The Research & Planning Group
 
  Services
Focus Groups
Surveys
Satisfaction Studies
Branding Studies
Competitive Benchmarking
Individual Interviews
Advertising concept & Copy Testing
 
  Featured Articles
Your Customer List Is a Valuable Resource
The Everything and the Kitchen Sink Survey
The BIG Question
 

More Articles....

By-Telephone
Telephone Focus Groups
Traditional focus groups have proven their merit as an invaluable qualitative research methodology. For decades, successful companies have utilized them to understand the feelings and beliefs that customers hold; to acquire insight regarding opinions and perceptions; and to test new concepts. But in certain cases - due to wide geographic distribution and/or low incidence of the target in the population - marketers have found it impractical or expensive to bring participants together in a conventional focus group setting.
Telephone focus groups can not only overcome specific obstacles, but actually deliver better research results, as well.


Telephone Focus Groups: The Methodology
Telephone Focus Groups generally follow the same methodology as traditional focus groups with only a few exceptions:
  • Participants can be recruited from across a wide geographic area (many groups of 10 have 1 participant from each of 10 different states).
  • Participants are relaxed and comfortable in their own home or office.
  • The moderator uses technology that identifies the names of participants on a computer monitor and highlights individuals as they speak in order for the moderator to identify speakers by name and assure participation by all involved.
  • Client observers are able to “listen in” on muted telephone lines from their homes, offices or while traveling.
  • When visual stimuli is required, it can be sent ahead of time in sealed and marked envelopes.
As in traditional focus groups:

  • Eight to ten participants are recruited for each group
  • Each session lasts approximately 1 ½ hours
  • Observers are able to jointly debrief with the moderator and other observers after each session

Top

Telephone Focus Groups: The Benefits

Tangible benefits are realized in two ways:

  • The quality of the research
  • The cost savings

Quality issues include the fact that:

  • Telephone focus groups allow us to access a group of individuals that are normally unavailable due to factors such as geographic dispersion or the reluctance of high profile/income people to attend a traditional focus group
  • Participants feel more anonymous and thus are more candid, providing better input
  • Telephone focus groups keep participants focused on issues by eliminating in-person, sidebar conversations
  • Likewise, observers tend to be more attentive since there is not the usual distraction of visiting with others in the observation room
  • Participants are able to listen to one another and react to questions and comments, while being led by a professional moderator through a strategically-developed discussion guide
  • Participants have a significantly lower "no-show" rate, thereby optimizing the number of opinions put forward
  • The potential of discussion domination by a single participant is eliminated due to the visual-intimidation factor

Top

Cost-savings issues include the fact that:

  • Fewer groups may be required since telephone focus groups allow greater geographic coverage with representative participants
  • Travel costs for observers and moderator are eliminated. It's possible to obtain a national viewpoint without running all over the country!
  • Lost time for observers is eliminated
  • Traditional costs for facility usage, food/refreshments for observers, etc. are eliminated
  • Groups will not be canceled due to weather

Top