Focus Group
In the world of marketing, focus groups
are seen as an important tool for acquiring feedback regarding new products,
as well as various topics. In particular, focus groups allow companies
wishing to develop, package, name, or test market a new product, to
discuss, view, and/or test the new product before it is made available
to the public.
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of
people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept,
advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive
group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.
In urban planning, focus
groups allow interviewers to study people in a more natural setting
than a one-to-one interview. In combination with participant observation,
they can be used for gaining access to various cultural and social groups,
selecting sites to study, sampling of such sites, and raising unexpected
issues for exploration.
Focus groups have a high
apparent validity - since the idea is easy to understand, the results
are believable. Also, they are low in cost, one can get results relatively
quickly, and they can increase the sample size of a report by talking
with several people at once.
In traditional focus groups,
a screened group of respondents gathers in the same room. They are screened
to ensure that they are part of the relevant target market and that
the group is a representative subgroup of this market segment. There
are usually 6 to 10 members in the group, and the session usually lasts
for 1 to 2 hours.
Researchers examine more
than the spoken words. They also try to interpret facial expressions,
body language, and group dynamics. Moderators may use straight questioning
or various projective techniques, including fixed or free association,
story-telling and role-playing. Focus groups are often used to garner
reaction to specific stimuli such as concepts, prototypes and advertising.
Two-way focus group - one
focus group watches another focus group and discusses the observed interactions
and conclusions
Dual moderator focus group - one moderator ensures the session progresses
smoothly, while another ensures that all the topics are covered.
Dueling moderator focus
group - two moderators deliberately take opposite sides on the issue
under discussion.
Respondent moderator focus
group - one or more of the respondents are asked to act as the moderator
temporarily
Client participant focus groups - one or more client representatives
participate in the discussion, either covertly or overtly.
Mini focus groups - groups
are comprised of 4 or 5 members rather than 8 to 12
Teleconference focus groups - telephone network is used
Online focus groups - computers and internet network is used
Traditional focus groups can provide accurate information, and are less
expensive than other forms of traditional marketing research.
The use of focus groups has steadily evolved over time and is becoming
increasingly more widespread.
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