It is a qualitative market research technique to test products, services, ideas, packaging, prices, concept or any other marketing activity that a company is willing to carry out.
It is an informal group interview, which generally involves between 5 and 12 people, guided by a facilitator in which people are asked to express their opinions, attitudes, beliefs, satisfaction and perceptions on the proposed topic.
Respondents, or those who participate in focus group sessions, are generally part of what is called a “target segment,” as companies tailor their products to different segments of the population to better meet their needs. A facilitator, or "moderator," helps lead the session and focus the discussion. The sessions are closely monitored and recorded to later observe the voluntary and involuntary reactions of the participants.
In the 1930s, social researchers questioned the accuracy of the data they obtained, especially if the excessive influence that the researcher had on the information offered by the subjects could distort it and, if the closed questions, what were the closed questions. the most used ones were limiting and, therefore, were incomplete data. As a result, at the end of the decade, group strategies were designed to allow more freedom and openness to the interviewees.
Initially, the application of the techniques with the groups was carried out in the work areas, with the purpose of increasing productivity and also favoring analysis in psychotherapy. In the 1980s and 1990s, a large number of focus group studies were conducted in the field of marketing, to evaluate it on television and to launch new products.
In social research, the focus was on social, educational, and medical programs, as they offer the insight and perspective of clients, students, patients, and all program participants. The application of the technique has not only remained constant, but has also suffered variations due to the influence of new technologies, giving rise to “focus groups by videoconference” and “groups on the Internet”.
It is a technique that favors speech and whose interest is to capture the way of thinking, feeling and living of the individuals that make up the group. Focus groups are conducted within the framework of research protocols and include a specific topic, research questions posed, clear objectives, rationale, and guidelines. According to the objective, the guide for the interview and the logistics for its achievement are determined (choice of participants, scheduling of sessions, strategies for approaching and inviting them, etc.).
In planning, we must also consider the characteristics of the meeting place; Easily accessible, preferably a known and non-threatening space, there is a room with a large table and chairs, ideally it should have a Gesell chamber, where the observers are located. It is necessary to have an audio and / or video recorder to record the communicative exchange of the focus group, trying to minimize noise and distracting elements to favor the concentration of the group.
