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Users Guide Part 5

Online Focus Groups(Sometimes OLFG or VFG)

Online Focus Groups (OFG’s)

• Online Line Focus Groups and the benefits • International Case Study • Practical advice on conducting International projects

Observers view remotely

Real time focus groups

Real time focus groups – active facilitation • Can show visuals, video footage, web links• Moderator pre loads guide and stimulus • Initial response by individuals which stimulates discussion

amongst participants • Eliminates peer group pressure• Moderator responds to dialogue in real-time • Can stimulate and constrain individual participants with a private

message• Clients have a private observers room, can view, chat with

colleagues and send private message to the Moderator to probe areas

• Can be conducted in any language

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Different types of platforms

Allow interactive exercises, probing, projectivesmark up stimulus, show videos, etc

Online Focus Groups – key benefits

1. Less groupthink, chance of domination2. Spontaneously expressed reactions3. Even out social inequalities (chat has no accent)4. Anonymity for sensitive topics (not seen)5. Convenience and psychological safety of home /office6. Client observers can send private notes7. Instant transcript8. Green & unaffected by volcanoes9. Appropriate for products & services bought online10.The ideal medium for teenagers

Challenges for Moderators to address

• Responses come in out of sequence• Probing takes longer• Moderator has less sense of individual differences• Less spontaneous interaction between respondents

But • These can be addressed by good moderation• Bulletin Boards offer people have more time and • Opportunity to express themselves and interact.

International Case Study

Visit Britain

Using the whiteboard to examine the holiday planning process

• The following gives an outline of the key discussion areas used to examine the proposed new website for visitbritain

The planning process

We use a timeline exercise to

identify the different stages

in the process – getting

people to write down their

steps along the way

We invite participants to respond on the white board

Multi lingual application

Whiteboard provides flexible space for creative exercises

Respondent chat box allows for group or individual questions

Observer chat box for you to discuss what’s going on and tell us what you’re thinking!

Discussion structure

• The following gives an outline of the key discussion areas we will use in the groups

The planning process

What are people’s

impressions of the VB

website?

What do they imagine they

would use it for?

Developing & refining the

positioning statements

Sources of info/ influence

Websites used

Rôle & positioning of ee.com

Analysis of findings

• Provide PowerPoint template as part of the briefing process and example of style required

• Translation of transcripts often not necessary and outside budget – but get verbatim comments in English

• Discuss presentation on skype etc • Pull together whiteboard exercises

Homepage - USA

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Chinese

InspirationalBritain weather is not great for beachesPretty but too big

Useful links but a bit small

Search section noticed and be used by majority

Inspiring Reflects others opinion Useful as it highlights great places, useful links Fun and Interesting Best things to do

Season too dominant and is it current or when travelling?

Broad choices then more narrowed Like being able to look at different landscape

Lot of interesting in History and culture

Map a good idea, but s bit big

Quirky modern fun – symbol of UK

Key benefits International OFGs

• Overcome cultural differences in communication• Greater levels of participation in developing markets • English discussion guide to ensure consistency• Client observers from different locations can view• Instant transcript for rapid translations (if required)• Massive reduction in travel costs and timeline• The ideal medium for those with broadband of all

ages • Bulletin boards for over 65’s

Lessons learnt – Preparation

• Use research networks to recruit local qualitative researchers (offline)

• Sector experience more important than online experience• Select moderator fluent in English and keen to get into online

groups • Select software partners with robust and proven platform• Evaluate online panel recruitment v local recruitment methods

• Seek guarantees on deliverables ( USA v Japan)

Lessons learnt – in practice

• Draft moderators guide in English and get translated – by local moderator

• Train local moderator using proposed group discussion and stimulus • Utilise skype for ease of communication

• Local moderator to contact all participants before session

• Central Mgt log in as observer to check for problems • Tech support in direct contact with local moderators

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Where to get respondents?

• Use traditional qualitative recruiters to maximise participation when building small communities

• Recruit from lists and panel providers• Consider novel ways of recruiting the right “types” of

people• Thorough pre-checking is essential

Twitter

Robin Shuker – robin@chatgroup.co.uk

Tel: 0203 – 004 - 9817

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Users Guide Quick Review

Stand alone tools

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Stand alone tools

Integrate into a qual or quant project

EXAMPLE: Buzzback E-collage, Concept Focus, Configurator and Thought Bubble

(DEMO – fill in example) http://www.buzzback.com/buzzback-thought-bubble

Thinking Shed demo

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Stand alone tools (non research)http://www.dabbleboard.com/Interactive whiteboard for

drawing

http://www.picturecollagesoftware.com/

Collaging software (presentations)

Look up online collaboration tools, wikis, whiteboards…

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Users Guide Part 6

3rd MROC from the sun

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Types of Communities

Natural, user generated

Brand support for users

For brand advocacy, involvement, co-creation

(MROC) or insight communities

Specifically for customer feedback and understanding

Build advocacy as well

50 – 2000+ people

Short or long term

Quant/qual

www.communispace.com www.freshnetworks.com www.vovici.com

Mike Hall, Verve

“The difference between a brand community and a panel is that members are allowed to have conversations of their own, on topics of their own choosing, with whoever they like, when they like – just as in real-life communities”

27Julie Wittes Schlack, Communispace

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Qualn..titative

• Tens to thousands of participants• Length: days to years• Participants are known• Regular surveys AND• Qual questions in small self-

selected groups• Participants become brand

promoters

(Also used for Crowdsourcing and NPD –see later)

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Managing MROCs

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In theory a radical move…

Command and control

BRANDS and researchers

Listening

Keeping a connection

Sharing objectives

Being more authentic

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"We have a mandate at General Mills to move as much of our qualitative research online as possible in the coming months and years.

We have been experimenting with this for a year, but we created our consumer networks team this summer and are now scaling it."

Ned Winsborough