Comments on: Focus groups – just not a predictive tool

By: Focus Group Fou-Fou « NEWLOGIC

Focus Group Fou-Fou « NEWLOGIC — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:25:47 +0000

[...] Group Fou-Fou Uri Baruchin blogs about the proper use of focus groups in response to a Seth Goding blog "But The Focus Group Loved [...]

By: Asi

Asi — Thu, 11 May 2006 07:27:14 +0000

In most cases focus group totally lack ecological validity since it operates in a socio-cultural void. Thus, instead of just listening to what consumers have to say, we should start participating in, and observing, people’s lives and social contexts. (as you said Uri – ethnography)

Our goal should be to bring a whole world more realistically to life. We should make an effort to move beyond research that seems to be articulated primarily in terms of the unmediated ‘present-at-hand’ mode of engagement with the consumer and start adopting a more contextual approach that is focused on the relations between the consumer, the brand (or product) and the wider social context. People in artificial settings generate artificial responds. (For many problems, focus groups or surveys work just fine. but in the context of creative development I believe that the main purpose of focus groups is predominantly to make the client feel secure and ‘in-control’).

By: Uri

Uri — Tue, 09 May 2006 17:58:08 +0000

Groups can have interesting purposes (and results) when they are used with other tools. I think we just have to resist some clients knee jerk reaction of “let’s validate that with some focus groups.”

By: Steve Portigal

Steve Portigal — Tue, 09 May 2006 15:29:40 +0000

That’s a nice way to frame it, thanks. I’m getting more push to use focus groups of one form or another lately; it’s coming when someone has already decided what methodology they want to use before they approach me for help.

The last time these groups were proposed as a way to get more client involvement. Although we also planned to do individiual interview sessions as well, the belief seemed to be that observing the groups was the way to get the clients involved, and even the better tool for getting “deeper.”

I think the “default” nature of groups is a curious and frustrating mindset.