Guide for the Ending Stage of a Focus Group

Focus groups give an organization ideas, opinions and emotional feedback.

Organizations form focus groups when they want to find out what a certain demographic thinks, feels, knows or wants. Each group has a moderator from the organization and a general plan of the topics to be observed and discussed. The payoff of a focus group is the summary prepared by the group and the moderator. In order to get to the summary, the group has to be led through a process of setting a mood, studying the situation in depth and getting a final opinion.

Focus Group Components

The typical focus group has between eight and 12 members and meets for two to three hours. There is usually a demonstration or video for the members to observe and a discussion period. The moderator guides the discussion by asking questions or posing a situation and getting answers and reactions from the members. The sessions are usually videotaped for review. The moderator sets the proper mood so the discussion and summary will meet the expectations of the organization. For example, a company might gather a focus group to discuss a new package for breakfast cereal. If the package is still in the planning stage, the moderator will elicit criticism. If the package has been completed, the moderator will look for positive comments that will help the advertising campaign.

Diving Down: Getting Information in Depth

The summary may need more than a casual opinion from the group. A movie studio might gather a test audience to see a new film. They will want not only the general level of approval of the audience, but opinions on cast members, story content and a scene by scene list of audience reactions. A food company could gather a focus group for a taste test of a new product and interview each member of the focus group for reactions to each product.

The End of the Group

The final few minutes of the focus group will determine its success. The moderator tells the group that their comments and suggestions will be taken seriously. He helps the members come to a conclusion or conclusions that accurately reflect their views. He allows for disagreement and records all points of view then presents his notes so the group can see that their thoughts have been accurately recorded. He thanks the group for their participation and closes the meeting.

The Moderator and the Summary

After the group leaves, the moderator studies her notes and the videotape for additional clues on the focus group's reaction. Her report will not only summarize the words of the group but all of the non-verbal cues the members of the group supplied, including any resistance of the group to involve themselves in the organization, the level of emotion in the group discussion and any input given by members of the group outside of the meeting room.

References

• The Manager's Electronic Resource Center: Focus Group
• Paid Focus Group Network: Guide to Paid Focus Groups