customer feedback.

• Online Surveys: These are quick to distribute and can reach a wide audience at a relatively low cost. Questions can be multiple-choice, open-ended, or a mix of both, allowing for quantitative data analysis along with some qualitative insights.
• In-depth Interviews: Personal one-on-one interviews provide detailed information about individual consumer preferences and experiences. Interviewers can adjust questions in real-time to probe deeper based on responses.
• Social Media Monitoring: Brands actively listen to unsolicited consumer opinions on social platforms. This approach captures real-time, organic customer insights without the need for formal questioning.
• Customer Feedback Forms: Placed at various points of service or embedded within websites, these forms invite customers to share their experiences immediately after an interaction.
• Observation Techniques: Watching how consumers interact with products in a natural setting yields first-hand information on usability and user experience that might not come up in discussion-based research.
• Online Communities and Panels: Engaging with a community over time allows companies to build rapport and gather continuous feedback from a dedicated group similar to an ongoing virtual focus group.
• Experimental Methods: Controlled experiments like A/B testing help determine the effectiveness of different marketing approaches directly impacting consumer behavior.

How to Choose the Right Method

Selecting the right method for market research hinges on your goals and resources. If you’re after qualitative insights to understand consumer behavior or product positioning, a focus group might be just what you need.

This approach allows for interactive group discussions that can reveal in-depth feedback about customer preferences and reactions.

On the other hand, if speedy results are critical or your target audience is widely dispersed, online surveys or a virtual focus group could serve better. They offer rapid feedback from a broader participant base at potentially lower costs.

Consider also how directly involved you want clients in the process; real-time sessions, whether physical or virtual, let them observe market segmentation and consumer insights unfolding live before their eyes.

Moving forward, evaluate these factors against your objectives to determine which market research method aligns best with your marketing strategy needs.

Harness the power of collective insight with focus group marketing. Dive deep into consumer thoughts and shape your products to fit their desires perfectly. Make every discussion count towards building stronger market strategies.

Stand out in a crowded marketplace by listening intently to the voices that matter most — your customers’. Propel your brand forward with the wisdom gleaned from interactive, dynamic focus groups.

1. What is focus group marketing?

Focus group marketing involves gathering people to discuss and give feedback on products or services.

2. Why are focus groups important for businesses?

Focus groups help businesses understand customer opinions and improve their products based on real feedback.

3. Can anyone join a focus group?

Yes, many different people can join a focus group as long as they fit the criteria set by the company conducting it.

4. How long does a typical focus group last?

A typical focus group discussion lasts between one to two hours.

5. Do I get paid for participating in a focus group?

Participants often receive compensation like money or gift cards for joining and contributing to a focus group.

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Focus group: What It Is & How to Conduct It + Examples

In 1991, marketing and psychological expert Ernest Dichter coined the name “Focus Group.” The term described meetings held with a limited group of participants with the objective of discussion.

This interactive setting allows researchers to gain deeper insights into consumer behavior, attitudes, and preferences that might not emerge from other research methods like surveys or one-on-one interviews. Market research, product development, and public opinion studies often use focus groups to capture diverse viewpoints and uncover trends or issues that help inform decision-making.

The group’s purpose is not to arrive at a consensus or agreement on the topic. Instead, it seeks to identify and understand customer perceptions of a brand, product, or service. We’ll cover what a focus group is, how to conduct one, and example questions and best practices below.

What is a focus group?

A focus group is best defined as a small group of carefully selected participants who contribute to open discussions for research. The hosting organization carefully selects participants for the study to represent the larger population they’re attempting to target.

The group might look at new products, feature updates, or other topics of interest to generalize the entire population’s reaction. This research includes a moderator. Their job is to ensure legitimate results and reduce bias in the discussions.

• You use a focus group in qualitative research . A group of 6-10 people, usually 8, meet to explore and discuss a topic, such as a new product. The group shares their feedback, opinions, knowledge, and insights about the topic at hand.
• Participants openly share opinions and are free to convince other participants of their ideas.
• The mediator takes notes on the discussion and opinions of group members.
• The right group members affect the results of your research, so it’s vital to be picky when selecting members.

These groups possess a distinct advantage over other market research and market research methods. They capitalize on the moderator’s communication with participants and the flexibility to move the discussion. It allows you to extract meaningful insights and opinions.

Explore our latest article delving into real-world examples of qualitative data in education . Why not take a look and gather more insights from the valuable information we’ve shared?

LEARN ABOUT: Steps in Qualitative Research

Main pillars of a focus group

1. participant.

A crucial step in conducting a focus group is participant selection. The main criteria for selecting the participants must be their knowledge of the subject. If you need help selecting members, look for a market research-based organization that matches you with qualified participants.

2. The role of a moderator

The moderator conducts the focus group confidently and leads members through the questions. They must be impartial throughout the process. As the researcher, you can also be the moderator, so long as you remain objective. You can also hire a suitable professional moderator to run your survey.

Types of focus groups

Your choice of focus group depends on the needs of your action research . Types include: 

• Dual moderator: There are two moderators for this event. One ensures smooth execution, and the other guarantees the discussion of each question.
• Two-way: A two-way group involves two separate groups having discussions on the topic at different times. As one group conducts its study, the other group observes the discussion. In the end, the group that observed the first session performed their conversation. The second group can use insights gained from watching the first discussion to dive deeper into the topic and offer more perspective.
• Mini: This type of small group restricts participants to 4-5 members instead of the usual 6-10.
• Client-involvement: Use this group when clients ask you to conduct a focus group and invite those who ask.
• Participant-moderated: One or more participants provisionally take up the role of moderator.
• Online: These groups employ online mediums to gather opinions and feedback. There are three categories of people in an online panel : observer, moderator, and respondent.

How to conduct a focus group

A focus group is a research method or technique that is used to collect opinions and ideas regarding a concept, service, or product. Follow the below steps to conduct it:

01. Recruit the right participants

A researcher must be careful while recruiting participants. Members need adequate knowledge of the topic to contribute to the conversation.

02. Choose a moderator

Your moderator should understand the topic of discussion and possess the following qualities:

• Ensures participation from all members of the group.
• Regulates dominant group members so others may speak.
• Motivates inattentive members through supportive words and positive body language.
• Should it become too heated, the executive decides to end or continue a discussion.

Verify that your moderator doesn’t know any of the participants. Existing relationships between a member and moderator can cause bias and skew your data.

03. Record the meeting for future purposes

Recording the sessions or meetings while conducting a focus group is essential. A researcher can record the discussion through audio or video. It would help to let participants know you’re planning to record the event and get their consent.

