It is no secret parents of young children are strapped for time. This can make it even more challenging to find mothers to participate in qualitative research.
However, for organizations such as kids toy brands conducting market research is an important step in developing new products and improving marketing strategies.
This was certainly the case for a recent client who contacted our market research company, Drive Research.
They wanted to conduct online focus groups with mothers of 3-years-olds but needed help with finding qualified participants.
Here’s how we did it.
Background and Methodology of the Qualitative Research
In January of 2021, a popular brand that creates educational toys and games for children contacted our qualitative recruiting firm.
They planned to host online focus groups in the coming year but were struggling to find participants that matched their criteria.
Project Overview Highlights
- A brand of kids learning games sought to hire a market research company to provide recruitment services for online focus groups.
- Drive Research recruited mothers for two online focus groups.
- The online focus groups took place on Wednesday, January 13, and Thursday, January 14, 2021.
- The incidence rate of the study is expected to be 25% or higher.
Recommended Reading: Ultimate Guide to Online Focus Groups in 2021
Targeting Criteria of the Mothers
Targeting criteria for the focus groups included recruiting mothers with 3-year-old children. The mothers were broken into two separate groups.
- Group #1: Included moms who have a 3-year-old who is a younger sibling (i.e., they've had an older child go through that stage already)
- Group #2: Included moms who have a 3-year-old who is the oldest or only child.
Our market research company targeted a broad representation of mothers across the U.S.
Process of Recruiting Mothers for Qualitative Research
Our full-service market research company follows a streamlined process for our qualitative recruitment projects.
Following these steps is critical in increasing participation in qualitative research.
The process of recruiting mothers for the online focus groups included:
- Online recruitment screener
- Screening phone calls
- Confirmation email
- Reminder phone calls
- Reminder texts
We dive into each of these stages below.
Qualitative Research Recruitment Screener
When conducting focus groups with parents, Drive Research often leverages targeted email lists of panel participants across the United States.
Panel participants can be filtered to match the client’s qualifying criteria. To assure participants are qualified for the online focus group, they are asked to complete an online recruitment screener.
For the qualitative research, the online recruitment screener included qualifying demographic and behavior questions such as:
- Which of the following best describes your gender? Select one.
- Which of these best describes your age? Select one.
- Do you have children? Select one.
- How many children do you have? Select one.
- Which of the following best describes your child(ren)’s age(s)? Select all that apply.
- On average, how many hours per week does your child spend with electronic toys for learning? Enter an amount for each.
- On average, how many hours per week does your child spend with non-electronic toys for learning? Enter an amount for each.
- What brand(s) would you consider purchasing for your child?
Based on their answers, qualifying mothers received a phone call to expand on the questions asked in the online survey.
Recommended Reading: What is a Recruitment Screener in Market Research?
Recruitment Screening Phone Calls
In addition to the screening phone call, qualifying mothers received several confirmation details to assure 100% participation in the online focus groups.
With all qualitative recruiting projects, Drive Research sends participants the following:
- A confirmation email asking participants to reply “Yes.” This also includes further instructions for the online focus group and other pre-assignments.
- A calendar invitation.
- A confirmation call 24 to 48 hours before the online focus group.
- A reminder text the day of the online focus group.
Setting Up the Zoom Meeting for Online Focus Groups
As organized by the client, participants were required to attend the focus groups through Zoom, an online video meeting platform.
The education kids toy brand shared additional information with Drive Research such as:
- Online focus group links
- Login information
- Pre-group activities
Doing so allowed our team to include these details in our recruitment follow-up communication prior to the [STUDY].
Our market research company also had a staff member available leading up to the beginning of the online focus groups to manage any technical, sign-up, or A/V issues with participants.
This allowed the client research team to focus on moderation.
Recruitment Highlights
- Recruit a total of 14 moms: 7 participants to seat for each (2) focus group
- Two groups: (1) mothers of 3-year-olds who are the oldest/only child and (2) mothers of 3-year-olds who are the youngest/middle child.
- Recruit a mix of ages, ethnicities, household income, and regions in the U.S.
- Participants received $100 as a thank you for their time and feedback.
- Focus groups lasted 90 minutes in length.
- Participants completed an exercise/journal before the focus groups that lasted approximately 30 minutes in total.
Need Help Conducting Market Research with Parents?
Finding qualified parents to participate in market research studies can be challenging. Drive Research aims to make that process easier for you.
Whether you are looking for end-to-end project management, or just qualitative recruiting services, we can help!
Learn more about our services or contact our team today.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Emily Carroll
A SUNY Cortland graduate, Emily has taken her passion for social and content marketing to Drive Research as the Marketing Coordinator. She has earned certificates for both Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
Learn more about Emily, here.
