Focus Group:
A focus group is a form of qualitative research
in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions,
beliefs, and attitudes 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. The first focus groups were
created at the Bureau of Applied Social Research in the USA, by associate director, sociologist Robert K. Merton. The term itself was coined by psychologist and marketing expert Ernest Dichter.
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. This can provide invaluable information
about the potential market acceptance of the product.
Focus Group is an interview, conducted by a trained moderator among a
small group of respondents. The interview is conducted in an
unstructured and natural way where respondents are free to give views
from any aspect.Variants of focus groups include:
- Two-way focus group - one focus group watches another focus group and discusses the observed interactions and conclusion
- 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 and only one 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 composed of four or five members rather than 6 to 12
- Teleconference focus groups - telephone network is used
- Online focus groups - computers connected via the internet are used
general info:
1. How old are you?
2. What is your highest level of education?
3. What is your sex?
4. What is your race?
5. What type of job do you have? How many hours do you work per week?
product/service info:
1. What is your immediate reaction to the name of this company?
2. How quickly do you realize the pronunciation of the company name?
3. What types of services/products do you think we offer?
4. What emotional response do you have to the name of this company?
5. Does the name reflect the product/service accurately?
6. Is this a service/product you would purchase/participate in? Why?
7. Do you know someone else that would be interested in this product/service?
8. How familiar are you with this type of product/service? Have you ever purchased a product/service similar to this?
9. Is there something you would change about the name or product/service?
10. Is this a product/service that you would discuss about or refer to others?