04. Write clear discussion guidelines

Writing down clear session guidelines before the session starts is crucial. Include key questions, expectations of focus group members, whether you’re recording the discussion, and methods of sharing results. Give out the instructions in advance and ask participants to comply with them.

05. Conduct the session and generate a report

Once participants understand their role, the moderator leads the survey. You can ask members to fill out a feedback form to collect quantitative data from the event. Use your data collection to generate reports on your study’s overall findings.

06. Use the data to make a plan of action

Share your report with stakeholders and decision-makers in your organization. The focus group feedback shows that a good report helps you design actionable plans to improve products or services. Update the group members on the changes you make and the results of those changes.

Focus Group Examples

Focus groups are common in three situations:

• Initial stages of a research study
• While creating a plan of action during research
• After the completion of the study to establish the results

For example, a laptop company needs customer feedback about an upcoming product. Focus group provides direct information about the marketing research from actual consumers.

The company chooses eight individuals representing their target market for a constructive discussion. The moderator asks questions regarding customer preference for laptop size and features. Group members discuss why they do or do not like certain aspects of a laptop. The company uses the opinions of the participants to create a product that fits customer needs and wants

Best practices for focus group research

Follow these five steps to create a market research focus group:

1. Have a clear plan for focus group members

The group’s goal must be clear before inviting participants to join. For example, does the researcher intend to discuss new products or the effect of current marketing campaigns? Use a written explanation to clarify the objective to members.

2. With a plan in place, begin writing your focus group survey questions

Questions should align with the research objective and complement one another. Start the discussion with the most crucial research problems and end with the least important ones. Asking open-ended questions increases the effectiveness of your research.

3. Schedule the time, place, and duration of the discussion

Be sure to inform members in advance so they can plan accordingly.

4. You can host it in person or through an online community

Offline groups meet in person at a physical location to conduct the discussion. An in-person event requires a venue that includes bathrooms and refreshments so participants are comfortable.

On the other hand, online groups meet virtually through an online discussion platform. Invitations and reminders for online discussions need to be sent out several times before the event. This helps participants remember your online event.

5. Create informational brochures or forum

Create informational brochures and posts with a welcome note, the meeting agenda, and the overall rules of the group discussion.

Focus group advantages and disadvantages

Focus group is a well-liked research technique due to its simple setup and the insightful data it can yield. It has advantages and disadvantages much, like other research techniques.

• A great complement to other mediums like online surveys and online polls . Focus groups give you access to why a customer feels a certain way about a product, and surveys help you collect supporting feedback in large batches.
• Immediate access to customer opinions, making data collection and analysis quick and convenient.
• Highly flexible to adapt to the needs and opinions of the group members.
• Easy to conduct regular discussions to eliminate inaccurate results due to current market outlooks.
• Focus groups are perfect sources to understand the true feelings and perceptions of your selected target audience.

Disadvantages

• Creating a representative sample is tough. Small-size sample makes focus groups unreliable.
• Due to the limited sample size, you cannot guarantee respondent anonymity, which may affect their willingness to speak freely.
• Getting honest opinions on sensitive topics can make the depth of analysis difficult.
• Data analysis is vulnerable to inaccuracy and observer research bias .

Focus group question examples

When using a focus group in market research , you must ask the right questions for accurate results. Good group questions have the following characteristics:

• A friendly and conversational tone
• Language or phrases that resonate with focus group participants
• Straightforward and accurate
• Each item includes one aspect and doesn’t merge multiple topics
• Clarify complex questions for more precise answers

Avoid asking questions to specific individuals to ensure the inclusion of all participants. Restrict discussion time per question to 5-20 minutes to keep the conversation efficient.

There are four categories:

1. Pr imary question: This first open-ended question initiates the entire discussion.

• We are here to discuss ____. What are your thoughts about it?

2. Probe questions: These questions dig deeper into the discussion of the primary question.

For example:

• What do you know about ____?
• How familiar are you with this organizational program?
• What do you love about our organization?

3. Questions to follow up :  After establishing the overall knowledge and feelings of the group, the moderator identifies specific insights.

• What do you think are the pros and cons of this product?
• According to you, where can we improve to provide better customer service?
• Which factors prompted you to purchase our products/services?
• What is the likelihood of recommending our products to your friends and colleagues?

4. Questions for the conclusion: Review previous questions to avoid overlooking the main points. It is the time when a moderator can revisit specific topics to gather more data.

For example :

• Is there anything other than the already discussed questions you would like to talk about?
• Do you want to add to what is already spoken about?

Focus group questions to recruit participants

Here are some questions you may ask to recruit participants:

• Do you or any of your family members work in any of the following sectors?

• Select your age range:

• Kindly select your employment type:

• Please specify your level of education:

• Please state your family status:

Our focus group recruitment questionnaire template gives you a range of survey question types for maximum responses. These responses also help you make the best choice in recruiting the appropriate group members.

Best Online Focus Group Software: QuestionPro Communities

Online focus groups remove the need for a physical location. Like in-person groups, online groups involve 6-10 participants who share their opinions. Many researchers prefer online focus groups for convenience and cost-effectiveness.

QuestionPro Communities is an online focus group software . It’s a highly-effective market research tool that helps researchers find online focus groups for their research purposes, including market research.

QuestionPro Communities software includes:

• Discussions : Organizations invite participants to a moderated online discussion forum. Participants may answer questions at any time suitable to them.

• Idea Board : Idea Board allows respondents to share their ideas. Other group members can analyze, write feedback, and even vote on submissions.

• Topics :  Users can submit topics, cast their votes in existing posts, and leave comments or feedback instantly.

Organizations can ensure that they gather the most valuable insights from their focus groups by carefully planning, recruiting, and conducting the sessions. The examples provided highlight the versatility of focus groups, highlighting the wide range of applications for this research method.

Organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their customers and make more informed decisions that drive success by leveraging the power of focus groups.

QuestionPro Communities is the only online focus group software available on desktop and mobile. Go mobile and take Discussions, Idea Board, and Topics anywhere your respondents go.

Start conducting online focus group surveys with participants from across the globe with QuestionPro Communities today.

Collect community feedback through our insights community software!

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Focus Groups 101

July 31, 2022 2022-07-31

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It is no secret that the field of user experience often favors objective, observational research methods over subjective, attitudinal methods. After all, when something is observed, with proof that it has actually happened, it can be hard to argue against it. However, it takes more than observational research to truly empathize and understand the full complexity of a person’s experience, which includes emotional experiences, mindsets, values, and belief systems. Since there is no other way to gather this data (at the writing of this article, mind reading with neural implants is not possible) researchers must use attitudinal methods to solicit the thoughts and opinions of target customers. A focus group is one of these methods.

