Focus Groups, Are They Worth It
In a world of million of products and services all vying for consumers attention and ultimately their devotion and loyalty, how does a company measure which products will produce revenue and which products will not? Traditionally, focus groups have been utilized to gain a better insight of how a diverse audience would react to a product and whether they would be inclined to purchase the product or not. Below is a brief overview of when and when not to utilize focus groups.
Focus groups are best utilized in the following arenas:
A New Product » When your product or service is new such it is unknown, a focus group would be highly beneficial to better understand how the product is perceived by consumers. The reactions, connections, drivers, and likelihood to purchase your product or service can all be established from a focus group.
Open Ended Questions and Discussions » Focus groups can be highly beneficial should your company want to open a discussion or look into the reasoning behind an answer. For example, a participant states "I love the new Coke Zero 20 Oz. bottle", but why? Is it the design, the concept, or perhaps it is another reason why a consumer feels so strongly about something as diverse or simplistic as a bottle. If you want to look behind the logic of a yes or no question, a focus group is solid beginning.
Strength in numbers » If you are seeking a diverse sample space, if your product is brand new and you want the opinions and reactions of a wide array of cultures, ages, demographics, etc..a focus group would be a valuable measure to take.
Body Language » A traditional focus group setting will allow you to view the body language, initial reactions and other valuable data needed to make imperative decision making for a new product or service.
Faster Results » A typical focus group lasts about 1-2 hours in length and the results can generally be obtained in short period of time. Results generally yield a wealth of consumer data and ideas, which in time help to mold or sway ideas on the product or service.
Key Insights » Conducting a focus group will provide you with key insights and opinions on that specific product or service, insights that would not be collected if the research method was a survey or an impersonal tool.
Focus groups are not best practiced in the following environments:
Major Decisions affect the End Result » If we look at this from a logical standpoint, we should compare apples to apples. In short, if a major marketing decision backed by a significant amount of funding will affect the outcome; it is strongly recommended that statistical data or quantitative research is the method of choice. Focus groups are highly subjective to personal opinions, bias, and other factor that cannot be measured. They help collect large amounts of data that are mainly based on individuals.
Do not repeat a focus group study » As mentioned early in this article; focus groups are most valuable to new products. With that said, if your product or service is not new, alternative methods are strongly encouraged, as the results typically will not fluctuate too much.
Be Aware of Suggestive Selling » While focus groups are an invaluable source and many companies and moderators truly want to be a beneficial resource, there are a small scope of firms who do not have your company's best interest in mind. Be wary of those types of firms and measure the pros and cons of conducting a focus group for your product and service.
Conclusion
In conclusion, focus groups are a highly valuable resource to measure the success of your new product or service. As with any purchase you must exercise caution and measure the value of the service. Focus groups offer a wealth of data, feelings that trigger reactions and other emotions that surveys and other methodologies lack. However, they are very costly to produce. Consider your options and how the possible outcome of a focus group will affect the end product to the ultimate user. Be certain to conduct a focus group with a varied audience to ensure the highest level of success.