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Focus group. Focus group method Focus group as a marketing research method

Bella Naneishvili, Chief Project Manager, Qualitative Research Department
MAGRAM MR

A focus group is an interview conducted by a specially trained interviewer-moderator in the form of a natural and informal conversation with a group of people who meet the criteria set on the basis of the objectives of the study.

Characteristics of focus groups

The specifics of market research focus groups and their difference from other group discussions can be better understood if their key characteristics are disclosed.

Focus group- this is an interview, which implies the presence of an interviewer (moderator). The main task of the moderator is to get answers to the marketing questions posed during conversations with people.

Many focus group publications emphasize the importance of choosing the right moderator for the success of the project.

The most important thing that is required from the moderator is to establish within a short time trusting relationship with a group of strangers and encourage them to talk about topics that may often be uninteresting, unpleasant, that they do not think about, or often simply find it difficult to articulate their thoughts.

The moderator has to control the processes of interaction in a group of people (encourage timid participants, calm down too active, dominant ones), make sure that the discussion does not deviate from the intended direction, notice "rationalized", learned, or socially desired answers and break through them to genuine opinions of the participants.

There are "hard" and "soft" styles of grouping. The "hard" style is characterized by the moderator's authoritarian style of behavior: pressure on participants, strict time limits for answering questions, provocations of participants or attempts to catch them on contradictions in their answers. The "hard" style has its uses, but most moderators run groups in a "soft" style, showing a genuine interest in other people, creating a welcoming atmosphere for discussion. This does not mean that the leader aims to achieve a conflict-free and complacent mood of the group members, some conflicts, contradictions, sharp moments are inevitable and necessary. But at the same time, participants should feel that everyone's opinion is equally valuable, interesting to the moderator and other respondents, because it allows you to take a fresh look at familiar things.

As a rule, questions to the participants are asked by the moderator in the most general and neutral way ("What do you think about this?", "What are your impressions of the video you watched?", "What do you pay attention to when buying products in this category?"), in order to minimize the influence of the moderator on the answers of the respondents. Otherwise, people will simply agree with a detailed question containing a hint (“You always pay attention to the manufacturing company when buying confectionery?”), Or, having felt the mood of the moderator, give those answers that, in their opinion, want to hear from them.

If neutral questions do not work in a number of other cases, the moderator can use guiding questions with varying degrees of pressure on the respondents.

The moderator's imposition of his opinion in one form or another (by way of asking questions, by treating respondents whose opinion differs from the moderator's opinion, by non-verbal reactions) is a serious threat to the validity of the results of focus groups.

A focus group focuses on discussing certain topics.

Although the moderator's questions and respondents' answers are not structured, the conversation is not free in content and is based on a discussion of a number of topics of interest to the customer.

The moderator knows the true goals of the study, which are reflected in the group's plan (discussion guide, guidelines). The group plan is an approximate set and sequence of topics that should be discussed with invited people in order to collect the most complete and adequate information for the purposes of the study.

As a rule, when drawing up a conversation plan, the "direct funnel" principle is used - questions are asked from broader questions that encourage respondents to talk, speak spontaneously on the issue under discussion, to more private and specific ones, drawing people's attention to the details of the problem under study. So, for example, when testing a commercial, it is common practice to first ask about general impressions: "What do you think / What are your impressions of what you saw?", the first associations, and then move on to questions about individual elements of the video - characters, packaging, sounded phrases .

Sometimes the "reverse funnel" principle is also used, when closed questions open ones follow. This sequence is used if the researcher is primarily interested in clear answers to specific questions.

At the same time, the moderator should not strictly adhere to the wording and sequence of questions that is reflected in the plan. An experienced moderator should be flexible, improvise, make changes and additions to this plan in the course of the discussion, depending on what and what language the respondents speak. The fact is that the discussion guide reflects the research needs and logic of the moderator, while the logic of respondents belonging to other social strata and professional communities can differ significantly from the views of both the customer and the moderator. The task of the moderator is to capture these points of inconsistency and allow the participants in the discussion to express what they consider important on this issue. Otherwise, the study can remove only a layer of superficial information and lose sight of its significance, relevance to the conceptual structure of the respondents. Therefore, when conducting groups and analyzing statements, preference is given to personal statements based on individual experience and feelings.

A focus group is not just a few people gathered in one place for the convenience of the survey.

To get the most out of it and take advantage of all the benefits this method it is necessary that the interviewees unite for the duration of the conversation into a certain community, a group in the socio-psychological sense of the word, which has its own goal, rules and norms of interaction, stages of development. The norms of interaction that a "good" group should develop include respect for the opinion of each participant and recognition of differences, the value of the individual experience of each, benevolence and open-mindedness.

Focus groups, like individual in-depth interviews, are aimed at obtaining "in-depth" information.

Here, "deep" information is understood as a more complete and detailed discussion and explanation of behavior compared to what is available at the level of everyday understanding.

