Download Chapter 10

Internet Marketing Intelligence
Chapter 10
Online Focus Groups
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-1
Objectives
• Provide an understanding of general nature of
focus group research and how to conduct
focus groups on and through the Internet.
• Delineate the advantages and disadvantages
of Internet focus groups.
• List Internet-based organisations that allow
researchers to participate in online focus
groups.
• List Internet-based organisations that can be
employed to conduct online focus groups.
• Discuss a range of resources that may be used
to learn more about online focus groups.
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-2
Definition of Online Focus
Groups
• Qualitative research performed through the
Internet involves gathering data from freeformat responses elicited by open-ended
responses to in-depth and subjective
observations.
• Qualitative research is used to measure
experiences, emotions, opinions and other
non-quantitative data.
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-3
Benefits of the Internet
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Lack of geographic barriers
Much lower costs
Faster turnaround time
Increased openness of respondents
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-4
Advantages of Online
Focus Groups
• Financial:
• no facility costs
• no catering required
• transcripts of discussions are available
within minutes of completing the
session
• incentive payments may be reduced
• no travel costs involved
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-5
Advantages of Online
Focus Groups
• Efficiency:
• session conducted in a very short time period
• field, transcripts and data analysis times are
reduced
• time and place are convenient for participants
• Diversity of group participants:
• participants are recruited from diverse geographic
locations and different social and demographic
groups
• reduced problem of anonymity of group members
• consumers who are too busy or dislike group
participation can be persuade to join a discussion
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-6
Advantages of Online
Focus Groups (cont.)
•
•
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Participation
Time commitment
Openness of respondents
Recruitment of respondents
Communication with moderator
Client involvement
Online groups easier to moderate
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-7
Advantages of Online
Focus Groups (cont.)
• Bulletin-board style allows for participation
on respondents schedule
• More available in certain places than
telephone conferencing facilities
• Can be used to corroborate findings from
in-person groups—done in only one or two
markets
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-8
Problems with Online
Focus Groups
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Group dynamics
Non-verbal inputs
Client involvement
Security
Attention to the topic
Exposure to external stimuli
Role and skill of the moderator
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-9
Key Point
• Online focus groups are most effective
when qualitative feedback is needed
quickly, participants are from widely
dispersed locations, and/or ideas for
questions to be included in a quantitative
survey are needed.
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-10
Online focus group
scenario
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Identify respondents
Screen/contact respondents
Give instructions
Use a chat-room window
Show an image about which an opinion is
needed
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-11
Web sites to Help Conduct
a Focus Group
• Custom Forum http://www.delphi.com/dirdelphi/
• ParaChat
http://www.parachat.com/chat1.htm/
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-12
Online Focus Groups
• Cyber Dialogue
http://members.cyberdialogue.com/inde
x.html
• iCameo http://www.icameo.com/
• Paid2Survey.Com
http://www.paid2survey.com/
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-13
Organisations
• Greenfield Online
http://www.greenfield.com/
• conducts online focus groups and recruits
participants
• CustomerSat, Inc.
http://www.customersat.com/index.html
• provides free market research resources
• SurveySite http://www.surveysite.com/
• online focus groups as part of overall
research approach
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-14
Metadexes of Market
Research Firms
• The Greenbook
http://www.greenbook.org/
• @ResearchInfo.com
http://www.researchinfo.com/
• Volition
http://volition.com/opinions.html/
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-15
Summary
• Many research firms are now conducting
qualitative research on and through the
Internet.
• Online focus groups often provide a faster
and cheaper means of collecting qualitative
data than using the real-world equivalent.
Copyright  2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Internet Marketing Intelligence by Edward Forrest
10-16