S E N S O S T A T

ACTUALITÉS

THE FOCUS GROUP

4 May 2018 Christine URBANO Comments Off

A focus group is a qualitative method involving so-called focused group interviews. Based on meetings with small groups of consumers (5 to 10 people), the focus group aims to answer some of your questions related to new products or services that you want to put on the market.

In the world of sensory analysis and marketing in a broader sense, this tool allows you to develop, test and discuss concepts, names, packaging materials and packaging formats. This approach is often an important first step in order to characterize your target consumers and to understand their needs and expectations regarding your new product, concept or packaging.

For example, a company recently asked us to test a concept aimed at the valorization of old vegetables. Having interviewed three groups of consumers in three French cities, we were able to provide our client with different answers in terms of communication on the valorization of this new type of product, associations with vegetables known as products “with appeal,” the main methods for preparing and choosing an accompaniment for vegetables, product presentation and distribution as well as the purchase price. A detailed and well-argued consumer perspective on all these points proved to be essential for our client before launching this new concept on the market.

When you work with a focus group through SensoStat, the following are your project’s  principal stages:
1- We work together to identify your issue.
2- We work with you to determine the objectives of the focus group(s).
3- We recruit focus group participants, while ensuring that they match your target group.
4- We develop a focus group discussion guide.
5- We conduct interviews that are fully recorded (video and audio). Two of us are always present in the focus group: a moderator and an observer. If you wish, you may also attend.
6- We send you a written report presenting a summary of the discussions once they have been collected and analyzed.
7- And, of course, we always listen to any questions you might have about the report.

In addition, if you would like quantified data, the focus group can then be supplemented by a quantitative study (online survey and/or consumer test).

If you want to:

   Confirm the potential of your project,

   Identify the strong and weak points of your product,

   Check the product matches the target market,

  Position your product in its competitive environment in respect to the expectations of your clients (benchmark) …etc.

If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to use a focus group to get answers to your questions.