Most of Everyday life proceeds at the level of habits, automatisms, long-learned stereotypes, so respondents have to make efforts to reflect on their daily behavior, including the purchase of groceries and consumer goods. It often turns out that the simpler and closer the topic of discussion (margarine or toothpaste) is to the respondents, the less intelligible their answers are. The moderator should not take all the statements on faith, he should try to penetrate the layer of superficial judgments (habit, like, affordable, etc.) to the real motives of behavior and those ideas that led to the development of the declared habits and preferences.

Benefits of Focus Groups

To strengths focus groups include the following characteristics:

the variety of information on the issues raised that can be obtained from several participants;

"snowball effect" - the remark of one respondent causes a response from another, prompts him to some considerations or memories;

stimulation - with a successful group move, the respondents have a desire to express their thoughts and feelings;

a sense of security - there are several respondents and they are all in the same conditions, which reduces their fears of appearing ignorant;

spontaneity of reactions - respondents express themselves in a free form, and do not answer specific, clearly formulated questions. What they say and what they are silent about, what words and intonations they use, in what sequence they touch on certain issues - all this reflects the subjective significance of these moments and can be a useful source of information in the analysis of groups;

flexible structure, the ability to linger on the discussion of unexpected interesting points or those issues that caused difficulty or bewilderment;

the speed of data collection (compared to interviews);

the differences between the respondents are clearly visible and it can be assumed what caused these differences ( social status, professional affiliation, income, cultural level);

focus groups can be observed and accessed to real consumers, their problems, emotions, language.

Disadvantages of the focus group method

Some disadvantages are inherent in focus groups per se, while others are due to their misuse.

Focus groups are not very suitable for obtaining information in the following cases:

when it comes to topics that people are unlikely to discuss frankly in front of other people (intimate topics such as personal hygiene, contraception, or financial matters);

when an understanding of the complex behavior associated with making a series of responsible decisions is required - the purchase of expensive items such as real estate, furniture, cars;

when there are strict social norms, regulating and prescribing certain views and actions in any area (parental behavior);

deep understanding of complex social roles or you need to turn to the biography of the respondent, the analysis of a single case, in order to identify possible factors that influenced the formation of his ideas;

individual opinion on any issue is of greater interest to the researcher than clearly articulated, but formed under the influence of discussion with other respondents, the opinions of focus group participants;

respondents are small and difficult to reach, it is difficult to gather them into a group (users of a rare brand, specialists, business people who spend a lot of time on business trips).

A serious threat to the correct use of the focus group method is:

blurring of the received data, which sharply increases the subjectivity of perception;

ignoring the descriptive nature qualitative methods and attempts to generalize the findings to the entire population;

as well as the difficulty of finding qualified moderators who can competently lead the group, analyze the notes, and combine the respondents' statements, their impressions and conclusions into a coherent report.

Types of focus groups

Focus group is a generic concept that includes a large number of species, subspecies and modifications depending on the objectives of the study. All the variety of focus groups can be classified for different reasons. We have tried to identify the most commonly used in the practice of marketing research types of focus groups (Focus Group Discussion).

1. Duration

The duration of the group discussion depends on the objectives of the study and the characteristics of the sample.

Standard groups

A standard focus group usually lasts about 1.5 hours (sometimes up to two hours). Typically, a standard group begins with a discussion by respondents of their experience with the product category under study, their familiarity and preference for certain brands, what they like or dislike about those products / brands. This stage not only allows obtaining factual information, but also reduces the anxiety of the respondents, instills in them a sense of confidence in their competence, the ability to cope with the work ahead. The conversation then moves on to project-specific questions—why consumers reject a new brand of cigarette, or why heavy advertising is not remembered and does not lead to increased brand awareness.

Short groups

Discussion of a limited set of topics (testing one or two stories for commercials, packaging options) or working with children involves holding short (up to 1 hour) groups.

Expanded Groups

On the contrary, a large amount of work, when within the framework of one project it is necessary to collect data on lifestyle and aspirations target audience, in relation to certain goods or advertising, extended group discussions lasting 3-4 hours are generally used.

ECGD (Extended Creative Group Discussions) - extended creative group discussions with extensive use of projective and other auxiliary techniques. These groups are used in cases where it is necessary to develop a new approach to the problem, a new non-standard vision, in particular, when a product has been so studied by traditional qualitative and quantitative methods that they do not give an increment useful information. For example, in order to understand how you can attract a consumer to new brand familiar products such as margarine or mayonnaise, it may be useful to have several extended groups using collages, role playing, personalization and other techniques.

Two sessions (Two sessions group)

Also in marketing practice there are two-session groups, when the same participants gather in groups 2 times with an interval of several days, usually a week. Very often, at the first session, participants are given some goods / products (it can be washing powder, toothbrushes, tea or instant soup) for testing at home, and during the second session, respondents share their impressions, make comments and suggestions , discussing positioning strategies or advertising concepts.

2. Number of respondents

standard group

The average number of participants in a standard group discussion is 8-10 people, sometimes the boundaries of ordinary groups are defined more gently at 6-12 people.

Mini group

Mini-groups (mini FGD) are transitional between individual interviews and a regular group. The number of respondents in a mini-group is 4-5 people, which allows you to work out the topics discussed at a deeper level than in a standard group, while maintaining the advantages of group work.

