Marketing Research qualitative data collection methods
Carla C Martins
Focus Group
Focus Group
• A carefully planned discussion conducted by a trained interviewer (moderator, facilitator) in a permissive, non-threatening environment . • Composed by a small group of ideally seven to ten people with common characteristics relating to discussion topic. • Used for generating data to enable the comprehension of a specific topic under study. • The open-ended interaction of focus groups stimulates thoughts and emotions which are not ordinarily forthcoming in an individual interview, or through the examination of how people behave.
Focus Group
Business Research
More structured approach Active moderator More use of stimulus Pre-defined questions Emphasis on content
Academic Research
Less controled Moderator facilitator Emphasis in the discussion among participants Focus on the process Less participants per group
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
Three Phase Process
Phase II: Conducting Sessions Phase III: Analyzing & Reporting
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
PLANNING THE FOCUS GROUP
1. Generating questions – the focus group guide 2. Definition of groups 3. Participant Recruitment
4. Logistics and Agenda
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.1. Focus group guide development
• Think about the problem • Brainstorming • Five to six major topics • Open-ended questions • Careful with “Why?” questions • Avoid dichotomous questions
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.1. Focus group guide development
• Use questions that get participants involved (reflection, examples, choices, rating scales, drawings, etc). • Ordered from general to specific • Distinguish “nice-to-know” from “need-to-know” questions
• Test questions, obtain feedback from other people
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.1. Focus group guide development TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP QUESTIONS
‘Think back’ “Think back over the past two years that you have participated in this event, and tell us your fondest memory”. Top of mind associations “What’s the first thing that comes to you mind when you think about…”
Querying the meaning “What does the word ….xxx…. means to you?”
‘Man from the moon’ routine “Pretend I am from the moon. I have never heard about this product. Describe it to me. Why would I want to try it? Convince me”
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
Metaphors “If this group of products were a family, who would the different members be? Why?” Establishing conceptual maps of a product category “How would you group these products. How are groups different? How would you call each group? Conditions that facilitate and create barriers “Tell me about two or three situations in which you would decide to buy this product. And in wich you would decide to buy anything else. Best-of-all-possible-world scenarios “If you could design your own …xxxx… what would it be like? Don’t worry if it is possible or not.” Projective tecniques (see later)
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.1. Focus group guide development
Should always include 5 types of questions:
1. Opening Question Elicits brief information about the participants (answered by everyone).
2. Introductory Question General introduction to the topic – objective of generating conversation and interaction; Not fundamental to the analysis
3. Transition Questions Link between the introductory questions and the key questions – enables participants to become aware of how others view the topic. 4. Key Questions The responses are the main focus of analysis 5. Ending Questions Used to close the study
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.2. Group definition
COMPOSITION • 5 to 12 participants • Members should have some similarity • Select members who don't know each other (some exceptions)
• Members should not be focus group “professionals”
• Select members who are likely to be participative and reflective
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.2. Group definition
CRITERIA TO DEFINE THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS:
The purpose of the study If the purpose is to understand an issue or behavior, invite fewer people. If the purpose is to pilot-test an idea or materials, invite more people.
The complexity of the topic More complex, invite fewer people. Participants’ level of experience or expertise More experience, invite fewer people.
Participants’ level of passion about the topic More passionate, invite fewer people.
The number of questions you want to cover More questions, fewer people.
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.2. Group definition
HOW MANY GROUPS?
3 focus groups are the minimum for a study Multiple categories: 3 to 4 groups per category
Ideally, theoretical saturation
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.3. Participant recruitment
GENERAL SELECTION RULES:
Set exact specification (inclusion/exclusion criteria)
Use the resources of the sponsoring organization in recruiting Establish incentives to participation: money (2550eur), coupons, gifts…
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.3. Participant recruitment
SOURCES
List/database
Piggyback On location
Nominations
Random phone screening Ads in newspapers and internet
When possible, develop a pool of eligible participants and then randomly select to prevent bias
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.3. Participant recruitment
RECRUITMENT STEPS
1. 2. 3. 4.
Set meeting times according to target Contact potential participants by phone or in person (2 weeks before meeting time) Send a personalized invitation Phone (or contact) each person the day before the focus group
Focus Group
Phase I: Planning
1.4. Logistics
Easily accessible location
Circle seating Confortable room with good acoustics
Carefully selected food and drink
Recording equipment Flip chart paper (if no board is available), markers, sticky notes Name tags Pen and note taking block for participants
Informed Consent
Socio-demographic questionnaire
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
4. CONDUCTING THE FOCUS GROUP
Preliminary procedures Focus group discussion
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
Preliminary Procedures
Recording equipment check-up Distribution of individual materials Reading and signing the informed consent Fulfillment of socio-demographic questionnaire (1-2 minutes).
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
Focus Group Phases
1. Warm-up 2. Discussion
3. Closure
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
1. Warm-up
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
2. Focus group discussion
Tips for Moderation
Repeat questions. Do not suggest examples of answers. Probe… Use what when, where, which and how, but avoid why.
