Focus Groups are now one of most used techniques for collecting consumer views on products and services where "deep" qualitative data is required rather than the broader but shallower quantitative data elicited by telephone and "paper" surveys.
They have been adopted widely in Asian consumer markets, where sometimes they are seen as a "natural" for these markets if proper attention is given to cultural factors in administration. Other views suggest that focus groups are passe and new methods of naturalistic observation like the use of diposable cameras, and web based methods are being talked of with enthusiasm.
Methodology aside however, the all important political or management factors are often overlooked, especially by newly returning market research majors from Western universities.
One case in point from the automotive industry - an old article - but one which should give pause to many who focus on methodology to the detriment of stakeholder and organizational political issues -
Excerpt: "...Polit points out that the root cause of the problem is the lack of honest information flowing from focus groups up to the executive level. What's the son for it? By the time focus groups are done, so much money has already been spent on the program that it would be a career killer for a program representative to inform management that the vehicle missed the mark..."
"...Polit says getting design concepts in front of consumers earlier and before so much investment is involved will go a long way toward resolving the industry's problem. She applauds GM's efforts with its virtual clinics and says other manufacturers need to take advantage of the research that can be done online. Suppliers too should clinic new products and features.
And most importantly, any company bothering to do a clinic shouldn't modify its data..."
End Extract
Focus group methodologies in Asian markets are often criticized for failing to extract the key consumer motivational data that would help build sucessful marketing strategies.
And the blame is often assigned to cultural factors.
We ask for calm however.
Focus groups have the same problems world wide, and other new or innovative ideas and techniques as well as quantitative techniques also suffer from that same problem. In short, no matter how valid or well administered a technique, the whole thing fails when organizational communication and political issues are not addressed in the research management plan. The Chysler case study above is just one illustration being played out in major companies world wide even right at this moment.
Published May 16, 2002 10:15 PM in Research Techniques
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