3. Number and role of moderators

standard group

In the overwhelming majority of cases, one professional moderator talks to the respondents. But some research projects may require derogations from this rule.

Groups with two moderators

A number of group conversations are held with the participation of two moderators, whose work can proceed both in the form of cooperation and in the form of external competition.

dual moderator group

In a pair of cooperating moderators, one is responsible for developing group dynamics and the smooth running of the group, while the second ensures that all substantive aspects of the conversation are covered. The distribution of roles between moderators is useful if the subject of discussion is issues that require special training and knowledge (interviews with doctors, engineers).

dueling moderator group

In another case, two opposing moderators clearly hold opposing points of view and encourage respondents to consider both sides of the phenomenon being studied.

client-participant group

Sometimes the groups are attended by representatives of the customer, who can explain certain points that are incomprehensible to the respondents and answer their questions.

Discussion groups without a moderator

This is a rather specific and infrequent procedure in applied research: the group is given the task to do something within the allotted time, the progress of the group is observed and studied interaction patterns, the process of selecting a leader, the distribution of roles, and so on.

Temporary removal of the moderator can be used as a methodical technique during normal groups: either one of the respondents is asked to be a moderator to improve group dynamics, or the moderator leaves the respondents alone for 5-10 minutes (for example, with a set of stimulus materials) and observes their actions.

4. Type of respondents

Standard groups

Typical qualitative marketing research involves conducting group discussions with typical consumers of products, selected on the basis of gender, age, income, marital status, use/non-use of certain brands.

Groups with specialists

Representatives of various professional communities can be involved as respondents to participate in the study - doctors, specialists in industrial equipment, managers, computer scientists. Conducting such groups is associated with great organizational difficulties due to the selection and invitation of these people, as well as the need for additional subject training moderator.

One of the varieties of focus groups with specialists can be considered Delphi-groups, the main task of which is to receive forecasts about the future from professionals in this field.

5. Sensitivity panel

In these types of groups, one of the basic recruiting rules is violated - to invite "naive respondents" to the groups who have never participated in this kind of discussion before, people with fresh perceptions and reactions. During the sensitive panel, people are taught to be respondents during the week, people get used to each other, build trusting relationships, get acquainted with the basic rules of group conversations, various game and projective methods. They prepare "professional respondents" with whom they then conduct a group on a topic of interest, without wasting time on rocking, developing relationships, removing prejudice and alertness, explaining what and how to do.

6. With the use of technical means

A rather conventional basis for distinguishing focus groups, which we used to draw attention to some techniques.

Standard groups

Standard groups are a set of participants gathered in one place, "round table", which are usually observed by representatives of the customer either from the next room through a one-way mirror / video link, or from their office using modern fiber optic communications.

Teleconferences (Telesession group)

Sometimes, and such groups are often practiced in the West, it is advisable not to gather respondents in the premises of a research company, but to arrange a teleconference with all participants using a telephone (it looks like a conference call).

Bilateral groups (Two-way group)

An interesting way is when one group of respondents (for example, doctors) observes the progress of another group (patients talking about the treatments that their doctors prescribe, as well as what they expect from doctors), and then discusses what they saw.

Economy

Keywords:

1 -1

A focus group is a form of survey based on a comprehensive discussion of a problematic topic with a selected group of people, conducted by a moderator in order to establish qualitative parameters of consumer behavior.

In most cases goals focus groups are as follows:

understand the motives of behavior, attitudes and values of consumers;
get general information about the product category, determine the features of using the product;
analyze conflicts and disagreements on certain issues;
understand the specifics of subcultures.

In the course of the focus groups, the respondents' knowledge and assessment of the brands of the product under discussion are revealed, the image and position of the brands in their perception are determined. If consumers are familiar with brands, for example, of food products, then you can invite them to guess the brand by taste and smell.

There are other marketing goals of focus groups - generating ideas for a new product or preparing a new one. advertising campaign, developing hypotheses that can then be quantitatively tested, obtaining information useful for structuring data collection methods.

Another way to use focus groups is to find out the reaction of consumers to a new product or advertising message. Participants of the study are invited to choose the most and least liked options for the product, its packaging or advertising. Sometimes the discussion is about a product that respondents have tried for some time in advance (for example, pet food, cosmetics, printed matter).

Evaluation of advertising products in focus groups can be carried out according to the following parameters: how advertising corresponds to the presented product, its image and position, how respondents can be identified with advertising characters, whether advertising contributes to making a purchase.

It is generally agreed that the results of such testing fairly accurately reflect the opinion of the masses of consumers and have a fairly high positive correlation with future success. However, it is not possible to draw specific conclusions from the results of the focus groups, as the discussion process only considers certain aspects of behavior, often in isolation from a specific situation (for example, it is difficult to determine whether people will buy a product if they liked its advertisement).

The results obtained in a focus group can only be generalized to the target market if the group has reached a consensus on a particular issue. If the topic under discussion is important to the firm, then it is recommended to resort to a subsequent quantitative survey of consumers, since focus groups are more suitable for generating ideas and considerations than for characterizing their distribution.