Summarize and give back.
Use “anything else?”.
Use nonverbal communication.
Phase II: Conducting Sessions
Focus Group
2. Focus group discussion
Moderator qualities
• Kindness with firmness • Involvement • Incomplete understanding
• Incomplete understanding
• Encouragement • Flexibility • Sensitivity
In-depth Interview
In-depth interview
• A direct, personal interview in which a single respondent is questioned and probed by a interviewer in a relaxed, open environment. • Flexible and unstructured - wording of questions and order are determined by flow of conversation - but usually has an interview guide. • It has the purpose of probing informants’ motivations, feelings, thoughts and beliefs. • An important characteristic of this data collection method is that the interviewer uses probing questions as the mechanism to get more data on the topic from the subject.
In-depth Interview
Probing Questions
The interviewer takes the subject’s initial response to a question and uses that response as the framework for the next question (the probing question) in order to gain more detailed responses.
In-depth Interview
Phase I: Planning
In-depth Interview
Phase II: Conducting the Interview
Phase III: Analyzing and Reporting
In-depth Interview
Questioning Techniques Laddering
Hidden Issue Questioning
Symbolic Analysis
In-depth Interview
Laddering
- The line of questioning proceeds from product characteristics to user characteristics, allowing the researcher to tap into the consumer's network of meanings – how s/he sees the world. - This supports the understanding of deep psychological reasons that affect the consumers’ behavior.
Interviewer: You indicated that you would be more likely to drink a wine cooler at a party on the weekend with friends, why is that? Respondent: Well, wine coolers have less alcohol than a mixed drink and because they are so filling I tend to drink fewer and more slowly. Interviewer: What is the benefit of having less alcohol when you are around your friends?
Respondent: I never really have thought about it. I don’t know.
Interviewer: Try to think about it in relation to the party situation. (*) When was the last time you had a wine cooler in this party with friends situation? Respondent: Last weekend. Interviewer: Okay, why coolers last weekend? Respondent: Well, I knew I would be drinking a long time and I didn’t want to get wasted. Interviewer: Why was it important to not get wasted at the party last weekend? Respondent: When I’m at a party I like to socialize, talk to my friends, and hopefully make some new friends. If I get wasted I’m afraid I’d make an ass of myself and people won’t invite me next time. It’s important for me to be part of the group.
The summary ladder for (1) is: sense of belonging (part of the group) socialize avoid getting drunk (wasted) less alcohol/filling
(value) (benefit) (benefit) (attribute)
In-depth Interview
Hidden Issue Questioning
The interviewer attempts to find out what “pet peeves” or “sore spots” the participant has. Focuses in exploring deeply held personal concerns, often difficult to be revealed by a direct line of questioning
E.g. What was the happiest time of your life?
What is your ideal of life? What would you do if you gained the lottery?
In-depth Interview
Symbolic Analysis
- A technique for finding out what things really mean to the participant. by asking about the object’s opposite.
E.g. An interviewer might ask the participant if they regularly use e-mail. If so, he asks: “What would you do if e-mail didn’t exist?”
Projective Techniques
Unstructured and indirect forms of questioning which encourage the respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issues of concern.
Word association tests Sentence completion tests Story completion Script writing Image creation/matching
Script writing
Cartoon or balloon tests Role playing
Third person technique
Word association
In-depth Interview
Sentence completion
In-depth Interview
Story completion
Script Writing
In-depth Interview
Picture Creation / Matching
In-depth Interview
Cartoon or Baloon Tests
In-depth Interview
Drawings
In-depth Interview
Third person technique
- Mainly used for embarrassing issues, instead of asking people how they would respond, the researcher asks how another person would react or respond - E.g.: Why don’t many people provide their families nutritionally balanced breakfasts?
Role-playing
- Respondent takes on the role of another person.
E.g. “Agora faça de conta que é um vendedor. O que diria ao potencial comparador sobre o produto”.
Focus Group vs In-depth Interviews
Focus Group vs In-depth Interviews
Observation
Observation
• A systematic process of recording behavioral patterns and ocurrences as they happen. • No questioning or communicating with people is needed.
Observation
Human
Observing Mechanism
Mechanical/Electronic
• • • • • • • • Camera Television monitoring Scanner-based consumer panel Click through rate (CTR) Eye-movement recorders Pupilometer Psychogalvanometer Voice-pitch analysis
Observation
Disguised
Awareness
Undisguised
Observation
Structured
Approach
Unstructured
Ethnographic Research
Observation
Direct
Approach
Contrived
• Mistery Shopper
Cliente Mistério
Objetivos
Avaliar a formação dos colaboradores Preparar a marca para a entrada de concorrentes no mercado Monitorização da concorrência através da comparação com a própria marca Reconhecimento dos melhores colaboradores
Cliente Mistério
Itens de observação:
I. Critérios de confiabilidade
II. Critérios de atendimento
III. Critérios de segurança
IV. Critérios de empatia
V. Critérios tangíveis VI. Critérios de preço 