In This Article:

What is a focus group, limitations and risks of focus groups, benefits of focus groups, you can run an effective focus group.

Definition: A focus group is a qualitative, attitudinal research method in which a facilitator conducts a meeting or workshop (typically about 1–2 hours long) with a group of 6–9 people to discuss issues and concerns about their experiences with a product or service. The term “focus” relates to the role of the facilitator, who maintains the group’s focus on certain topics during discussions.

Traditionally, focus groups have been a market-research method, used to get a sense of some aspect of a product, service, or concept. In these settings, the focus would typically be on certain words, graphics, videos, or other noninteractive media. All participants are presented with the media as a group and then prompted to provide their thoughts to the facilitator and the rest of the group.

Generally speaking, focus groups can provide useful information about your customers’ overall opinions and their impressions of a product or service.

Focus groups are notoriously problematic and often improperly used. Here are some of their limitations:

• They do not provide detailed insights on usability. People will comment on what is shown or remembered and offer opinions, so, by their nature, focus groups cannot provide any objective information on behavior when using a product or service. Thus, they cannot provide detailed usability insights, which would be best found with a usability test or field study . Even if there are some usability insights uncovered when presenting a design, products are almost never used by a whole committee; they’re used individually.
• People don’t always know what they will do or what will MOST benefit them in the future. In many focus groups, participants are asked whether they would use a particular product. But users do not always do what they say they will do. So, while it’s helpful to listen to customers’ concerns, preferences, or requests for features or product offerings — especially to uncover unmet user needs — the requests themselves are not always going to be the best solutions to address customers’ needs in a systematic and prioritized way.
• Negativity bias often results in people more readily recalling what was bad about an experience (particularly if it was not a great one), which can skew the discussion negatively for everyone else.
• The peak-end rule can cause people to overly focus on the most memorable and most recent moments, at the expense of other possibly more-meaningful ones.
• Priming can cause participants to overemphasize an aspect of their experience, because it so happened that someone else mentioned it and made them remember it.
• Group dynamics may impact how much (or how little) people share.  Strong personalities in the group may affect what and how much is shared. Depending on the focus group’s format, it may disproportionately represent the opinions of those who are more talkative or quick to answer. Groupthink is also more likely to occur in these settings if only verbal contributions are given attention. To paraphrase my colleague Sarah Gibbons : a poorly run focus group can be a great way to pay 9 people for the opinions of three.

Given these limitations, focus groups should NOT be utilized in the following contexts:

• Evaluating a design’s usability 
• Evaluating workflows
• Creating a list of design requirements
• Determining a UI’s impact on emotions
• Quantifying satisfaction or other sentiments 

Despite these shortcomings, there are some good reasons to consider a focus group:

• Participants with similar goals or perspectives can build on each other’s responses or recall experiences in greater detail. Sometimes during interviews, a participant might have trouble recalling all the details of an experience. However, hearing another participant mention something related may trigger the recollection of an important detail, which would otherwise get skimmed over in an interview.
• They can help teams clarify users’ mental models and language (vocabulary) around the problem space during discovery phases , before conducting further research. While you should generally run a pilot study for most research studies anyway, a focus group can help researchers rework a research plan or facilitator guide with language that could be more user-centered.
• They are a time-efficient method for the researcher. Rather than dedicate 9–12 hours interviewing 6–9 individual participants, a researcher can dedicate 1–2 hours to gather the perspectives of 6–9 people at the same time. It can be a quick way to learn from many people and perspectives (and certainly a 100% improvement to conducting no research at all). These can be especially time-efficient if the researcher is facilitating the focus group online rather than in person.
• When run properly, they can yield rich qualitative insights due to a format similar to semistructured interviews . Unlike questionnaires — which can sometimes limit the level of detail covered — focus groups give facilitators the flexibility to explore topics in which the participants are interested. This format is especially useful if the team is still in early stages of product development and trying to discover new information about the problem space.

Given these benefits, focus groups are BEST utilized in the following contexts:

• Early discovery research to gauge customer familiarity or interest in a concept and initial impressions
• Understanding users’ mental models and expectations
• Cocreation workshops with sponsored customers

It’s fair to say that focus groups are often unfairly maligned, considering the many benefits they can yield with relatively less time commitment compared to other methods. The key to reaping these benefits and mitigating limitations is to use a combination of other research methods (like other behavioral or attitudinal methods), and having a strong research plan.

Here are the key things to consider when planning your focus group:

1. Recruit participants that are representative of your target audience(s).

Who do you want to learn about? What specific segment of users are you interested in? Even if your user is “everybody,” use personas , archetypes , or jobs-to-be-done to identify key recruiting criteria . Recruiting is a tricky balance of finding similar user motivations and goals (not demographics) while inviting a mix of backgrounds to reduce bias from other sources — such as having an overly westernized sample when studying a global offering.

2. Note potential sources of bias from the focus group’s structure.

Note who is not included, and why, for consideration during analysis and when strategizing future research.  Is it a different segment that’s intentionally excluded? Lack of response? Lack of interest/trust? Bias is difficult to totally eliminate, but awareness of sources of bias can help during analysis and might inform future research. For example:

• With online focus groups, there may be potential participants who are excluded from participating (be it due to a poor internet connection, lack of a desktop device, or low literacy in certain digital tools). Thus, they may not be able join a video chat or, if they do join, they may be less likely to participate when using an unfamiliar online-meeting tool or whiteboard platform for the first time.
• With in-person focus groups, it’s fair to assume that the study will only involve participants from the immediate commutable vicinity (i.e., within the city or state), especially if travel is not funded by the study or if insufficient notice is provided for those commuting from further distances.
• Is your focus group accessible? This is relevant for both in-person and online focus groups. Can disabled participants get into the facility and participate readily? Can nonverbal participants contribute?

