{"id":1027,"date":"2019-03-14T13:48:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T13:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/?p=1027"},"modified":"2019-03-14T13:48:03","modified_gmt":"2019-03-14T13:48:03","slug":"6-keys-to-focus-groups-that-generate-valuable-consumer-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/6-keys-to-focus-groups-that-generate-valuable-consumer-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Keys to Focus Groups that Generate Valuable Consumer Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s no single right way to get into the heads of your customers. As a consumer insights pro, you have an entire toolbox of options when it comes time to get answers to your most pressing business questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes the situation will call for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/using-surveys-to-effectively-get-inside-your-customers-heads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer satisfaction <\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">surveys<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Other times, the problem will be complicated enough to warrant <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/how-to-successfully-use-market-research-services-for-consumer-insights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">hiring a consultant for market research services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here, we want to talk about how valuable focus groups can be for collecting consumer insights. When used properly, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/seths.blog\/2006\/05\/but_the_focus_g\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">focus groups can<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cgive you a visceral, personal, unscientific reaction to little brainstorms. They can help you push something farther and farther to see what grabs people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But conducting focus groups can be tricky. There are a lot of contributing factors to success and one misstep can lead to irrelevant consumer insights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The following 6 keys to focus groups will help ensure that your focus groups are as successful as possible for getting inside the heads of consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>1. Know if a Focus Group is the Right Approach<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter what market research project you\u2019re starting, you want to start with a hypothesis. Having a clearly-defined hypothesis is your key to deciding whether a focus group is the best approach to getting the consumer insights you\u2019re looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If 1:1 answers can answer your questions, your budget may be better spent on surveys, interviews, and reading customer reviews. That\u2019s not to say that focus groups can\u2019t help at all, but they shouldn\u2019t be your main consumer insights tool.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether you need 1:1 survey responses or focus group discussions. These two examples should give you a better idea of when a focus group is most appropriate:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strong Focus Group Use Case: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/customers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Revuze customers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014a vacuum manufacturer\u2014found that product reviews indicated that people were unhappy with their power cords. Many said they were having trouble rolling up the cord, so the manufacturer decided to run a focus group. By getting customers together in the right environment, this company found that many customers were simply rolling up the cord incorrectly. It was a usability issue rather than a consumer sentiment problem that could have been spotted by surveys or other methods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Weak Focus Group Use Case:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Most new products go through focus groups either before or after launch. We can imagine that the situation was no different for Tide Pods. In a focus group, the concept of pre-measured laundry detergent probably played well with consumers. But it\u2019s hard to envision even the most talented focus group moderators uncovering the problems that would come later\u2014<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theoutline.com\/post\/2846\/tide-pods-staining-clothes-2018?zd=1&amp;zi=aj2gvxau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">complaints of staining<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and teenagers challenging each other to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/life-style\/tide-pod-challenge-deaths-risk-teens-eat-detergent-videos-what-is-happening-a8156736.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">eat the product<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. If long-term usage feedback is what you need, a focus group won\u2019t be the best approach.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>2. Choose Your Project Manager and Moderator<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you\u2019ve narrowed down your hypothesis and determined that a focus group is necessary, you need to decide who will run the project. Will you run it internally, or hire outside help?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it\u2019s not just about the high-level \u201cin-house vs. outsource\u201d question. It\u2019s just as important to choose the right moderator. As you evaluate your options, these are few of the key questions you\u2019ll want to answer:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do they have the industry experience and training necessary to get the insights you need?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How objective will they be during the process?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Will they be able to adapt quickly and improvise as the focus group proceeds?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can they handle potentially uncooperative participants who could drown out valuable responses from quieter consumers?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have they provided a list of references that can vouch for their success as a moderator?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>3<\/b><strong>.\u00a0Find the Right Location (or Locations)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The point of a focus group is just that\u2014to focus. And as a result, you\u2019re not getting a general consensus that applies across your entire customer base.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To run the most effective focus group, you have to choose locations that align with your desired outcomes. In some cases, running one focus group in a particular region could be enough. But other times, you might need similar groups in multiple locations to account for regional differences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Location decisions must also include the setting of your focus group room. The goal should be to choose a setting that closely aligns with the group discussion that will take place. Should it be a formal setting? Will an informal setting like a living room work best? Many companies that run focus groups will be able to provide you with different settings that align with your needs. You want your participants to be as comfortable as possible as they answer your questions so you can ensure the responses aren\u2019t forced or inauthentic.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>4. Decide Who Will Participate<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every focus group is unique. Much like location, the participants you choose should closely align with the hypothesis you set at the start. For example, you wouldn\u2019t want a focus group full of Baby Boomers if your target demographic is Millennials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The problem is that many in-house consumer insights pros struggle to build a diverse pool of potential participants to choose from. And when your pool of options is limited, you could end up with a less-than-ideal focus group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you work with a consultant for market research services, they may be able to help you get the right people in the door. But either way, you want to pay close attention to age ranges, gender mixes, demographics, and psychographics for the participants you select.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>5. Build the Right Set of Questions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter how much preparation you do, there will always be some degree of unpredictability in a focus group. You can\u2019t dictate exactly how participants will react to products and answer questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, you should always start off with 10 or 15 questions to get the discussion going. These questions should be open-ended and directly aligned with your original hypothesis. While yes\/no questions have a place in surveys, they\u2019re the fastest way to stop focus group discussions in their tracks, so be sure to include many open-ended questions that will spark conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you\u2019re concerned about unexpected responses or tangents from participants, create a discussion tree ahead of time. That way, you\u2019ll have a map for getting back on subject even if participants aren\u2019t cooperating.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>6. Prepare Internally for the Focus Group with Product Feedback<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Focus groups shouldn\u2019t exist in a vacuum when you\u2019re trying to gain consumer insights. You\u2019ll certainly have unique goals and a defined hypothesis for the focus group on its own\u2014but the best approach is to view this tool as one in a larger project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With that mindset, you\u2019ll be in a better position to prepare yourself for the focus group. Before you ever run the focus group, you can get into your customers\u2019 heads by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Listening to customer support calls<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reading call transcripts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scanning through customer reviews of your product and competitors\u2019 products (directly online or via the Revuze platform)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you\u2019re familiar with the issues your customers face, you\u2019ll be able to further define your purpose for running a focus group and achieve better results.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Planning for a More Holistic Consumer Insights Practice<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We can\u2019t stress this enough\u2014focus groups are just one of many tools in the consumer insights toolbox. Each tool plays an important role. But when used together, you\u2019ll be able to create the ultimate consumer insights practice within your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One key to success in your consumer insights practice will be self-service. It\u2019s great to conduct surveys, run focus groups, and hire market research consultants, but the path to results can be a lengthy one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">AI-powered tools can supplement your traditional consumer insights practices to distill more relevant insights and free up valuable resources within your organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you want to learn more about self-service consumer insights, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/resources\/3-signs-you-need-a-self-service-consumer-insights\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">download our free whitepaper<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that explains the role of AI in understanding your customers.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no single right way to get into the heads of your customers. As a consumer insights pro, you have an entire toolbox of options when<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":1030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuze.it\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}