In this case, of course, Clinton was specifically referring to focus groups held for electoral purposes, which is quite recurrent to this day as part of the political process not only in the United States, but throughout the world. But, keeping in mind the obvious exaggeration in statements made tailored by politicians to make an impact, the technique – created more than five decades ago by psychologists and constantly improved – it is used today to obtain qualitative insights about the market, services, products and… practically any topic. Maybe you've already participated in one yourself. Effective and affordable, it is undoubtedly a valuable strategy, but it applies to very specific objectives.
When to use the focus group
By definition, the focus group is a qualitative research technique, involving the conduct of a debate with a small group of people with some characteristic in common and which directly relates them to the topic to be discussed. It is recommended when there is a need to understand the perception, feelings, positions and beliefs of customers or any other target audience of the company on a given topic.
Unlike quantitative research, it is exploratory, open, interactive and makes it possible to understand the reasons behind the responses, also considering additional data generated by body language, behavior and reactions. Normally, it lasts an average of two hours and the participation, in general, of eight to 12 members, at most, selected voluntarily. In this context, the strategic analysis professional acts as a moderator, within an approach that flows from a general overview to the specific subject. The objective is always to create a calm and safe environment, where everyone feels free to express their opinions, without any type of influence or pressure to reach consensus.
In a practical and random example: while quantitative research reveals how many people consume a certain brand of plant-based milk, the focus group exposes why these people consume that brand or – sometimes more importantly – why they do not consume it. Analysis of the results of the focus group may show that there are doubts about the taste of plant-based milk, that the marketing campaign brings the wrong messages, that the presentation or packaging of the product is not efficient, that the perceived value of the product is not equivalent to the price, that there is fake news spread about plant-based milk, among many other insights. In short: it identifies where the threats and opportunities are for the business. Therein lies the power.
In time: without numbers, but with a starting point
It may seem obvious, but it's a common mistake when choosing the wrong search strategy. If there is one thing that the focus group will not bring, it is numbers or statistics. Precisely because of its qualitative, exploratory nature and its restricted universe, it is not viable and technically correct to try to fit the answers and conclusions into graphs and quantitative calculations. Insights and trends don't fit in Excel.
On the other hand, insights from the focus group are excellent starting points for finding statistically valid information on quantitative research. When identifying, in group discussions, that there is an important doubt that compromises the consumption of the product, the application of a structured questionnaire to a mathematically representative sample of the target audience will allow us to expand – or not – this consideration in general: will this Is this a perception of the majority of my potential customers? That could be the million-dollar answer – more or less.