However, the interpretation of the results of focus groups deserves special care, since verbal information obtained during discussions can be ambiguous, emotionally colored and have a special meaning only in the context, while non-verbal information can perform all communicative functions and practically replace the text, so its decoding allows you to check reliability of verbal data and make assumptions.

Analyzing the results, it is necessary to remember the peculiarities of group interaction. When evaluating a new product concept, the focus group is usually conservative, i.e. it prefers those ideas that are easy to explain, and not necessarily completely new. Presentation order issues also arise when multiple concepts, products, or ad message options are being evaluated. If the members of the group are too critical of one of the tested objects, then they can then “for balance” make an overly “friendly” conclusion about the next one.

Principles of analysis focus group materials:

vision and interpretation of actions and opinions expressed in focus groups e, carried out from the perspective of the respondents;
the atmosphere of focus groups is considered and described in detail, pauses and the strongest emotional reactions are noted;
the results are taken into account in dynamics, since group processes affect them and the very nature of the discussion;
during the analysis, they determine which topics are important and which are simply interesting for the respondent: the frequency of mention indicates interest, but not necessarily the importance of the issue;
the behavior of members of different groups is compared to identify consistent, repetitive patterns and responses to specific questions.

The specifics of using focus groups as a qualitative research method are presented in the box based on a quote from .

To compare the perceptions of focus groups among marketing research professionals, consider the definitions, conceptions of the essence and classification of this method by different authors (Table 14.8 and Table 14.9).

MYTHS ABOUT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH


The focus group should not have more than six or seven participants so that everyone gets more "air time"	The optimal number of respondents depends on their type, on the subject of research and on the style of the moderator.
The qualitative researcher must begin each project by putting aside any information known to him. Past studies of other companies, any guesswork about clients, political clashes within the company that are relevant to the study - all this can only become a source of distortion of the results of the specialist's work.	Information about the real goals of the project and already existing knowledge must be brought to the attention of the moderator. Of course, this kind of information may affect his work, but a good specialist knows what to look for. The moderator can give Special attention those answers that do not fit into the framework of existing hypotheses, and only slightly touch on aspects that are in good agreement with existing knowledge
Lot good ideas find their death in focus groups due to the fact that consumers are not ready to accept the new	Qualitative research allows the specialist to see what is behind the reactions of the consumer. If any idea is immediately rejected, a good researcher will try to find out the reasons for this. It will determine whether there can be a real need that the product will satisfy and what needs to be done in order for the respondent to change his mind
Focus groups should be demographically homogeneous	In most cases, the research budget does not allow the luxury of holding focus groups with representatives of each segment. However, some differences may even be useful. Gotta follow simple rule: Respondents should feel comfortable talking to each other
It is a mistake to ask respondents why they do something or hold a certain opinion.	Usually the problem lies not in the very fact of posing such questions, but in their formulation. Questions should not intimidate respondents; they need to show genuine interest and a desire to understand
Qualitative research should rely heavily on projection techniques (e.g. photographs, drawings, cartoons, role playing) as they	Projection methods are very valuable tools, but they cannot completely replace direct questions. In many cases, direct questions "on the forehead" allow you to identify the feelings and emotions of the respondent


allow you to express thoughts and feelings. that the consumer is either unaware of or unwilling to express publicly
Focus group at 8 pm - not really good idea because everyone is already tired	Conducting focus groups at 6 and 8 pm is a must as most people work during the day. The energetic and fruitful work of the group depends more on its composition and the interest of respondents in the topic under discussion than on the time of day
The hallmark of a good moderator is that he speaks very little while leading the group.	The moderator must be proactive, responsive to the audience and show creativity. Its function is to manage the dynamics of the group. Without directing participants to answers, he should provide feedback by returning to the respondents the topics that, in his opinion, need to be worked out in more detail.
The selection of participants becomes a simple task if the research contracting company provides lists of its clients who can be interviewed or invited to participate in a focus group	Even with a list, recruiting participants is not always easy. Usually the list is delivered later than expected, resulting in insufficient time for the selection itself Often there are no phone numbers on the list and additional information is required
Passing notes to the moderator during the focus group allows the client to participate in the process and ensure that the study answers their questions.	Passing notes to the moderator during a focus group session is a major distraction for participants from the moderator. It can also remind respondents that they are being watched, causing them to control themselves. In addition, if notes are sent periodically to the moderator, respondents may question whether observers trust him, which puts the moderator in an awkward and tense situation.
Focus groups should not be used too often, as they usually have a strong personality that dominates the discussion.	Generally, all respondents contribute to the discussion, although some are more talkative than others. This can lead to the fact that the rest of the respondents distance themselves from the "active", and it will be easier for them to express their disagreement. A “strong personality” can speak confidently, but she will not be able to truly dominate. Experienced moderators are proficient in various techniques of interacting with respondents