3. Treat your focus group like a workshop . Make participants comfortable with participating, verbally or nonverbally.

As you plan your agenda for the focus group, remember that most of your participants likely do not know each other and will be asked to speak honestly, potentially revealing information that may make them feel vulnerable or unlike others. Some people may do it, others may not. Consider having the following in your focus group:

• It gives a structured way for participants to build rapport with the facilitator and with each other.
• It builds participants’ confidence, in themselves and in the format (particularly if you’re using online-meeting tools or digital whiteboards). Note: Do not “break the ice” with highly personal or sensitive topics, which will likely cause participants to withdraw instead. (In fact, those types of answers are probably not going to come easily in a focus-group format, even with the most “warmed up” group. These types of questions are better suited to 1:1 interviews).
• Both written and verbal participation opportunities As with any other UX workshop , offer multiple methods of engagement (verbal and nonverbal) to encourage maximum participation and contribution. This ensures that less vocal or nonnative speakers feel comfortable contributing. You can also use the diverge–converge technique to maximize participation while decreasing bias potential. Note:  If covering sensitive topics, offer an anonymous way to contribute (or, again, consider a different, more-private method altogether).

4. Have a (written) plan and guide.

Construct your prompts in advance to avoid leading or biasing participants.  As with semistructured interviews, focus-group questions should use the funnel technique : be open-ended and broad at the beginning and progressively build detail and specificity with concepts as the conversation progresses. On a related note: remember to frame followup questions both positively and negatively to avoid leading participants, particularly when the conversation may naturally skew in one of these directions.

Focus groups don’t accurately predict future behavior. However, they can help gauge attitudes and guide future exploration, thus avoiding wasted research time. Still, they should be considered a starting point to further research, rather than a validation step. The good news? If your focus-group participants are willing, not only will you have their input to guide your further research, you may also have a group of customers willing and able to test what you create to further guide your design.

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Focus Group in Market Research: Key Strategies & Benefits

As a popular qualitative research technique, focus group discussions have become increasingly utilized to gain insights into consumer preferences and behaviors. This powerful qualitative research technique allows researchers to delve deep into the minds of their target audience, uncovering valuable information that can help shape marketing strategies and product development.

As you read through this blog post on “Focus Group in Market Research,” you will learn about various types of focus groups, such as mini-focus groups and remote/online focus groups. You’ll also discover best practices for planning and conducting successful sessions, including tips on creating an optimal environment for participant comfort and establishing ground rules to ensure productive discussion.

The role of the moderator is crucial in facilitating fruitful conversations within these settings. We will explore how skilled moderators use open-ended questions to guide participants’ responses while encouraging active involvement from all attendees. We’ll also discuss which industries benefit most from employing Focus Group in Market Research methods – from marketing & sales departments to customer service teams, research agencies, and entrepreneurial ventures.

Finally, our analysis would be incomplete without weighing the advantages and disadvantages of using focus groups in market research endeavors. While they offer rich qualitative data collection opportunities, potential biases, and logistical challenges must be considered when deciding if this approach suits your organization’s specific needs.

Table of Contents

Types of Focus Groups

Different types of focus groups are available to meet specific research objectives and appeal to particular target audiences, such as mini-focus groups or remote/online ones. Two popular formats include mini-focus groups and remote or online focus groups.

Mini Focus Group: Small Group Size for More Intimate Discussions

A mini-focus group typically consists of 4-5 participants, allowing for more in-depth conversations and a better understanding of individual perspectives. This small group setting enables market researchers to delve deeper into consumer opinions, preferences, and experiences while maintaining a manageable level of interaction among the participants.

Remote/Online Focus Group: Connecting Participants from Diverse Locations

In today’s digital age, an online focus group offers a practical alternative to traditional face-to-face methods by overcoming key challenges such as geographical limitations and scheduling conflicts. Researchers can gather qualitative data from target markets across different regions without needing a physical presence by connecting potential customers through video conferencing platforms or specialized software applications. Additionally, this format allows greater flexibility in terms of participant recruitment and reduced logistical costs compared to in-person sessions.

Types of Focus Groups provide an effective way to gain insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and opinions. With careful planning and execution, a successful focus group can yield valuable market research data.

Planning and Conducting a Successful Focus Group

Running an effective focus group requires careful planning and attention to detail. Every aspect ensures productive discussions among participants, from creating the right environment to establishing ground rules.

Preparing the Environment for Optimal Participant Comfort

Creating a comfortable atmosphere for your focus group participants is essential to encourage open communication. This includes setting the temperature at a pleasant level, providing water bottles for everyone, arranging seating that encourages interaction, and minimizing distractions such as noise or glare from windows. A well-prepared environment can significantly impact how engaged and forthcoming attendees are during the discussion.

Establishing Ground Rules to Ensure Productive Discussion

• Maintain confidentiality: Remind participants that their opinions will be anonymous and ask them not to share personal information about others outside the session.
• Avoid interruptions: Encourage attendees to allow others to finish speaking before sharing their thoughts. This helps maintain order within the group setting while giving everyone an opportunity to express themselves fully.
• Promote active listening: Request that all members pay close attention when someone else is talking to better understand different perspectives on the discussed topic.
• Foster respect: Emphasize that each person’s opinion is valuable regardless of whether they agree with other points raised during conversations. Promoting mutual respect among group members will help facilitate more insightful exchanges throughout your research sessions.

In addition to these guidelines, having an experienced moderator who can effectively manage interactions between attendees is key to conducting successful focus groups. A skilled moderator can ensure that all voices are heard and guide the conversation toward achieving your research objectives.

Market researchers use focus groups as a qualitative research technique to gain insights into the opinions and attitudes of potential customers. Focus group discussions are conducted in a group setting with a small group of participants with similar characteristics, such as age, gender, or interests. The group interaction allows researchers to measure customer satisfaction and collect qualitative data on important questions related to the subject matter.

Focus groups are just one of many market research methods available to businesses. Online surveys offer a way to collect quantitative data from a larger group of people, while group interviews can provide more in-depth information from existing customers. Defining research objectives and target audience is important before recruiting participants, regardless of the research methodology used.

Overall, focus groups are an effective way to gather qualitative data and gain insights into the opinions and attitudes of potential customers. By following the guidelines outlined above, you can ensure that your focus group research is productive and informative.

The Role of the Moderator in Focus Groups

A moderator is essential in facilitating successful interactions within a focus group. Their responsibilities include guiding conversations using open-ended questions while encouraging all attendees’ involvement through exploration, follow-up clarification questions, and inviting participation. Normally, a Discussion Guide is prepared well in advance, and the moderator is given orientation on this discussion guide.

Guiding Conversations Using Open-Ended Questions

To gather valuable insights from participants, moderators must ask open-ended questions, which allow for more detailed responses than closed or yes/no queries. By doing so, they can effectively steer discussions toward the research objectives without imposing their own opinions on the conversation.

