August 06, 2008 at 01:00DebInDenversayssorry- all of the above-moderating, writing the questions/surveys, participating, and a client
August 06, 2008 at 01:00Teeggoes to share the link and will brb
August 06, 2008 at 01:01DebInDenversaysin grad school I ran focus groups with my colleagues on various topics- the purpose was to do social linguistic analysis on the participants
August 06, 2008 at 01:01DebInDenversaysthe topics weren't the purpose, although the participants thought they were.
August 06, 2008 at 01:02frankmartinasksdeb how did you use them?
August 06, 2008 at 01:02DebInDenversaysmy grad school focus groups were to study dominance in conversation between men and women in group situations.
August 06, 2008 at 01:03Connie[note: if you are following the plurkshop on the "plurk page," you will have to manually refresh your browser.]
August 06, 2008 at 01:04DebInDenversaysmy political FGs were looking at various demographics and their perceptions of issues and campaign topics/candidates.
August 06, 2008 at 01:03DebInDenversaysthe purpose was to help us develop messaging- both topics and how to frame them
August 06, 2008 at 01:03frankmartinasksthanks connie - so Deb, the purpose was to study the participants rather than to gain insight for commercial or political reasons?
August 06, 2008 at 01:04frankmartinasksgotcha - cool app
August 06, 2008 at 01:05frankmartinasksvery academic as opposed to comercial
August 06, 2008 at 01:05DebInDenversaysin grad school yes. There are various linguistic devices people use to dominate a conversation we wanted to see which ones were used
August 06, 2008 at 01:05ConnieI have never done any focus groups, so I'm listening intently.
August 06, 2008 at 01:04DebInDenversaysby the different genders, who was successful and how they used them.
August 06, 2008 at 01:05frankmartinpontificates: focus groups have been used for the past 30 - 40 years
August 06, 2008 at 01:06KDFrawgsaysI did a lot of them for business process improvement.
August 06, 2008 at 01:06DebInDenversaysthe political stuff probably is a better fit for tonights conversation, although my grad school stuff was more fun to transcribe and analyze
August 06, 2008 at 01:06frankmartinthey were originally conducted in living rooms by people curious as to why participants used products or bought stuff
August 06, 2008 at 01:06frankmartingradually, they moved to conference rooms with one-way mirrors
August 06, 2008 at 01:07DebInDenversaysthe mirror things makes me think of the CIA!
August 06, 2008 at 01:08frankmartinsayswe are at a crossroads again in the qualitative industry
August 06, 2008 at 01:07AmberCadabraclosest I've ever been to a focus group was as a participant.
August 06, 2008 at 01:07shepherdwondersif focus groups are leveraged to drive opinion or create strategies? What process motivates most focus groups to convene?
August 06, 2008 at 01:09frankmartinsayswe are able to use the webfor almost continuous interaction - what are some of the ways that YOUsee we can do the same sort of "research"?
August 06, 2008 at 01:09frankmartinsaysshepherd - not to drive, but to understand, and to create the foundation for "learned influence"
August 06, 2008 at 01:09AmberCadabraFrank, do you think the unstructured nature of the web is an asset or a detraction to cos trying to use it for research?
August 06, 2008 at 01:10AmberCadabrafocus groups are often very ..uh...focused. in structure. specific questions, etc.
August 06, 2008 at 01:11AmberCadabraonline, the community is asking AND answering
August 06, 2008 at 01:11frankmartinsaysNow we see Starbucks andDell using the web to collect qualitative info about the customer experience
August 06, 2008 at 01:10AmberCadabraI would think the web presents questions to companies that they never thought to ask or address
August 06, 2008 at 01:12frankmartinsaysit's unstructured, which allows more freedom and less constraint for participants
August 06, 2008 at 01:12shepherdthinksthe web makes it easier to poll mass wide spread opinions, but perhaps at some lost of focus.
August 06, 2008 at 01:12DebInDenveraskswhat is the definition of "learned influence"?
August 06, 2008 at 01:12frankmartinsaysamber - the beautiful thing is tha you ask the question, and it goes where it well, with no time constraint
August 06, 2008 at 01:12shepherdisswitching to mobile view for a better threaded follow.