When conducting a focus group series, the thematic selection and materials shown to respondents should remain unchanged in order to ensure consistency.	Qualitative research must be dynamic. New ideas may come up, causing the thematic selection to change. Such changes usually mean that the researcher has gained new knowledge; furthermore, the theme itself need not remain constant. The purpose of qualitative research is to help the client find ideas that "work" and not to state that another idea "does not work"
Qualitative research should always be followed by quantitative research to test hypotheses.	In some cases, due to budget constraints, only qualitative studies are carried out. As for a research project, if a large qualitative study has been carried out, showing stable and fairly reliable results, then there is no need to conduct a quantitative study.
Some clients often use the term "scenario" when referring to the outline of a focus group discussion. This implies that the moderator must follow the plan pretty much literally.	The outline of the discussion indicates which topics need to be covered and in what order they should be introduced - this should be overall plan. It may also contain recommendations to the moderator regarding possible questions and appropriate techniques. The sequence of topics should be followed unless it becomes necessary to defer discussion of one subject until another has been considered.
Qualitative research should be conducted in person and through in-depth interviews in order to establish contact between the interviewer and the respondent.	During a telephone interview, you can establish the same or even closer contact. The fact that the researcher does not see the respondent can be an advantage. To establish rapport, telephone interviews usually begin with simple questions about the respondent's product use and views, rather than the "icebreaker" questions often asked in focus groups.

Source: Judith Langer, Marketing News, March 1,1999, Vol. 33, no. 5. p. thirteen.

Definition « focus groups» authors of special editions

Table 14.8

The end of the table. 14.8

Analysis of the table. 14.8 showed that the definitions of focus groups presented by different authors give a very broad interpretation of the method, allowing it to be classified as a group discussion of a selected topic, without specifying the characteristic features of this method.

Table 14.9

Definition of the essence of the method and its classification

	E. P. Golubkov	I. K. Malhotra	D. Aaksr, V. Kumar, J. Day	G. A. Churchill, D. Iacobucci
Objectives of interaction	Idea generation, study of requests, reactions and consumer behavior		Generating ideas or possible solutions to a problem, similar to the purpose of a non-standardized in-depth interview	Preliminary conclusion about the situation, getting a reaction to the presentation of new ideas	Influenced Behavior social group the perception of something
	Over 1.5 hours		Not specified		Not specified
Topics for discussion		Criteria for selection, evaluation, preference, representation or knowledge about something, aspects of behavior	Same as for in-depth interview		Sensitive topics (alcohol, hygiene, sex, money, death)
Lead role	Manages the discussion	Must achieve mutual understanding with the participants, communicate	Discussion management that excludes pressure or influence on	Directs the discussion, ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the research	Guides the discussion without leading to answers, encourages expression

The end of the table.14.9

	E. II. Golubkov	N. K. Malhotra	D. Aaker, V. Kumar, J. Day	G. A. Chsrchil, D. Iacobucci
		judgment, encourage respondents to express their opinion	respondents (more passive)	catching and stimulating interaction between participants	all participants
structuredness	Detailed	Unstructured	Plan: from a set of topics to specific questions	List of scheduled topics	More structured than an in-depth interview
The degree of openness of the purpose of the study	Not specified	Respondents are explained the objectives of the study or they become obvious during the survey	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified
Classification	Not specified	Double-sided With two leads With two open-opponents With a respondent-leader With a customer-participant Mini-group Remote focus group	Exploratory Clinical Immersion Virtual bilateral teleconference	Not specified	Not specified
Advantages	Engagement of the customer, the emergence of spontaneous ideas, attracting consumers who shy away from other types of surveys	Synergy, group interaction, stimulation, spontaneity, speed of data collection	Lots of data in a short period	Customer engagement, uses group dynamics to generate additional responses	A relatively large amount of information can be obtained more quickly
disadvantages	Unrepresentativeness, subjectivity, high cost	Characteristic of qualitative methods	Labor intensity high cost	exposed random influences	Influence of moderator qualification on results

Summarizing the material presented in Table. 14.9, we can give the following definition of the focus group method.

A focus group is a form of survey based on a directed comprehensive discussion of a problem with a selected group of people, conducted by a moderator in order to establish the qualitative characteristics of consumer behavior.

Focusing consists in the conscious concentration of researchers on a limited range of issues in order to deeply consider their problems, to push the respondents to a more detailed explanation of their opinion.

A specific feature of the focus group as a method of collecting information is group interaction, which generates a more complex response to the moderator's question than the usual unambiguous answer. After the moderator has asked a question, the expression of various opinions begins, developing into a discussion; Participants provide explanations and arguments to support their point of view. Their views may change in the course of the discussion, but the task of developing a single group opinion is not set; all considerations are important, so the task of the moderator is to create comfortable psychological conditions for each member of the group to express their opinion.

In this regard, the importance of the moderator increases. His task is also to manage the group discussion: maintaining the proper atmosphere, resolving conflicts (disputes enliven the discussion, but they should not turn into confrontation). The moderator should formulate questions in such a way as to arouse interest and stimulate the creative thought process of the participants.

Composition of the group usually selected so that it is relatively uniform. This minimizes the likelihood of conflicts that may arise between its members due to different points of view on issues not related to the objectives of the study, or due to the dissimilarity of life experience, speech skills and perception of the problem. If such differences are too prominent, this may confuse some members of the group and negatively affect the ongoing discussion.

