Focus groups are a fairly flexible and multifaceted method of marketing research. Conventionally, they can be divided according to 4 criteria:
- Duration and number of sessions
- By composition of respondents
- By the degree of moderators' involvement
- By the form of holding
Duration
By the duration, focus groups can be divided into:
- Standard. Session duration is 1.5-2 hours. First, general questions are clarified: the degree of familiarity with the products, preferences in relation to specific brands, what they like or dislike. This is followed by a transition to the object under discussion and the study of its characteristics.
- Short. Session duration - up to an hour. Packaging, one or two properties of the product, or the number of advertising messages are discussed. The preliminary stage is omitted.
- Extended. The discussion lasts 3-4 hours. As a rule, such groups gather to achieve global goals: finding out the interests of the target audience, researching an advertising company or all product properties.
- Two-session. They are carried out in two stages with an interval. At the first meeting, group members get to know the product. Then they are given samples for everyday use (accessory, food, hygiene item). In the second session, consumers share their impressions of using the product.
Participants
A classic focus group is a specially selected 8-12 people from among the target audience average representatives, selected by gender, age, occupation, income level and other characteristics. Nevertheless, the composition can always be increased or, conversely, reduced, based on the goals and objectives of the study. Working in large groups (15 or more people) can be difficult - the participants will interfere with each other, and someone will be in the shadow of more active respondents. For a deeper study of the issues, it is better to conduct research in narrow groups (4-6 people).Sometimes focus groups are organized according to areas of activity. For example, if the target audience is programmers, doctors, or construction workers, it is advisable to recruit groups of professionals. In this case, the appropriate professional training of the moderator is also necessary: a person who is ignorant of medicine simply cannot lead a group of doctors.
Number and functions of moderators
The moderator is the basis of the study. It is this person who develops events according to the script, directs the dialogue and controls the involvement of participants in the discussions. To solve the tasks assigned to the group, it is extremely important that the moderator is a real professional.As a rule, there is one moderator in a group, but for a large number of participants (over 10), two or more moderators are allowed. At the same time, they can have various specializations (sociologist, psychologist, narrow-profile specialist, etc.). Often, the scenario of such focus groups is reduced to a confrontation between 2-3 teams that defend the position.
Some focus groups may not have a moderator at all. Most often, this happens when a group of people is offered a joint task that does not require external intervention. In this case, the moderator observes the group from the side and analyzes the behavior of the participants.
Form of conducting
The classic focus group approach involves a physical meeting. As a rule, a room is rented where all the invited respondents can comfortably sit. Also, if necessary, multimedia equipment is ordered to demonstrate materials.However, this format is not always optimal. The online format is gradually gaining popularity. It makes it possible to work out issues with hard-to-reach audience categories (for example, with residents of remote regions, other countries, etc.).
Under the influence of the pandemic and with closed borders, the online format is more relevant than ever. It allows you to effectively conduct focus groups in Russia with minimal costs.
The RAUIE has been conducting focus groups in Russia professianally for over 10 years and has been helping Asian entrepreneurs successfully enter the Russian market.If you need expert advice, you can leave a request through the feedback form on the website ("ask a question" on the right side of the page) or by the contacts below:
Maxim Kuznetsov - vice-president of the RAUIE
WeChat: maximkuznetsov