testing your messages with focus groups
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Tel: 020 7426 8888
Email: michele.madden@nfpsynergy.net
Web: www.nfpsynergy.net
Testing your messages with focus groups
December 2010
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Purpose of session
• How can you make sure the messages in your marketing campaigns are received and understood by the right people?
• Research design
• Deciding what is right for you
• Planning focus groups
• Running focus groups
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The research process
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
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Defining objectives
• Absolutely key to the success of your project
• What questions do you want to answer?
• What change will happen as a result?
• Do you have the resources?- skills- time - money
• Planning, how does research fit in with your implementation timetable? - who else needs to be involved?
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
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Setting your objectives
• Clearly defined purpose – shared with key players
• Contingency/open-ended plans for unexpected feedback
• Resources in place to put insights into actiono Eg adequate budgets, personnel
for implementation
• Loose sense of purpose or vague objectives
• Pre-determined action plans with insufficient flexibility to incorporate stakeholder views
• No resources for follow-up
o Eg insufficient staff resources
Top tip: if you are finding it hard to agree on the key objectives ask each individual for the 3 key things they want to find out and work from there.
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Research design
• Flexibility of methods/approach is critical
• Method of approach needs to reflect the relative investment, and expertise, of the stakeholder group(s)
• Examples:
o external executives → in-depth telephone interviews
o elderly donors → accompanied in-home interviews
o staff groups → breakfast or lunchtime discussion groups
o low-literacy or ESL communities → computer-aided discussion of visual
stimulus
• Qualitative or quantitative?
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
Research design: Quantitative vs Qualitative
Quant
• Quantity
• counts, quantifies data in different groups
• if you want to be able to say that "23% of people said yes to X", or "a quarter of the population say they want X “
• Roots in maths, statistics, advertising
Qual
• Quality
• explore perceptions, motivations and attitudes
• how and why and deals in concepts rather than numbers
• roots in psychology, sociology, semiotics, anthropology and neurolinguistic programming
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Other considerations
• Timescales
o When do you need to report back?
o Other timing issues (mailings, key meetings, public holidays)
• Budget
o Incentives
o Transcription
o Travel/expenses
• Resources
o Skills
o Staff time available
o Venue
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Who do you need to talk to?
• Who is the campaign/messages targeted at?
• Are there other audiences you need to consider?
• Where are these people? - do you know them?- do you have contact details?- where do they live? - what is their situation?
• Sampling
- what are the key characteristics of your sample?- how many from each group? - in the same groups or separated?
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
Recruitment
• Do not underestimate how long this takes!
• Telephone, email or letter
o Allow people sufficient time to respond – but not too long
• Clarify the purpose of the research from the outset
• Be clear what you are asking people to do
• Be clear what will happen with the results
• Incentives/expenses
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Discussion Guide
A guide will have 5 main sections;
1. Introduction – this is essential as it sets up the group or interview, explains the purpose, rules and parameters of the discussion
2. Warm up – to get everyone talking and building relationships within the group (or with the researcher if an interview)
3. Warming up to the specific – questions that are easy for the respondent to answer but that are moving on to the topic in question
4. The Specific – the specific information or questions that the research was commissioned for. Probably the longest section of the group, and may include stimulus materials and/or exercises
5. Warm down/conclusion – signalling the end of the group, summarising what has been learnt, saying thank you.
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What is a focus group?
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Running a focus group?
• What do you need to think about?
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The role of the moderator
• To run a structured discussion to find the answers/responses
• To create a safe, open environment for discussion
• Listen to everyone, encourage all to speak
• Allow time and space for people to respond
• Protect and control if necessary
• Be objective, fair and open
• Keep to time
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Essentials and practicalities
• Essentials o Obtain consent for research with adults
o Children and young people
o Data protection
o Discussion guide that covers objectives
o Stimulus materials
• Practicalitieso Venues and viewing facilities
o Recordings digital/video
o Refreshments
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Special considerations for research among your own staff
• Consulting staff from an early stage is a key part of an organisational change journey
• Encourage candour: take extra steps to ensure anonymity or confidentiality
• ‘Silo syndrome’ – remember that staff may have extensive expertise in one area, but also be less aware of other aspects of the organisation or competing priorities
• Communicate findings and decisions about ideas that are taken up, and those that are rejected/deferred
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Analysis
• Analyse different methods and audiences separately, then pool the findings
• If possible, have a discussion with someone else who was at the groups to test your thinking
• Look for themes, then divide these into sub-themes
• Objectivity is key, leave your personal opinions at the door
• Don’t underestimate how much time it takes to do this properly
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
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Reporting
• When using quotes ensure they are representative of the data and not the ‘strongest’ or ‘weakest’ example of someone’s feelings
• The order of the story may not be that of the discussion guide –follow whichever makes most sense
• Prioritise findings and recommendations – return to original objectives to sense-check
• Recommendations may be at different levels – this is fine
Define objectives
Research Design
Sampling & recruitment
Data collection
Analysis Reporting
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A few things to think about…
The pros and cons of carrying out the research internally
Benefits
• Knowledge of topic/internal context
• May be more cost efficient
• High levels of enthusiasm
Drawbacks
• May make assumptions about the options/context
• Can be more time-consuming than expected
• Lack of expertise/options about research methods and analysis
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The pros and cons of carrying out the research with an external provider
Benefits• Objective viewpoint: open to
hearing different/unexpected views
• ‘Outsiders’ may elicit more candid feedback from participants
• Expenditure may save internal staff time/resources
• Experts in research methods options and analysis
Drawbacks
• Can be steep learning curve: organisation needs to commit to bringing agency up to speed
• Organisation needs to ‘validate’ the external provider’s role
• May appear expensive/an additional budget consideration
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The 5 things we most often see go wrong…
1. Not planning properly – research is not just about the focus group, the thinking before and after are more important
2. Not building the research into internal timetables – planning, mailing, budgeting
3. Overestimating how many people will be willing to take part –ensure sufficient resources are available to recruit
4. Skewed recruitment – need to work hard to get people to attend/take part who are representative of the wider group
5. Underestimating how long analysis takes
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Key questions to ask yourself
• Are you clear about what and why you’re doing the research?
• Does it fit with your planning cycle?
• Do you have the money, resources and internal political support to make changes as a result of the research?
• Do you already know the answer? Have you already made the decision? Are the materials already printed?
Any questions?
2-6 Tenter Ground
Spitalfields
London E1 7NH
(w) www.nfpsynergy.net
(t) 020 7426 8888
(e) insight@nfpsynergy.net
Registered office: 2-6 Tenter Ground Spitalfields London E1 7NH
Registered in England No. 04387900
VAT Registration 839 8186 72
2-6 Tenter Ground
Spitalfields
London E1 7NH
(w) www.nfpsynergy.net
(t) 020 7426 8888
(e) insight@nfpsynergy.net
Registered office: 2-6 Tenter Ground Spitalfields London E1 7NH
Registered in England No. 04387900
VAT Registration 839 8186 72
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