Most experts recommend using screening interviews to select focus group participants in order to exclude from the list of candidates those who have already participated in such work, since these people often try to play the role of leaders and can misdirect the group's activities. In addition, friends or relatives should not be allowed to be part of the same group, since in this case the spontaneity of the discussion is often hampered by continuous conversations between close acquaintances. In cases where a more careful selection of respondents is required, mini-groups of 4-5 people can be used.

A wide range of new ideas can be obtained with the help of several different groups. At the same time, differences can relate not only to the characteristics of group members, but also to the topics discussed. Ideas found during the work of one group can be tested in another. Usually four groups are prepared for a research project, but sometimes their number can be up to twelve. The main criterion in determining the number of groups is whether each subsequent group can provide new ideas about the phenomenon under consideration. When the effectiveness of new groups begins to decrease, the use of this method is discontinued.

Focus groups are organized in a special room with equipment that allows clients and researchers to observe the discussion from another room through a one-way mirror. Alternatively, the research ("secret") room can be equipped with a TV connected to a video camera in the discussion room. There are no special requirements for the premises for focus group participants - the main thing is that everyone should be comfortable, hear and see each other and the moderator well. In addition, since the focus group process often offers additional stimuli for discussion (product samples, advertisements), equipment may be needed to demonstrate this material. The discussion is recorded on video and audiotape.

Focus group is a generic concept that includes a large number of species, subspecies and modifications, depending on the objectives of the study. All the variety of focus groups can be classified for different reasons. The following are the most frequently used in the practice of marketing research types of focus groups (Focus Group Discussion).

1. Duration. The duration of the group discussion depends on the objectives of the study and the characteristics of the sample.
1.1. standard groups. A standard focus group usually lasts about 1.5 hours (sometimes up to two hours). Typically, a standard group begins with a discussion by respondents of their experience with the product category under study, their familiarity and preference for certain brands, what they like or dislike about those products / brands. This stage not only allows obtaining factual information, but also reduces the anxiety of the respondents, instills in them a sense of confidence in their competence, the ability to cope with the work ahead. The conversation then moves on to project-specific questions - why consumers reject a new brand of cigarettes, or why heavy advertising is not remembered and does not lead to increased brand awareness.
1.2. Short groups. Discussion of a limited set of topics (testing one or two stories for commercials, packaging options) or working with children involves holding short (up to 1 hour) groups.
1.3. Expanded groups. On the contrary, a large amount of work, when within the framework of one project it is necessary to collect data on the lifestyle and aspirations of the target audience, on attitudes towards certain goods or advertising, extended group discussions lasting 3-4 hours are generally used. ECGD (Extended Creative Group Discussions) - extended creative group discussions with extensive use of projective and other auxiliary techniques. These groups are used in those cases when it is necessary to develop a new approach to the problem, a new non-standard vision, in particular, when a product is so studied by traditional qualitative and quantitative methods that they do not provide an increment of useful information. For example, to understand how a consumer might be attracted to a new brand of familiar products such as margarine or mayonnaise, it may be useful to run several extended groups using collages, role-play, personalization, and other techniques.
1.4. Two sessions (Two sessions group). Also in marketing practice there are two-session groups, when the same participants gather in groups 2 times with an interval of several days, usually a week. Very often, at the first session, participants are given some goods / products (it can be washing powder, toothbrushes, tea or instant soup) for testing at home, and during the second session, respondents share their impressions, make comments and suggestions , discussing positioning strategies or advertising concepts.
2. Number of respondents
2.1. standard group. The average number of participants in a standard group discussion is 8-10 people, sometimes the boundaries of ordinary groups are defined more gently at 6-12 people.
2.2. Mini group. Mini-groups (mini FGD) are transitional between individual interviews and a regular group. The number of respondents in a mini-group is 4-5 people, which allows you to work out the topics discussed at a deeper level than in a standard group, while maintaining the advantages of group work.
3. Number and role of moderators
3.1. standard group. In the overwhelming majority of cases, one professional moderator talks to the respondents. But some research projects may require derogations from this rule.
3.2. Groups with two moderators. A number of group conversations are held with the participation of two moderators, whose work can proceed both in the form of cooperation and in the form of external competition:

3.2.1.Dual moderator group. In a pair of cooperating moderators, one is responsible for developing group dynamics and the smooth running of the group, while the second ensures that all substantive aspects of the conversation are covered. The distribution of roles between moderators is useful if the subject of discussion is issues that require special training and knowledge (interviews with doctors, engineers).

3.2.2.Dueling-moderator group. In another case, two opposing moderators clearly hold opposing points of view and encourage respondents to consider both sides of the phenomenon being studied.