Encouraging Active Participation from All Attendees

Moderators should facilitate a balanced dialogue by engaging all participants, especially more reticent ones, through direct questioning and soliciting their perspectives. They should actively engage with quieter members by asking them direct questions or seeking their input on specific topics. This helps create a balanced discussion where everyone’s voice is heard and valued.

To maintain a productive atmosphere throughout the session, moderators must also manage any potential conflicts between participants or address dominating personalities that may stifle others’ contributions. Employing effective group facilitation techniques, such as summarizing key points and refocusing discussions when necessary, can help ensure smooth communication among group members.

The moderator is critical in ensuring that focus groups are productive and successful. By utilizing open-ended questions, the moderator can guide conversations to uncover valuable insights for the organization. Moving on, let us explore how different industries benefit from using focus groups in their market research strategy.

Industries Benefiting from the Use of Focus Groups

Various industries can benefit significantly from utilizing focus groups as a market research methodology. These sectors can make informed decisions to improve their products and services by gathering insights into specific market segments and target audiences. Let’s explore some key industries that stand to gain valuable information through focus group discussions.

Marketing & Sales Industry

In the marketing and sales sector, focus groups effectively collect qualitative insights or data about consumer preferences, brand perception, and advertising effectiveness. These insights help businesses develop targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience.

Customer Service Departments

Customer service departments use focus groups better to understand customer pain points, needs, and preferences. This qualitative research method enables companies to identify areas for improvement in their support processes while measuring customer satisfaction levels effectively.

Research Agencies

Research agencies frequently employ focus group discussions in their broader market research efforts. By engaging directly with participants representing diverse demographics or interests within a target market segment, they gather invaluable feedback on various topics ranging from product design to user experience.

Entrepreneurial Ventures

New entrepreneurs launching ventures can also gain valuable insights before investing heavily in resources, time, and money on ideas or concepts that may not resonate well with potential customers. Focus groups allow them to test their hypotheses and refine their offerings based on real-world feedback from potential users or clients.

The use of focus groups in market research provides a variety of industries with invaluable insights and data. Yet, before settling on focus groups as a research tool, it is essential to evaluate any potential biases or logistical issues that could come up.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups in Market Research

Focus groups are a popular market research method that offers valuable insights into consumer opinions and preferences. However, like any research technique, they have their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages: Rich Qualitative Data Collection

• Rapid feedback: Focus groups provide immediate responses from participants, allowing researchers to quickly gain insights into customer satisfaction levels or potential improvements for products/services.
• Diverse perspectives: By bringing together individuals with different backgrounds and experiences, focus group discussions can reveal a wide range of viewpoints on the subject matter at hand.
• In-depth understanding: The interactive nature of focus groups enables researchers to explore complex topics more thoroughly than through other methods, such as online surveys or questionnaires.

Disadvantages: Potential Biases and Logistical Challenges

• Dominant personalities: Some participants may be more vocal than others during discussions, potentially skewing results toward their opinions. Moderators must work diligently to ensure all voices are heard equally within the group setting.
• Social pressure: Participants might feel pressured to conform to the majority opinion rather than express their true thoughts freely. This could lead to inaccurate data that does not truly represent the target audience’s views.

When conducting focus group research, it is important to consider the research objectives and target audience. Market researchers should recruit participants who are representative of the target market and have a sample size that is large enough to gain insights but small enough to allow for group interaction. A discussion guide should be prepared in advance with important questions to guide the conversation, but there should also be room for open-ended questions to encourage lively debate.

Online focus groups have become increasingly popular due to their convenience but also limitations. While they can reach a larger group of participants, they may not provide the same level of group interaction as in-person focus groups. Additionally, measuring customer satisfaction through online surveys may be more difficult.

Overall, focus groups can be a valuable research technique for gaining qualitative data and insights into consumer preferences. However, it is important to carefully consider the research methodology and potential biases to ensure accurate results that truly represent the target audience.

FAQs in Relation to Focus Group in Market Research

What is a focus group in market research.

A focus group in market research is a qualitative data collection method where a small, diverse group of participants discuss and share their opinions on products, services, or concepts. The aim is to gain insights into consumer preferences, perceptions, and motivations that can help guide business decision-making.

What is an example of a focus group in market research?

An example of a focus group in market research could be gathering 8-10 smartphone users to explore their experiences with various features and apps. Participants would discuss the usability, design aspects, and satisfaction levels while providing feedback on improvements they’d like to see implemented by manufacturers.

How do focus groups help marketing?

Focus groups help marketing efforts by providing valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors. These insights enable marketers to develop targeted campaigns that resonate with consumers’ needs and desires. Additionally, they assist in identifying potential areas for product improvement or innovation based on real-world user experiences.

Why use focus group market research?

Focus groups allow researchers to gather rich qualitative data from direct interactions with target audiences. This approach enables businesses to better understand customers’ thoughts about products or services before making critical decisions about branding strategies or new product development initiatives.

Focus groups are an essential tool for market research, providing rich qualitative data that can help businesses make informed decisions. Mini focus groups and remote/online focus groups offer flexibility in group size and location, while planning and conducting a successful focus group requires careful preparation and moderation to ensure productive discussion.

Industries such as marketing and sales, customer service departments, research agencies, and entrepreneurial ventures all benefit from using focus groups. Yet, potential prejudices and difficulties in terms of logistics may arise when making use of this method.

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The 8 types of market research and how to use them

There are eight types of marketing research you can try to stay ahead of the competition. Learn more about marketing research methods and how to use them.

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“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.”

Doesn’t sound too threatening if you’ve always been successful, right?

Continuing to do what you’ve always done means you’ll fall behind—and probably fade to darkness—to where all the forgotten brands go.

Take Kodak. They were a major player in photography for decades—remember? When digital photography boomed, Kodak kept doing what they always did. Their business floundered and people forgot about them. Well, everyone apart from Pitbull.

Now, look at Fujifilm, one of Kodak’s biggest competitors. They did the opposite and looked for ways to apply their expertise in film to the technology of the new millennium instead. Their company is still going strong.

The same goes for research. If you’re doing the same old types of market research, speaking to the same old people, and doing the same old tired surveys—you’re already behind.

How do you decide what kind of market research you need to do? It all comes down to what you need to know and what your business goals are.

In this article, we’ll explain the various types of market research you can use to solve issues and challenges in your business. We’ll throw you a freebie, too, and provide some market research tips about when to use each strategy.

Let’s get you ahead of the curve.

1. Brand research

Brand research helps with creating and managing a company’s brand, or identity. A company’s brand is the images, narratives, and characteristics people associate with it.

