At Market Street, focus groups are an important part of our qualitative research methodology. Our goal? To help our clients understand how people make decisions—and what influences their decisions—in regards to their use of products and services. We conduct both online and in-person focus groups.
A typical online focus group consists of 20 to 30 people who have been recruited based on specific characteristics they have that are relevant to our client’s research goals. Our online groups are held over one to three days, depending on the depth of information the client is looking for, with each participants agreeing to take part for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. A skilled moderator moderates the group, posing probing or clarifying questions to participants as needed, and clients can observe the group at their convenience.
A typical in-person focus group consists of 7 to 10 people who have again been recruited based on specific characteristics that are relevant to our client’s research goals . The group discusses the topic for 1.5 to 2 hours under the direction of a skilled moderator. In-person focus groups are held in focus group facilities whenever possible, so clients can observe the discussion through a one-way mirror. We generally conduct a minimum of two focus groups for any one study, in order to increase our confidence in the findings.
Through focus groups, we help our clients:
- Explore new product or service ideas
- Understand an organization’s brand image
- Test effectiveness of advertising and marketing concepts and materials
- Differentiate competitors’ perceived strengths and weaknesses
- Gain insights into purchasing decisions
- Conduct product testing
Your go-to source for qualitative research
Market Street handles all aspects of conducting qualitative research, including:
- Focus group recruitment
- Logistical coordination
- Development of moderator’s guides, customized to your needs
- Arranging focus group facilities
- Using experienced and highly-skilled moderators
- Analysis and presentation of results