3.3. client-participant group. Sometimes the groups are attended by representatives of the customer, who can explain certain points that are incomprehensible to the respondents and answer their questions.
3.4. Discussion groups without a moderator. This is a rather specific and infrequent procedure in applied research: the group is given the task to do something within the allotted time, the progress of the group is observed and studied interaction patterns, the process of selecting a leader, the distribution of roles, and so on.
3.5. Temporary removal of the moderator can be used as a methodical technique during normal groups: either one of the respondents is asked to be a moderator to improve group dynamics, or the moderator leaves the respondents alone for 5-10 minutes (for example, with a set of stimulus materials) and observes their actions.
4. Type of respondents
4.1. standard groups. Typical qualitative marketing research involves conducting group discussions with typical consumers of products, selected on the basis of gender, age, income, marital status, use/non-use of certain brands.
4.2. Groups with experts. As respondents to participate in the study, representatives of various professional communities can be involved - doctors, industrial equipment specialists, managers, computer scientists. Conducting such groups is associated with great organizational difficulties due to the selection and invitation of these people, as well as the need for additional substantive training of the moderator.
4.2.1. delphi group. Delphi groups can be considered one of the varieties of focus groups with specialists, the main task of which is to receive forecasts about the future from professionals in this field.
5. Sensitivity panel

In these types of groups, one of the basic recruiting rules is violated - to invite to the groups "naive respondents" who have never participated in this kind of discussion before, people with fresh perceptions and reactions. During the sensitive panel, people are taught to be respondents during the week, people get used to each other, build trusting relationships, get acquainted with the basic rules of group conversations, various game and projective methods. They prepare “professional respondents” with whom they then conduct a group on a topic of interest, without wasting time on swinging, developing relationships, removing prejudice and alertness, explaining what and how to do.

6. With the use of technical means. A rather conventional basis for distinguishing focus groups, which we used to draw attention to some techniques.
6.1. standard groups. Standard groups are a set of participants gathered in one place, "round table", which are usually observed by representatives of the customer either from the next room through a one-way mirror / video link, or from their office using modern fiber optic communications.
6.2. Teleconferences (Telesession group). Sometimes, and such groups are often practiced in the West, it is advisable not to gather respondents in the premises of a research company, but to arrange a teleconference with all participants using a telephone (it looks like a conference call).
6.3. Bilateral groups (Two-way group). An interesting way is when one group of respondents (for example, doctors) observes the progress of another group (patients talking about the treatments that their doctors prescribe, as well as what they expect from doctors), and then discusses what they saw.

Different types of focus groups allow you to conduct accurate and comprehensive research relating to almost any area of human life.

Politics

Focus groups

Focus groups are a type of sociological research that allows you to get unique research information by looking at the company and its competitors through the eyes of a "consumer", to find out how customers think when choosing a product, and how they perceive your design decisions in packaging or commercials.

In electoral research, it is an indispensable tool for assessing the image of politicians and parties, developing an election campaign strategy, developing slogans taking into account the vocabulary of voters for developing and testing campaign products.

The essence of the method:

A focus group is a conversation of specially selected respondents, which is conducted by an experienced moderator. Communication takes place in a calm and pleasant environment, which allows you to learn in detail the opinions of the participants, to reveal the hidden motivation when making decisions.

Most often, the basic principle of constructing a scenario is the movement from general questions to specific ones (“direct funnel”): first, respondents are asked to express their general impression about the product, video, and then clarifying questions are asked that reveal individual details that are of interest to the customer and the researcher. At the same time, the moderator should not adhere to the strict wording of questions and their sequence according to the guide. A professional group facilitator should quickly navigate the process and adjust the script, depending on the statements of the respondents. When discussing planned topics, it is important to catch interesting and unexpected points that were not foreseen by the customer and the researcher in advance, and thereby bring the understanding of the object of study to a new level.

Options for applying the method:

The focus group method has a wide range of applications and allows you to solve a variety of research problems. Focus groups are applied:

for the analysis of consumer behavior.
to identify customer opinions about the company and its competitors, about the offer with which they enter the market,
for testing materials (products, packaging, promo, etc.),
to work out the election campaign of a candidate / party,
for the development of tools and more accurate interpretation of the results of a quantitative study.

Advantages and possibilities of the method:

Examples of projective techniques:

Verbal (verbal formulations are used, no supporting materials are required)

Completion of sentences (“Visiting a restaurant for me is ...”, “If I were an MP, first of all, I ...”).
Associations (“What city do you associate with …?”, “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear …?”.
Analogy (“Imagine a car “…” as a product, music, picture, plant).
Personification (revival of the subject of research, give it a name, talk about its appearance, character, positive and negative qualities, work, etc. And vice versa, compare a real person (for example, a politician) with something “inhuman” (Suppose that this yogurt has turned into a person. What will it be like? What color do you associate this businessman with?).
Personalization. The participant is given the task to try to imagine himself in the place of the subject under discussion and talk about his emotions, feelings, sensations, state, impressions of the environment, etc. “Imagine you are a Samsung phone. How would you feel in Russia?
Role-playing game. “The group is divided into two parts: the first ones came to the car dealership to see the cars, and the second ones want to sell them a car. The goal of some participants is to find out all the details of interest about the car. The goal of others is to convince customers to buy.”
Fantastic scenarios. Participants are asked to imagine an unrealistic situation related to the subject of research. Imagine that you met with the inhabitants of another planet, try to explain to them what a blender is and why you need it.

