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The Focus Group Is Dead. Long Live The Focus Group.
by Jon Hall
9.10
For many marketers, the epitaph has been written for focus groups. Online research, blogs and communities have supplanted them as the "new" way to get consumer feedback. Focus groups are seen as a relic of the pre-electronic age, even quaint and old-fashioned.
I'm here to say, "Not so fast!" Online technologies clearly have value as a means of getting consumer input, and at SpencerHall we use a variety of online tools, such as our Sounding Board panels to establish "thinking partnerships" with consumers. However, focus groups DONE RIGHT are still one of the richest forms of consumer interaction.
The issue is that many marketers conduct focus groups for the wrong reasons, with ineffective moderators, and come away with only surface level understanding, or worse yet, misinformation. Focus groups done right can be highly effective at uncovering new insights, and creating consumer-based ideas—particularly because of the kinds of research techniques you can use, and the dynamics of active dialogue among participants. There's also no better consumer interaction than personal interaction, where you can observe body language and how participants are responding, not just what their responses are.
There are a number of right ways to get the most out of focus group research:
Be Clear About What You Want To Learn—focus groups are very helpful when you want to encourage consumer interaction and dialogue. Having a discussion, with the moderator probing to understand need states, unmet needs and attitudes can be a very effective means for uncovering fresh insights. Similarly, having respondents provide feedback, and collaborate on new concepts and product prototypes can help you understand what's working and why, and even more importantly, how to fix what's not.
Talk To The Right People —nothing kills a focus group more than having people who aren't articulate, willing to speak up, or who don't represent the right target demographics. Beyond these considerations, think about what you're trying to learn—do you want to talk with highly involved consumers who can provide a lot of insight into habits and practices, category early adopters who are forward thinkers and could better help collaborate and build out new product ideas, or do you want consumers who reject your product so you can get to the bottom of their dissatisfaction? At SpencerHall, we put a real premium on defining these deeper characteristic to help ensure that each respondent truly represents the insights and opinions of the target.
Create Moments Of Self-Discovery —capitalize on the power of direct interaction and use techniques that stimulate and engage respondents (not to mention the clients in the back room!). Typically, the first thing on consumers' minds is usually the last thing you need to know. That's why it's essential to go beyond the talking head syndrome that is so prevalent in focus groups. We worked with Consumer Psychologists to create techniques that challenge respondents to go beyond surface level reactions to reveal deeper motivators that respondents might not even consciously recognize. You can actually see these moments of self discovery as the moderator probes to understand the factors that drove a respondent's selection of a particular image or association.
Choose Proven, Experienced Moderators —One of the drawbacks of qualitative research is there is no true certification of a moderator. Virtually anyone can hang out a shingle and decide they're a focus group moderator. Over the past 27 years in the marketing business, I've seen more than my fair share of moderators who are functionally capable of asking questions from a discussion guide, but lack the experience to know when to probe "off the guide" to chase down a nugget that could become a breakthrough insight. That's why all SpencerHall moderators have 20-25+ years of experience in marketing, advertising or product development. They know what's worth chasing down because they fully understand how this learning can translate into actionable marketing knowledge.
Listen For More Than What You Want To Hear—when conducting focus groups, it's important to recognize that there will be a variety of listening emphasis from the client team in the backroom. "Hearing what you want to hear" is a common concern with focus groups. However, instead of being dismissive of differing perspectives, there is real value in having attendees give voice to their conclusions via a thorough Debrief after the groups. Having the moderator who is truly an independent arbiter of the consumer's voice lead the Debriefing is a good way to ensure the key learning is revealed, truly representing what the consumers had to say.
So don't be dismissive of focus groups simply because they've been around a long time. They're still a highly effective way to get invaluable face to face interaction with your consumers. Focus groups done right will let you clearly hear the voice of your consumer. It's up to you to listen well!
