In the market research field, focus groups are a technique used to gain insights from a target audience about their feelings around a specific product or service. Idealy conducted in a designated facility, a focus group is generally made up of 6-10 respondents who are guided through scripted questions by an experienced moderator. Focus group facilities are designed to create a comfortable environment where respondents feel free to share their opinions, beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes and this research format can provide insights that wouldn’t be possible with other market research methods.
A focus group is the ideal way to understand the opinions and beliefs of your target audience.
Benefits of focus group research
Focus groups are an excellent way to gain deep insights from your target audience. While a group of 10 people won’t necessarily reflect all of the opinions of your target audience, you will be able to gain a perspective that will help inform whether your product or service will be received well by potential consumers. Focus groups provide a wide variety of benefits, including:
- Open discussions between participants can lead to new ideas and insights that you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of and can be useful for making business decisions.
- Experienced moderators are able to guide participants through scripted questions while making space for engaging and on-topic discussions, providing a fuller conversation and deeper insights.
- Talented moderators are also able to respond to the mood of their specific focus group and make changes on the fly to ensure that respondents are engaged and are providing rich, useful responses
- Professional focus group facilities allow stakeholders to observe the focus group discussion–either at the facility or from a remote location–so that they can fully understand the findings. Clients can also provide feedback to the moderator either during or in between focus groups.
- Focus groups allow the moderator to observe non-verbal communication such as gestures and facial expressions, which can provide additional insights into their opinions and beliefs.
About Observation Baltimore:
At Observation Baltimore, we understand that the success of your research is directly tied to the quality of your participants. Recognized as one of the top Maryland market research facilities and rated “One of the World’s Best” by Impulse Survey, we believe that Experienced Recruiting Makes the Difference. Our experienced recruiting is the foundation of our mission, as well as courteous and proactive hospitality and client services. Just six minutes from BWI airport and AMTRAK, our Baltimore research facility has a great location. Most importantly, we understand market research! Get in touch with us today to find out how we can ensure that your next focus group is a success.