Non-verbal (expressed in the form of formalized images, require pre-prepared source materials/ tools)

Collage. Participants create their own image of the test object or reaction to it using clippings from colored newspapers, magazines, their own drawings, inscriptions, etc. On these large sheets of paper, please make a collage that would match your feelings from visiting the Serenade cafe.
Psychological drawing (modeling). Focus group participants express their attitude to the subject of discussion in the form of a picture. Colors, symbols used, etc. are analyzed in the drawings. Also, instead of a drawing, participants may be asked to use a mass for modeling (it can be multi-colored). Draw what you think of when you think of "coffee".
BUBBLES (completion of the drawing). Participants are tasked with completing fuzzy, undetailed drawings. For example, dress a little man who personifies the object being tested, draw his face, depict his family, home, environment, etc. Additionally, respondents can be asked to think through the dialogues between the characters.
Manipulation with objects. Respondents are presented with a certain number of objects under study (pictures, labels, photos, etc.) and are asked to rank them according to various criteria.

Types of focus groups:

By number of participants:

Standard: 8-10 respondents.
Mini-groups: 5-6 respondents (the format of mini-groups allows for a deeper and more detailed study of the participants' point of view on key issues research, but at the same time retains group dynamics).
Peer-groups: 2-4 respondents (transitional method from individual to group interviews, suitable for studying the behavioral strategy of families, business partners, often faced with making joint decisions, and so on).

According to the style of the group moderator:

Standard (hard). The moderator creates a benevolent, friendly atmosphere, shows interest in the participants, their statements, does not allow disputes, clashes of the parties, allowing each participant to express their own point of view
Rigid groups. Groups of this style are moderated in an authoritarian style, pressure is allowed on the participants (in order to test the stability of their opinion) and attempts to reveal possible contradictions in their statements. They are used when the general information is well known to the customer, and through provocations and a call to a conflict, it is possible to find out deeper details.

By duration:

Standard: 1.5-2 hours. As a rule, they include getting to know the participants, discussing the product, user experience, getting to know the manufacturers; in the second part of the group, narrower, applied tasks are often set
Short: within an hour. Usually they are aimed at solving a specific range of problems and discussing a limited list of topics. Assume (testing several packaging options, one or two videos, etc.).
Extended groups: 3-4 hours. They are carried out in conditions when the researcher faces a wide list of tasks that must be solved (but there is no possibility to conduct several separate groups of the traditional format). In such cases, it is important to strictly observe the initial agreement on the planned duration of the group with the participants, as well as provide for 1-2 breaks (if possible, with a light snack for the participants).
two-session groups. The same participants meet in groups twice in certain interval time (for example, in a week). Often, after the first group, participants are given goods (products) for home testing or they receive a special task (read materials, watch several episodes of a TV program), and at the second stage, respondents give feedback, voice wishes and suggestions, discuss advertising ideas and concepts, product positioning strategies .

By the number and role of moderators

Standard: such groups are led by one professional moderator
Groups with two cooperating moderators: the first monitors the preservation of group dynamics and the equal participation in the conversation of all invited participants, and the second - for substantive aspects (applicable when discussing complex substantive issues where additional professional knowledge moderator).
Groups with two opposing moderators. Two moderators are supporters of different (opposite) points of view, and each of them encourages respondents to consider the object of study from different angles.
Groups with customer representatives. It involves the participation of representatives of the customer in the group, who make additional clarifications regarding the subject of the study, if necessary, answer the questions of the participants and
Discussion groups without a moderator. Running groups completely without a moderator is very rare, but the practice of temporarily removing a moderator within traditional groups is often used. The moderator can leave the participants a creative task for these 5-15 minutes (for example, creating a group collage) or suggest a topic for discussion and ask one of the participants to be the moderator of the discussion. Often, in the absence of a moderator, respondents become even more liberated and even more freely discuss the topic of the study.

By type of respondents:

Standard. The most typical options are groups with consumers of goods / services (for marketing), voters (for electoral studies), representatives of certain categories of the population (for social studies). Members of such groups are selected taking into account their socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, financial situation, education, having children, etc.), as well as taking into account the presence / absence of consumption experience (using certain goods or services.
Expert. In some cases, members may be invited to participate. professional community: engineers, doctors, mechanics. An important role in the success of such groups will be played by the preparatory work on “immersion in the topic”, which the moderator must carry out in advance, as well as the qualitative selection of respondents.
Delphi groups. They are a kind of expert groups. Their main goal is to predict socio-economic and political processes using the technique of multi-stage analysis of opinions.

On the use of technical means

standard groups. The conversation of the participants at the common table, which is conducted by a professional moderator, and the representatives of the customer observe them through a special “mirror” or via video link.
Teleconferences. Participants communicate with the moderator and each other using modern means group communication - Skype, telephony, etc. (used for difficult-to-reach categories of respondents, for example, those who are geographically far from each other).
Bilateral groups. They are parallel conversations between two groups of respondents. At the same time, one group (for example, parents) follows the course of the second (teenagers) and in it, in parallel, the statements of the participants in the first group are discussed.
Creative. Groups of this format are aimed at finding a new vision, a new perception, developing a new approach to further work on the product. In this case, verbal and non-verbal projective techniques are widely used.

Venue:

traditional groups. They are held in a convenient and comfortable environment, the most conducive to the discussion.
Landing groups. An environment close to reality is created, or groups are held directly on the ground.

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