When to use it

Brand research can be used at every stage in a business’s lifecycle, from creation to new product launches and re-branding. There are at least seven types of brand research:

Brand advocacy: How many of your customers are willing to recommend your brand?

Brand awareness : Does your target market know who you are and consider you a serious option?

Brand loyalty: Are you retaining customers?

Brand penetration: What is the proportion of your target market using your brand?

Brand perception : What do people think of as your company’s identity or differentiating qualities?

Brand positioning: What is the best way to differentiate your brand from others in the consumer’s mind and articulate it in a way that resonates?

Brand value: How much are people willing to pay for an experience with your brand over another?

How to do it

A researcher will use several types of market research methods to assess your and your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Generally, they will conduct competitor research, both qualitative and quantitative, to get a picture of the overall marketplace. Focus groups and interviews can be used to learn about their emotions and associations with certain brands.

Market research surveys are useful to determine features and benefits that differentiate you from competitors . These are then translated into emotionally compelling consumer language.

2. Campaign effectiveness

This type of market research is designed to evaluate whether your advertising messages are reaching the right people and delivering the desired results. Successful campaign effectiveness research can help you sell more and reduce customer acquisition costs.

It’s estimated people see up to 5,000 advertising messages each day. That means attention is a scarce resource, so campaign effectiveness research should be used when you need to spend your advertising dollars effectively.

Campaign effectiveness research depends on which stage of the campaign you use it in (ideally, it’s all of them!). Quantitative research can be conducted to provide a picture of how your target market views advertising and address weaknesses in the advertising campaign.

3. Competitive analysis

Competitive analysis allows you to assess your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses in the marketplace, providing you with fuel to drive a competitive advantage.

No business exists in a vacuum—competitive analysis is an integral part of any business and market plan. Whether you’re just getting started, moving into a new market, or doing a health check of your business, a competitive analysis will be invaluable.

A researcher will typically choose a few of your main competitors and analyze things like their marketing strategy, customer perceptions, revenue or sales volume, and so on.

Secondary sources such as articles, references, and advertising are excellent sources of competitive information; however, primary research, such as mystery shopping and focus groups, can offer valuable information on customer service and current consumer opinions.

4. Consumer insights

Consumer insights research does more than tell you about who your customers are and what they do. It reveals why customers behave in certain ways and helps you leverage that to meet your business goals.

Knowing your customers deeply is integral to creating a strategic marketing plan. This type of market research can help you anticipate consumer needs, spark innovation, personalize your marketing, solve business challenges, and more.

Consumer insights research should be specific to your business—it’s about getting to know your target audience and customers. Various market research methods can be used, such as interviews, ethnography, survey research, social monitoring, and customer journey research.

Here are some of the characteristics you should understand through consumer insights research:

Purchase habits

Interests, hobbies, passions

Personal and professional information

How they consume media and advertising

5. Customer satisfaction research

Customer satisfaction research is a type of market research that measures customers’ experiences with products or services, specifically looking at how those meet, exceed, or fail to live up to their expectations.

Customer satisfaction is a strong indicator of customer retention and overall business performance. Successful customer satisfaction research should help you understand what your customers like, dislike, and feel needs improvement. You can use this type of market research to look at the quality and design of products, speed and timeliness of delivery, staff and service reliability, knowledge, and friendliness, market price, and value for money.

There are several ways to measure customer satisfaction, most commonly using surveys. An NPS or Voice of the Customer Survey can help you measure customer loyalty. Customer Effort Scoring measures how satisfied people are with customer service or problem resolution. CSAT is any survey that measures customer satisfaction , typically measured using Likert scale surveys . They can be conducted at different points in the customer experience, allowing deeper insight into that moment.

6. Customer segmentation research

Customer segmentation studies aim to divide markets or customers into smaller groups or personas with similar characteristics to enable targeted marketing. By understanding how people in each category behave, you can understand how each influences revenue.

Customer segmentation research is best used if you’re ready to give customers individualized experiences. Not every customer in your target market is the same. The more you understand each specific persona, the easier it is to focus on delivering personalized marketing, build loyal relations, price products effectively, and forecast how new products and services will perform in each segment.

Market researchers use four characteristics to segment customers.

Demographics: demographic information such as age, gender, family status, education, household income, occupation and so on

Geography: where people live, from cities and countries to whether they are city dwellers or suburbanites

Psychographics: socioeconomic status, class, lifestyle, personality traits, generation, interests, hobbies, etc.

Behavior: brand affinity, consumption and shopping habits, spending, etc.

A researcher will identify your current customers and collect data about them through various market research methods, such as surveys, database research, website analytics, interviews, and focus groups. The aim is to gather as much information as possible.

7. Product development

Market research for product development involves using customer knowledge to inform the entire process of creating or improving a product, service, or app and bringing it to market.

Innovation is hard work. A quick Google will tell you that 80–95% of new products fail every year. Conducting market research for product and app development helps minimize the risk of a new product or change going bust as it enters the market. There are three stages where you can use market research:

Conception: The moment you’re thinking about adding something new, market research can find market opportunities and provide insights into customer challenges or their jobs-to-be-done, so you can find a way to fill the gap.

Formation: Once you have an idea, market researchers can help you turn it into a concept that can be tested. You can learn more about strategizing pricing, testing advertising and packaging, value proposition, and so on.

Introduction: Market research can help you gauge attitudes toward the product once it’s in the market and adapt your messaging as it rolls out.

Keep making the product better or find opportunities to introduce it to new markets.

Product development research will utilize different market research methods, depending on the goal of the research. A researcher could present focus groups with product concepts and listen to their opinions, conduct interviews to learn more about their pain points, or perform user testing to see how they interact with an app or website.

8. Usability testing

Usability testing is concerned with understanding how customers use your products in real time. It can involve physical products, like a new blender, or digital products like a website or app.

Usability testing is helpful when you need to detect problems or bugs in early prototypes or beta versions before launching them. It typically costs far less to test a product or service beforehand than to pull a flawed product off the shelves or lose sales because of poor functionality.

There are several types of usability tests, which vary based on whether you’re testing a physical or digital product.

Journey testing involves observing the customer experience on an app or website and monitoring how they perform. This type of study can be done online

Eye tracking studies monitor where people’s eyes are drawn. Generally, they are conducted on websites and apps, but can also be done in stores to analyze where people look while shopping

Learn ability studies quantify the learning curve over time to see which problems people encounter after repeating the same task

Click tracking follows users’ activity on websites to evaluate the linking structure of a website

Checklist testing involves giving users tasks to perform and recording or asking them to review their experience

Combining types of market research with Typeform

When it comes to market research, you need to ask yourself what business challenge or question you’re trying to address. Then, select the appropriate methods and tools, such as market research automation , to simplify your process.From there, the world of useful data and actionable insights will open to you.

