Focus group: behind the mirror or online.

 

Focus groups are the ideal environment to understand deeper motivations of consumer decisions. During a focus group, participants usually describe very emotionally and spontaneously their likes and dislikes towards a product, a service offering or a communication/ concept. The moderator uses projective and associative procedures and other questioning techniques to obtain the most comprehensive possible picture of the subjects’ opinions and emotions.

 

In the group, a momentum is created that drives each individual to interact and talk with the other participants. Through this situation, which is similar to an everyday exchange, unexpected insights and new ideas come to light, which provide profound insights into consumer behavior.

 

Usually between four (Mini Group) and 8 people participate in a focus group. The discussion is conducted by a trained moderator. The course of the discussion can be conveniently followed online or in an adjacent room through a one-way mirror. You can then follow the reactions of your target group up close and get to know their knowledge, opinions, way of thinking and attitudes.

Creative Workshops

 

Workshops are used whenever new ideas for product, brand or advertising concepts need to be created or existing ones need to be further developed or optimized.

Products are often about their function, their effect and quality. But emotional aspects can also play a role. With brand and advertising concepts, it’s all about the emotional appeal and its meaning.

The moderator presents the task to the participants in as much detail and as clearly as possible in order to bring all test subjects to the same level of knowledge. This already leads to the first spontaneous reactions. Finally, special exploration techniques are used, such as:

  • Collage techniques (e.g., as compiled tear-outs from magazines or images from the Internet)
  • Brainstorming, brainwriting, 6-3-5 method, Synectics
  • Metaplan technique
  • Work with mini-groups
  • Mind-Mapping

A creative workshop requires a guideline that incorporates individual methods depending on how the group progresses. The duration of a workshop may require up to four hours. If possible, the number of participants should not exceed eight.

Qualitative online market research with InsightsLounge

 

The InsightsLounge© is our web-based platform for conducting qualitative online research. The combination of blog, forum and chat allows in-depth exploration of a variety of possible topics. For example, innovative concepts, new packaging or product developments, or communication elements can be discussed and evaluated. In addition, the InsightsLounge© can also be used as a platform for co-creation with consumers: Test persons can create and modify packaging designs themselves and discuss designs. Finally, the InsightsLounge© is also suitable as a companion for product or packaging tests, where test subjects report and discuss their experiences with new products (prototypes) online.

 

Duration & Scope

 

Depending on the objective, the InsightsLounge© lasts between 3-5 days; for extensive product tests, the test period can be adjusted accordingly. Depending on the target group, approx. 15-25 participants are invited in order to obtain opinions that are as diverse as possible over the entire time period. The project is moderated by experienced market researchers, so that timely and personal attention can be paid to the test persons.

  • Setup: Selection of the ideal combination of lounge modules (forum, chat, blog, questionnaires, individual interviews, video-selfies etc.) to match the topic and desired data output.
  • Selection and screening of suitable test subjects from customer databases, online recruitment, promotion databases, etc.
  • Field phase: Dispatch of test products, moderation of the participants, import of questionnaires, commenting and answering of participant input
  • Analysis & report: in-depth analysis of all communications at individual level and derivation of qualitative insights.

Advantages:

  • Increased efficiency: The project duration of an InsightsLounge© from recruitment to the output of initial results is usually significantly shorter than that of regular “offline” group discussions. Online screening and the automatic creation of transcripts shorten the field time and allow a timely analysis of the data. In addition, with the asynchronous InsightsLounge, participants can participate at the time and place that suits them best.
  • Diversity of participants and subjects: Subjects from different locations and regions, with different socio-demographic backgrounds can participate. Hard-to-reach people (e.g., executives, experts, medical staff) can also be recruited for the InsightsLounge©. These individuals in particular often provide very valuable input – directly from the office or from home. Not least because of the increased anonymity, the InsightsLounge© is also suitable for discussing sensitive topics, e.g. from the health sector or personal hygiene.
  • Continuous interaction: As a client, you can follow the reactions of the respondents at any time and, if necessary, ask questions or receive important input for the adaptation of prototypes or concepts. Your consumers can give their feedback directly and multimedia-based and feel part of the development team.

 

Conclusion

Get direct input from your target audience and understand their needs, expectations and choices!