Setting up a focus group

paddylonglegs

Hi Guys,

I am beginning to set up a focus group and wanted to get your thoughts on previous experience and possible pitfalls.

How have they worked out and did they prove useful? Are they worth it, and did you pay the attendees?

I am interested to know how many people would be enough or too little, how should I record the data?

Any tips on how I can keep the candidates interested and ensure they turn up on the night? Any particular times work well?

How many focus groups should I run to get a balanced outcome? Should they be carried out in different parts of the country?

The target market are all 9 -5 day time employed, and they are based country wide

Any tips would be great!

antoinolachtnai

I have done this kind of work with large companies.

I would seriously consider getting a research company to do this. It is a lot of work and expense to set up and there is a lot of specialised knowledge. You will be paying everybody, attendees, moderator, receptionist. That is life in business.

You can't really moderate your own focus group. You need someone to do this for you, so you can watch.

You could maybe do it yourself if it was small scale and local, but if you need to look nationwide, that is going to take a lot of skill and organization.

Are they useful. I would say they are, but they are useful in subtle and unexpected ways, rather than for the more 'obvious' results you get.

paddylonglegs

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I have done this kind of work with large companies.

I would seriously consider getting a research company to do this. It is a lot of work and expense to set up and there is a lot of specialised knowledge. You will be paying everybody, attendees, moderator, receptionist. That is life in business.

You can't really moderate your own focus group. You need someone to do this for you, so you can watch.

You could maybe do it yourself if it was small scale and local, but if you need to look nationwide, that is going to take a lot of skill and organization.

Are they useful. I would say they are, but they are useful in subtle and unexpected ways, rather than for the more 'obvious' results you get.

Thanks very much for this. A lot to consider based on your advice.

pedroeibar1

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I have done this kind of work with large companies.

I would seriously consider getting a research company to do this. It is a lot of work and expense to set up and there is a lot of specialised knowledge. You will be paying everybody, attendees, moderator, receptionist. That is life in business.

You can't really moderate your own focus group. You need someone to do this for you, so you can watch.

You could maybe do it yourself if it was small scale and local, but if you need to look nationwide, that is going to take a lot of skill and organization.

Are they useful. I would say they are, but they are useful in subtle and unexpected ways, rather than for the more 'obvious' results you get.

Agreed except for the bit in bold - personal bias would be impossible to overlook and the moderator would see waht suited the required outcome.

antoinolachtnai

You are really right. You might be able to do everything else in organizing the event for a small local group but you would really have to get someone else to do the actual moderation.

It is really important to take the time and listen and watch. A lot of the value of these things is not from the actual answers to the questions but the 'tacit' feedback.