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What Is a Market Research Focus Group?

Definition & Examples of Market Research Focus Groups

The Balance / Maddy Price

• Market Research
• Sustainable Businesses
• Supply Chain Management
• Operations & Technology
• Business Law & Taxes
• Business Insurance
• Business Finance
• Becoming an Owner

What Are Focus Groups?

How focus groups work, benefits of focus groups, are focus groups worth it, notable happenings.

• University of Washington
• San Jose State University
• University of California, San Diego

A focus group is a group of deliberately selected people who participate in a facilitated discussion to obtain  consumer perceptions  about a particular topic or area of interest.

Learn more about focus groups and the advantages they provide in business.

Market research focus groups are controlled interviews of a target audience that are led by facilitators. Participants in a focus group are selected based on a set of predetermined criteria, such as location, age, socioeconomic status, race, and more.

Focus groups are designed to identify consumers' feelings,  perceptions , and thoughts about a particular product, service, or solution. The first step to having an effective focus group is to clearly define the purpose of the group. You need to know what you want the discussion to accomplish and what demographic best helps you achieve that. With a goal clearly defined, it's much easier to choose participants that are qualified to partake in the focus group.

Focus group discussions should be held in an environment that is non-threatening and receptive. Unlike  interviews , which usually occur with an individual, a focus group allows members to interact and influence each other during the discussion and consideration of ideas.

The line of questioning used in focus groups—known as the questioning route,  interview guide , or protocol—is predetermined and follows a logical sequence intended to mimic a natural exchange. The purpose of a focus group is not to arrive at a consensus, some level of agreement, or to decide what to do about something.

Moderators should avoid abrupt changes of direction or topic, and ensure that all participants have input and contribute equally.

Focus groups are valuable because they allow alternative ways of obtaining information from consumers  without using surveys, which tend to be viewed as scientific and only produce  quantitative data . Focus groups utilize  qualitative data collection methods. Just as in the dynamics of real life, the participants are able to interact, influence, and be influenced—giving actionable insight into customers' knowledge of their brands , products, or services.

Focus groups have a distinct advantage over other types of market research because they are flexible by design. You can listen to someone's tone and view their body language when talking to better understand how they feel about a particular subject. A good moderator who prepares well for a focus group will act as a proxy for the decision-makers and capitalize on the ability to talk to customers directly.

If performed efficiently, market research focus groups are an excellent resource for businesses. The quality of a focus group's outcomes depends on the discussion and the ability to keep participants focused on the task. Exploring their deep feelings, perceptions, and decisions about the research topic is easier if participants are in a welcoming environment. Participants must be comfortable enough to interact openly.

Focus group research findings are robust. When focus group participants are genuinely engaged in the study, and the moderator is sufficiently skillful, the outcome can be clarity about major themes. Hard data is important in business, and it has its place, but it doesn't always tell the full story. Focus groups can help businesses make sense of the numbers and get a deeper understanding of their consumers.

Researchers are using much smaller groups to conduct market research than they have in the past—and with good results . The information garnered when using smaller numbers of participants in focus groups is more robust and probes consumers' unconscious or unexpressed preferences.

Some of the  modes of analysis  used for focus groups are radically different from the transcript-based analysis considered essential to focus group research in the past. Participants in focus groups have also become more socially diverse to reflect a globalized, interconnected audience. This requires additional awareness and sensitivity to participants, so they feel welcome sharing their true opinions during the focus group.

Key Takeaways

• Focus groups participants are deliberately selected to get consumer feedback on products or services.
• Participants in focus groups must fit a pre-determined criteria.
• Focus groups provide more qualitative information than traditional surveys.
• What Is an MROC?
• Preparing Data for Analysis and Triangulation
• What Is Market Research?
• The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Research
• Learn About Syndicated Market Research
• Consumer Profile: Defining the Ideal Customer
• Market Research & Coca-Cola—The Anti-Obesity Campaign
• Using Marketing Information Systems (MIS)
• Advanced Surveys Research Methods for Client-Facing Reports
• Starting Market Research: Identify Your Marketing Research Problem
• What Is Cognitive Theory in Market Research?
• What Is Sentiment Analysis?
• How to Use a Codebook for Qualitative Research Analysis
• How Market Researchers Choose Which Movies You See
• What Is a Stratified Random Sample?
• How Secondary Market Research Works

Focus Groups

• First Online: 02 January 2023

Cite this chapter

• Janet Mola Okoko 4  

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education ((SPTE))

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Focus group, as a methodology in the social sciences, has been traced to the study done by Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert Merton in the early 1940’s on the effects of media on people’s attitude towards World War II (Liamputtong in Focus group methodology: Principles and practice. Sage Publications, 2011) (Merton and Kendall in Am J of Socio 51(6):541–5571946). Before that, Emory Bogardus described group interviews in a study that was aimed at developing a social distance scale (Wark and Galliher in Am Sociologist, 38(4), 383–395, 2007). The element of having group discussions and group-based research became more popular in market research before other social science researchers started paying attention to it. The term focus groups was mainly used to define the social images of commercial products and judge the reactions to, opinions about, and attitudes toward a product, but is now a generic method that can be applicable to multiple fields of behaviour and human experience (Merton, 1987 ). It is now used to study concepts, programs, services, and institutions (Gil and Granado in Eval Rev 19(1):84–10 1995).

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Talking to People IV: Focus Groups

Setting the Scene for a New Era of Focus Group Research

Focus Group Interviews

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Additional Readings

Barbour, R. (2018). Doing focus groups (2nd ed.) Sage Publications.

Belzile, J., & Oberg, G. (2012). Where to begin? Grappling with how to use participant interaction in focus group design. Qualitative Research, 12 (4), 459–472.

Jakobsen, H. (2012). Focus groups and methodological rigour outside the minority world: Making the method work to its strengths in Tanzania. Qualitative Research, 12 (2), 111–130.