August 06, 2008 at 01:13AmberCadabraso frank, doesn't that make it hard to determine where and when you have the "answer" (if that's even possible?)
August 06, 2008 at 01:14DebInDenveraskswhen you ask those kinds of questions online, is self-selecting respondents a concern, or a benefit?
August 06, 2008 at 01:13frankmartinsaysdeb - marketing research is about helping people make informed decisions with respect t marketing and making goods and services
August 06, 2008 at 01:14frankmartinsayswe learn what motivates buyers and prospects, and use that in marketing
August 06, 2008 at 01:19AmberCadabraLMAO nice example
August 06, 2008 at 01:20frankmartinsaysmost of the time - more than one group is done shepherd
August 06, 2008 at 01:20frankmartinsaysAnd most of the time, focus groups are blended with other research and field interviews in an attempt to get closer to truth
August 06, 2008 at 01:22frankmartinsaysdeb - sometimes the web makes it easier to find them - there are many who still are not connected
August 06, 2008 at 01:21frankmartinsaysand those who are not lookalike demographically
August 06, 2008 at 01:23DebInDenversaysFrank can you give us an example of an FG that is blended with other research and field interviews?
August 06, 2008 at 01:23AmberCadabraFrank, can you offer an example of how you've successfully used the web as a focus group?
August 06, 2008 at 01:23frankmartinsaysteeg exactly - Plurk is a terrific way of testing thoughts and ideas with people who have a little moreexpertise than your average bear!
August 06, 2008 at 01:23AmberCadabraLOL ok Deb first
August 06, 2008 at 01:23DebInDenversaysthat makes sense on finding respondents. A lot depends on what demographic you are looking for.
August 06, 2008 at 01:24DebInDenversaysis it just me, or is the thread moving really slow tonight?
August 06, 2008 at 01:23frankmartinsaysExamples: new product. Web was used to collect opinions about options that are currently available in a product line
August 06, 2008 at 01:25shepherdasksare blind study focus groups best for research on opinions, or do participants know fully why they are there?
August 06, 2008 at 01:25frankmartinsaysThose opinions were used to recruit participants for focus groups to discuss the new product
August 06, 2008 at 01:26frankmartinsaysshepherd depends on the application - blind is useful when the knowledge of who the client is can affect the response
August 06, 2008 at 01:26frankmartinsaysHi I'm from Coke what's your fav soft drink?
August 06, 2008 at 01:27frankmartinsayssigh - it is slow...
August 06, 2008 at 01:26Teegismostly listening and learning Deb...plus, Plurk seems to be loading slow tonight, or mine does at least.
August 06, 2008 at 01:28frankmartinsaysamber - we have used web groups to recruit participants who do not live in the same area, but who share interest or expertise
August 06, 2008 at 01:28frankmartinsayswe then pick their brians online about everything from usage to advertising
August 06, 2008 at 01:29Teegwondersif the number of people willing to participate in offline focus groups has dropped as online ones have increased?
August 06, 2008 at 01:29frankmartinsaysno - it's increased, as more people understand what they are
August 06, 2008 at 01:30frankmartinsaysplus - recruiting is easier now that we have email addresses!
August 06, 2008 at 01:29AmberCadabrai have a co here that is always calling me since i participated in one
August 06, 2008 at 01:31AmberCadabraand they email me a lot too
August 06, 2008 at 01:30shepherdthinkspart of the slowness is the nonlinear interplay of responses. In conversation, threads can overlap & body language creates subthreads
August 06, 2008 at 01:30AmberCadabraI admit to being a focus group skeptic -they always seem so contrived to me but i suppose they must work
August 06, 2008 at 01:31frankmartinsaysChicago has about 50 facilities!
August 06, 2008 at 01:32shepherdnotes that the last comment is in regard to Plurk threads as a conversation or forum as opposed to live conversation in a room.
August 06, 2008 at 01:32frankmartinsaysamber - I've sensed yourskepticism - not surprised.But you would be FANTASTIC as a moderator- because you are curious.
