In this issue:
Attention First-Time Researchers: Carefully Lay your Groundwork
Perhaps you’re considering undertaking a research project for the first time – or you plan to propose research to a management team that hasn’t invested in it before. If so, you’ll optimize your chances of research success by following this advice.
Establish Your Project Framework and Champion
While research projects originate in a variety of ways, it usually entails someone in the organization voicing the need for some solid answers. Perhaps marketing is struggling to differentiate the company in its campaigns – or maybe they’re being pressured to prove their marketing dollars are making a difference. Salespeople might be frustrated that certain products or services are falling flat in the market. Or, perhaps key management members are perplexed when customers take their business elsewhere.
Research can be an extremely valuable business intelligence tool in all of these circumstances. But, convincing others to make the investment typically requires that a respected internal stakeholder serve as the project champion and be prepared to clearly articulate the objectives, approach, and value of the research.
Once you and your champion (if that’s not you) have outlined the information gaps, seek some free advice from a full-service research firm with experience in your market. They should be willing to help you refine the objectives and desired actionable results, define the most appropriate methodology, and evaluate methods of access to the target population.
They’ll also help you scope the project in terms of a budget range and timetable. It’s quite common for those new to market research to seriously underestimate how long it takes to develop, implement, and analyze a study. Depending on the complexities and characteristics of the research project, a good general rule of thumb is six to 10 weeks. Just developing the survey instrument – the most important component of the project -- will likely require numerous rounds of reviews and revisions by a team of stakeholders over several weeks.
Effectively Sell the Project and Set Expectations
With a solid project framework now in hand, the champion is ready to make a compelling case to those in the organization who you need to approve the research project, participate in its execution, and act on the results. Some stakeholders (though certainly not all) will need to participate in the development of the survey instrument to help ensure important questions aren’t overlooked.
Especially important, many will need to be very engaged in understanding and acting on the research results. Let’s face it – market research doesn’t always deliver good news across the board. It may reveal that too many customers are unhappy, that your huge advertising campaign hasn’t raised brand awareness, or that your competitors are perceived to offer better products.
Senior decision makers must embrace their roles in identifying, facilitating, and nurturing the organizational changes that may be required to improve the performance gaps the research reveals. Without an organization-wide commitment to addressing the strategic issues and performance gaps identified through the market research, you’ll likely face a low return on your research investment.
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Online Focus Groups Gain Popularity
Though still not utilized as much as online quantitative surveys, online focus groups are indeed growing in popularity thanks to the availability of increasingly sophisticated and engaging online research software. For example, marketers are successfully conducting online focus groups to evaluate advertising, web sites, new products, and more.
Professional research firms typically offer two kinds of online focus group methodologies: real-time virtual group rooms, where six to eight respondents participate simultaneously for usually 60 to 90 minutes, and asynchronous online bulletin boards, where ideally 12 to 20 respondents participate over a period of two to four days. Both venues allow respondents to participate from their desired location and, with the bulletin board, at the times that are most convenient for them. Both can incorporate graphics, audio, video, or web site links to facilitate discussions. And, both allow project stakeholders into a virtual backroom for observation.
Online focus groups are ideal in some very specific types of situations.
- You can quickly reach people spread across the country – or the world – without requiring travel time and costs.
- You can often recruit people who would be unwilling to travel to a facility at a specific time – like high-level executives.
- You can research sensitive topics. Because the online platform offers anonymity, people will often reveal things that they wouldn’t in person or on the phone.
- While great value lies in the immediate reactions you get with face-to-face and phone, online research often allows your group to give deeper thought and reflection to your questions.
However, online focus groups also have some disadvantages that make them inappropriate for certain types of research initiatives. For example:
- It’s more difficult to get in-depth information and to probe for responses to emotional or complex issues.
- You lose insightful modes of communication, including body language and facial expressions as well as spontaneous and immediate reactions and emotions expressed through the voice. This makes it more difficult for even an experienced moderator to guide the discussion and for all stakeholders to understand what isn’t said.
- Because online groups are responding much more in isolation and in parallel, you sacrifice some of the interaction dynamics achieved with face-to-face groups.
- You may not get complete thoughts from those who aren’t totally comfortable on a keyboard.
Certainly, online research requires some special considerations when it comes to development of the screener and discussion guide, recruitment, invitations, preparation, and execution. As such, it’s important that both your research firm and professional moderator have experience with online focus group techniques and strategies.
Your research firm can also provide guidance on whether online focus groups are optimal based on your research objectives and circumstances. Again, online focus groups shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for in-person or telephone methodologies. Rather, they’re an option to assess when other methodologies don’t prove viable or when they can be used in combination with other research methodologies for added benefits.
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Volume 4, Number 8 August 2007
Market Connections launched blog!
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Market Connections, Inc.
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Fairfax, VA 22033
Phone: 703.378.2025
Email: Email Us
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