How Do Focus Groups Work? | Focus Group Moderator Syracuse NY

by George Kuhn

Posted at: 8/13/2016 6:00 PM

Focus groups are a form of qualitative market research aimed at exploring thoughts and perceptions of a group of participants. Focus groups can range in size from 4 to 12. Once you have more than 10 to 12 participants, it is difficult to obtain feedback from all respondents. An easy calculation for this is dividing the number of minutes your focus group lasts by the number of participants.

For example, let's say your focus group lasts 120 minutes and has 12 participants. Speaking time per participant equals 10 minutes. Making the focus groups smaller increase speaking time per participant allowing the moderator to truly explore opinions and get deeper insights. A focus group lasting 120 minutes with 4 people equals 30 minutes of speaking time per participant.

How does the focus group process work?

The focus group process typically follows this workplan:

  1. Kickoff meeting to discuss objectives
  2. Breakdown of, and number of groups (2 with customers, 2 with non-customers, target profiles)
  3. Choice of locations for focus groups
  4. Recruitment screener to qualify participants and decide on reward payouts
  5. Begin recruitment of participants in specified locations
  6. Moderator's guide draft development
  7. Finalize moderator's guide with client (flow of group, timing, content covered, questions asked)
  8. Reminder emails, phone calls, and texts to participants within 24 hours of group
  9. Hold focus groups (clients can watch live, sessions are recorded on DVDs)
  10. Highlight report (within 24 hours of groups ended addressing major themes)
  11. Full PowerPoint report of results with transcripts from focus groups
  12. Debrief with client on findings, insights, strategy and next steps

Drive Research is a market research firm in Syracuse NY offering a wide-range of marketing research services. Our agency has experience working with focus groups and has a focus group moderator available for your project in Syracuse or Upstate NY.

Questions about your next focus group study or how Drive Research can help? Call us at 315-303-2040 or send us an email at [email protected].

Categories: Focus Groups