August 06, 2008 at 01:32AmberCadabrashepherd i do think plurk is a little hitchy tonight too
August 06, 2008 at 01:32AmberCadabracurious I is. But much is because I came by marketing by accident, not thru formal edu/training
August 06, 2008 at 01:32frankmartinsaysSometimes focus groups are done of the wrong reasons
August 06, 2008 at 01:33AmberCadabraSo many of the trad techniques are unfamiliar to me
August 06, 2008 at 01:32frankmartinsaysAnd sometimes the moderator sucks
August 06, 2008 at 01:33AmberCadabraYeah the last moderator I had sucked. I think you have to be able to vamp a bit and see where the convo goes
August 06, 2008 at 01:34frankmartinsaysthe best marketers came to it from somewhere else itseems - but they share thetrait of nearly indefatigable curiosity
August 06, 2008 at 01:33AmberCadabrawhoa $5 word LOL
August 06, 2008 at 01:34frankmartinsaysmaybe - depends on the group chemistry, how well the group was recruited and the outline
August 06, 2008 at 01:34shepherdwondersif influencers are sometimes planted into focus groups as participants?
August 06, 2008 at 01:35DebInDenversaysI am with Frank, Amber would be a great moderator!
August 06, 2008 at 01:35DebInDenversaysI would have to sit behind the mirror!
August 06, 2008 at 01:35AmberCadabraFrank do you directly attribute particular marketing successes to the use of focus groups?
August 06, 2008 at 01:40AmberCadabraouchie. isn't that a case for doing the focus group first, at the initial stages of the idea?
August 06, 2008 at 01:41AmberCadabraison Connie's wavelength
August 06, 2008 at 01:42frankmartinconnie all the time - but most of the time it is a continuing process anyway
August 06, 2008 at 01:42AmberCadabraDeb I too think you'd be a great moderator.
August 06, 2008 at 01:41frankmartinconnie - not to be oblique - but at any stage where they sense they could make better decisions if they knew more about a particular market
August 06, 2008 at 01:43frankmartinyeah - but most of the time clients do a lot of work to get to that point
August 06, 2008 at 01:44ConnieI'm thinking like when they're choosing a name? Finding out who would use their product/service therefore how to market it?
August 06, 2008 at 01:43AmberCadabrafrank, can you give some examples of those moments where a focus group has proved invaluable?
August 06, 2008 at 01:44ConnieOr if there is a big enough market?
August 06, 2008 at 01:44AmberCadabramoments meaning those junctions or stages
August 06, 2008 at 01:43frankmartinshepherd - political groups are used not to "sway", but to learn what arguments, or talking points resonate
August 06, 2008 at 01:44frankmartinwith targeted groups
August 06, 2008 at 01:45frankmartinconnie - interestingly enough, that's not the best application. I never do groups to "test" creative, but to generate food for creative
August 06, 2008 at 01:47shepherdoften sees "startup" weekends where people come together as a self generated focus group to come to consensus on a business strategy.
August 06, 2008 at 01:47frankmartinexamples: at the beginning of a process when clients are "optimizing" a produc
August 06, 2008 at 01:47frankmartinwhen they are trying to find out the vocabulary people use in different situations, to describe frustration
August 06, 2008 at 01:47frankmartinor to create empathy
August 06, 2008 at 01:47frankmartinall of which can be used for creative stimulation
August 06, 2008 at 01:48AmberCadabraoh the vocab piece is super interesting
August 06, 2008 at 01:48AmberCadabralike a really really expensive thesaurus?? (i kid)
August 06, 2008 at 01:49Teegaskshow do you use a focus group to describe frustration?
August 06, 2008 at 01:49AmberCadabrafrank can focus groups work for companies of any size?
August 06, 2008 at 01:49frankmartinshepherd - the best focus groups will never generate "consensus", but generate **insight**
August 06, 2008 at 01:48Connieokay, I'm understanding it more as research now. (duh) Intelligence gathering rather than testing.
August 06, 2008 at 01:49frankmartinyes - focus groups do not test. Test markets test
August 06, 2008 at 01:49AmberCadabraconnie not duh, i'm right there with you!