Krueger, R.A. (1998). Moderating focus groups . Sage Publications.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Dickinson, W. B., Leech, N. L., & Zoran, A. G. (2009). A Qualitative framework for collecting and analyzing data in focus group research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690900800301

Sim, J., & Waterfield, J. (2019). Focus group methodology: Some ethical challenges. Quality and Quantity, 53 , 3003–3022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-019-00914-5

Online Resources

1. How to focus groups work (4 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TwgVQIZPsw

2. Conducting a focus group (5 ½ minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auf9pkuCc8k

3. Preparing for a focus group (5 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSwTvkTsOvI

4. How to run a successful focus group (12 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjQtu6yeC1E

5. The focus group method (8 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU92Zryjf-0

6. Moderating focus groups (30 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHZsEcSqwo

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Okoko, J.M. (2023). Focus Groups. In: Okoko, J.M., Tunison, S., Walker, K.D. (eds) Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04394-9_31

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Focus groups.

Survey of conscious and unconscious attitudes, expectations and attitudes of customers, users or experts towards products.

In the initial phase, the procedure and the framework conditions are explained. Afterwards, the topic will be introduced and the discussion will be started. The group is asked to report on their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product. In this phase, the moderator deliberately refrains from directing questions on specific aspects to the entire group. In the foreground, however, is the creation of the most natural conversation possible. In the further course, those areas are addressed that have not yet been dealt with discursively by the group, but which are interesting for the project objective. The questions, however, continue to be formulated as openly as possible. Possible questions: In which categories does the target group think and what attitude does it have towards certain products? What needs, attitudes and motives are hidden behind their behavior? How would users of the target group design individual functionalities? How can you optimize existing functions and features? Which contents, functions and services could be offered additionally? Only towards the end of the discussion possible contradictions or inconsistencies are directly addressed and explored.

• Further development of ideas or redesign of existing products.

For a successful implementation of focus groups, particular attention must be paid to the selection of suitable participants. Together with the participants, the goal of the discussion is defined. The moderation concept for the focus group will be prepared in close consultation with the participants. An experienced moderator will conduct the discussion according to this concept.

• Group discussion under the direction of a moderator

It is a moderated discussion with about 10 participants. It is a method of qualitative social research and is particularly suitable if e.g. websites, applications or software have to be evaluated.

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• The participants can inspire each other
• Fast to perform
• Enables the development of a multitude of ideas and, at the same time, their interrogation, as the interaction stimulates reflection
• Generate a lot of data within a short time
• An everyday-like conversation situation with the possibility of interaction between the participants
• Through a multi-faceted examination of the subject, emotional backgrounds of utterances and hidden assumptions can be revealed
• Qualitative data is difficult to analyze
• The success depends on the moderator
• Due to the qualitative method and the small number of cases, group discussions can never be representative
• Elaborate evaluation of the gained knowledge
• Opinion leaders can dominate the discussions, which often leads to a crooked overall picture
• Bet-Cost-Matrix
• Emotion Map
• Observation
• Sinus Milieus
• Use Case Modelling
• User Interview
• Semantic Differential
• Focus group (Wikipedia)
• The Use and Misuse of Focus Groups (NN Group / Jakob Nielsen)

The Design Method Finder is a UX and PM method data base with quick access to a lot of interesting and potentially helpful methods.

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• Cincinnati Focus Group Facilities

Cincinnati, OH

9908 Carver Road Cincinnati, OH 45242

877.344.1574

Cincinnati Office

Reception Area

Blue Ash Viewing Suite

Envisage Studio

Envisage Studio 2

Mt. Adams Conference Room

Music Hall Focus Room

Music Hall Lounge

Music Hall Viewing Room

Sports Focus Room

Like Charlotte, Cincinnati also claims “The Queen City” as its nickname, but to avoid confusion we prefer “The Queen City of the West.” L&E’s uniquely designed Cincinnati focus group facility is indeed fit for a queen, with more than 10,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space and technology that provide our clients and research respondents with every comfort and professional advantage.

L&E’s Cincinnati facility offers:

• Five spacious focus group suites
• A large creative space, the Envisage Studio, for consumer directs, team meetings or ideation sessions
• Modular tables in all rooms for custom configurations
• Ample ledge and corkboard space
• The latest digital high-definition video recording and streaming capabilities available upon request, including  L&E HD Video Streaming  and FocusVision

For miscellaneous facility information you can learn more about each facility  here

Facility Room Sizes & Capacities

L&E Cincinnati is 28.5 miles from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and 15.8 miles from downtown Cincinnati. We recommend staying near our facility, as there are plenty of comfortable accommodations serving a range of budgets nearby. Below are some of the hotels we recommend near our facility.

Wingate by Wyndham Cincinnati / Blue Ash 1.6 miles | 513-773-1142 |   Visit website 4320 Glendale Milford Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

Embassy Suites by Hilton 1.6 miles | 513-733-8900 |   Visit website 4554 Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash, Ohio, 45242

Hyatt Place 3.1 miles | 513-489-3666 |   Visit website 11435 Reed Hartman Hwy, Blue Ash, OH 45241

Hilton Garden Inn 513-469-6900 |   Visit website 5300 Cornell Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242

L&E Research is conveniently located approximately 28.5 miles from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and 15.8 miles from downtown Cincinnati. These directions provide the most direct route from the airport to L&E Research’s Cincinnati location and will take about 30 minutes, depending upon traffic.

Download PDF with directions to L&E.

• Head east on Terminal Dr
• Slight right to stay on Terminal Dr
• Merge onto I-275 E via the ramp to I-71/I-75/Cincinnati/Lexington/Louisville
• Merge onto I-275 E
• Take the Plainfield Rd exit from OH-126 E
• Take exit 84 to merge onto I-71 N/I-75 N toward Cincinnati (Entering Ohio)
• Keep left to continue on I-75 N
• Take exit 10A to merge onto OH-126 E
• Take the Plainfield Rd exit toward Hunt Rd
• Turn left onto Plainfield Rd
• Continue onto Reed Hartman Hwy
• Turn left onto Malsbary Rd
• Turn left onto Carver Rd

Entertainment

Montgomery Inn   | BBQ | 513-791-3482 Skyline Chili   | Cincinnati Style Chili | 513-489-8488 Stone Creek Dining Company   |  chops, and chicken | 513-489-1444 Bangkok Bistro   | Thai | 513-891-8900 Blue Ash Chili   | American – Guy Fieri famous | 513-984-6107

Cincinnati Area Attractions

Cincinnati Zoo Newport Aquarium Kenwood Towne Centre | Shopping Golf Hiking Parks

I love working with Lisa and Yolanda. They make my job easy. They know the business and ask all the right questions (objectives) to ensure we get 1) the desired recruitment; and 2) asking the right questions to achieve objectives. I know when they are working the project it will be done with quality and one less thing I have to worry about.

You guys made the process very easy to do, manage and were super responsive.

The L&E staff is easy to work with.