Focus group is a group depth interview, focused on a separate aspect of interaction between a customer and company, customer and product. It is a qualitative type of research.
WHY FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH IS NEEDED?
Focus group research (FGR) allows come into direct contact withcustomers. It makes possible not only to find out their opinionconcerning service or product quality but root motives of theconsumption of yours goods and services, and their expectations of yourcompany.
Advantages of FGR method:
- It allows to get voluntary and substantiated answering the questions;
- Atmosphere of group discussion is inciting into expressing a view and desire to share experience;
- It promotes generating of new ideas;
- Compared to quantitative research method it allows to find out root motives and expectations of a customer.
Focus groups help to learn:
- Positive and bad experience of the customers;
- Customer expectations;
- How competitor company is perceived by the customers;
- Customer attitude to your brand;
- How the customers see perfect service;
In addition, it is useful information for:
- Improvement of goods and services, service standards;
- Testing of hypothesis of quantitative research and interpretation of its results.
FGR results help to understand what to focus on while service standards development, which points of goods or service need to be improved, what to consider in a strategy of company development.
HOW IS FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH CONDUCTED
Organizing of focus groups has the following features:
- Focus groups areconducted at special rooms. The room is equipped by a round table,flipchart, audio- and video recording devices. Ordering customer maywatch for the research via semi-transparent mirror between the rooms.
- Either realcustomers of a company or handpicked participants who meet social anddemographic features of business target audience may be involved infocus group research.
- Using projectivetechniques helps to overcome psychological barrier (defense) and tofigure out customer attitude to the subject of research.
- Focus groupanalysis means transcription of audio and video that takes more time fordata processing.
TYPES OF FOCUS GROUPS?
- By size FGR are divided into traditional (8-10 participants) andmini groups (5-6 participants)
- By duration they may be standard (1.5-2 hours) and extended(2.5-4 hours).
- By types of moderation FGR are divided into single moderatorgroups (assistant may be present) and dueling moderator groups, whocooperate or conflict against each other.
COST OF FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH
Price of the research is made up of the following variables:
- Development of methodological framework and analysis of the research results.
- Respondent recruitment (depends upon complexity of target audience of the research).
- Organizational aspects (participants benefit, catering).
- Type of moderation.
Mir Taynykh Pokupateley has been conducting focus groups all over Ukraine: Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Odessa, Lvov and other cities.