August 06, 2008 at 01:50frankmartinFocus groups put the product in the best position to succeed
August 06, 2008 at 01:49frankmartinall the time Amber
August 06, 2008 at 01:51frankmartinI do groups all the time for small companies who are making big decisions
August 06, 2008 at 01:51frankmartinthesaurus? More like a foreign language dictionary
August 06, 2008 at 01:52AmberCadabraand are you the one that suggests that a focus group is the right mechanism, or do they already know that?
August 06, 2008 at 01:53shepherdthinkshe has a much clearer idea of the process.
August 06, 2008 at 01:53ConnieWe had a client who came to social media late in their startup process, after spending many thousands on tradtl PR and advertising.
August 06, 2008 at 01:52DebInDenversaysI once learned so much from a political focus group that it not only shaped our messaging, but gave us enough food to go back and re-do
August 06, 2008 at 01:54DebInDenversaysour program.
August 06, 2008 at 01:53ConnieBottom line is that they just did not have a big enough market for their service yet - they were too early.
August 06, 2008 at 01:54ConnieA focus group might have helped them determine that earlier.
August 06, 2008 at 01:53frankmartinsaysMost of the time now, clients call me when they want to do groups - but they also call when they are in a quandary
August 06, 2008 at 01:56frankmartinsayspeople are getting counsel from traditional agencies, and guess what tehy recommend?
August 06, 2008 at 01:55DebInDenversaysI think some orgs I have worked with didn't want to use the FG to learn from, but really just to reinforce what they already knew and that
August 06, 2008 at 01:55DebInDenversayslimited, or eliminated the benefit they could have gotten.
August 06, 2008 at 01:57AmberCadabraDeb that's EXACTLY what I've experienced and probably why I've been so skeptical
August 06, 2008 at 01:57frankmartinsaysdeb that happens all the time! I've been called in to do groups to "prove the boss wring!"
August 06, 2008 at 01:57Teegisgoing to sound like a total newb, but how do you run a focus group? The only ones I've had experience with were from psych class in college
August 06, 2008 at 02:03frankmartinalthough I'll frequently get referrals from the Agency
August 06, 2008 at 02:05ConnieHow expensive is a FG? Cost of moderator plus what - venue? do you pay participants?
August 06, 2008 at 02:05gwensuttonsaysread and learn. thank you
August 06, 2008 at 02:06frankmartinFocus groups cost $5000 - $7500 - depending on 1) what you pay participants, and 2) how much it costs to recruit them
August 06, 2008 at 02:07frankmartinsurgeons cost more than college students, for example
August 06, 2008 at 02:07frankmartinMods breaking into the biz cost less, but that's why a lot of people have a bad experience with groups
August 06, 2008 at 02:06DebInDenversaysyou guys, I have to go! I am sorry!! Thanks so much Frank. I learned a ton!
August 06, 2008 at 02:08AmberCadabraI got paid a whoppin' $100 for the one I did for cars.com WOOT
August 06, 2008 at 02:08ConnieThanks for ballpark figure. helps me know whether to suggest it to a client.
August 06, 2008 at 02:08AmberCadabratho I don't think they wanted me to know it was them LOL
August 06, 2008 at 02:13ConnieFrank, this has been very informative. You can tell I knew next to nothing. Thanks for spending the time with us.
August 06, 2008 at 02:12TeegsaysSee you later, shepherd
August 06, 2008 at 02:12frankmartinTeeg - more than one are ok - but I do ask clients to set priorities
August 06, 2008 at 02:14frankmartinconnie - you've helped me a million times sweetie - this was nothing. Always good to chat with you!
August 06, 2008 at 02:15shepherdsaysgood night all! Enjoyed it.
August 06, 2008 at 02:14AmberCadabraFrank this has really been enlightening!! Are you going to write a recap, by chance??
August 06, 2008 at 02:16TeegsaysThank you for leading this, Frank. I've read your blog for a while, but missed the articles on Focus groups. Learned a lot tonight.
August 06, 2008 at 02:15Teegsaysmissed the pages on focus groups rather