Focus group market research agency

Qualitative market research agency

A focus group is a qualitative research method where a small, diverse group discusses a specific topic led by a moderator. This method provides insights into participants’ opinions, attitudes, and perceptions, leveraging group dynamics to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

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Why should you conduct focus group market research?

Brands conduct focus groups to gain in-depth insights into consumer or customer opinions and behaviours. Group discussions are good for generating ideas and building consensus. They can help identify issues, gather feedback for improvements, and uncover new ideas and trends, aiding strategic decision-making and enhancing product or service development and innovation.

How do we deliver focus group market research?

FieldworkHub arranges focus groups by understanding the aims and ensuring that the participant screening criteria are clear and concise. We then recruit the target participants, typically 6-10 per group. We can also provide experienced local moderators and simultaneous translators in many different countries around the world. If the focus groups are taking place face to face, we can also recommend suitable venues in most major cities.

Focus group market research clients

UK focus group market research agency

As one of the UK’s leading focus group research agencies, FieldworkHub gives you access to a variety of opinions across the UK. We can recruit research consumers and B2B profiles to participate in online or face-to-face focus groups that you run, or we can manage the whole focus group research process from research planning and participant recruitment, to focus group moderation, analysis of the insights from focus groups and reporting.

UK focus groups on meat consumption

Woman reading label on pre-packed meat in a supermarket

We were asked by a Veterinary University in the UK to recruit 36 respondents with differing diets (vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and meat eaters) to understand their attitudes to meat consumption and the influences of public policy on their diets. The focus groups were conducted in person on the client’s premises. The groups discussed recent changes to public policy around poultry and farming conditions. The client wanted to understand if people were aware of these changes, if they had contributed to their current dietary preferences, and if they might have an influence on their future dietary choices.

Number of UK participants:

36

Research countries:

Research audience:

Research industry focus:

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International focus group market research agency

As a leading international focus group research agency, we deliver B2B and B2C studies across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australasia. We offer comprehensive focus group fieldwork services, including research planning, participant recruitment, facilitating and moderating focus groups, detailed data analysis, and reporting.

International focus groups with sports fans

Crowd of sports fans standing in a stadium cheering during a match

FieldworkHub was asked by an international marketing company to reach out to a list of respondents to take part in online focus groups, to test the concept for a new app that was designed to improve the experience and organisation of ticketed live sporting events. The client wanted four groups per market, each comprising five respondents who attended ticketed live sporting events. The respondents had previously taken part in a survey and volunteered to be recontacted. FieldworkHub was asked to reach out to these volunteers, re-screen them, organise them into different segments using a typing tool, and then arrange a focus group with each segment.

Number of international participants:

70

Research countries:

Research audience:

Research industry focus:

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What are the different types of focus group?

In-person focus groups

A single focus group has a moderator and a small group of participants who discuss the research topic. While there can sometimes be multiple moderators in the room, this is the standard setup for a single focus group.

Online focus groups

Online focus groups were the only way of conducting group research during the pandemic and they have remained very popular since. This method enables you to organise focus groups at scale.

Mini focus groups

Mini focus groups might be arranged when the potential participant pool is small, but they can also be used in a B2B setting to overcome diary challenges or gain more insight from each participant.

What are the benefits of focus groups for B2B market research?

For B2B companies, focus groups are instrumental in refining product offerings, marketing strategies, and overall business operations by providing deep insights into the needs and challenges of business clients. These discussions help uncover detailed feedback on the utility, user experience, and performance of products or services from the perspective of industry professionals.

What are benefit of focus groups for consumer market research?

Focus groups provide consumer brands with valuable qualitative data that helps them understand their audience better. By engaging directly with a group of consumers, brands can gather nuanced feedback on products, marketing strategies, and brand perception. This direct interaction facilitates a deeper understanding of consumer needs, preferences, and potential issues with current offerings.

What are the key benefits of focus group research?

Gain deep insights quickly

Explore complex behaviours

Validate hypotheses directly

Stimulate participant creativity

Adjust questions in real time

Encourage diverse viewpoints

Reveal emotional participant responses

Focus group market research FAQ

How are focus group participants selected?

Participants are chosen based on their relevance to the study's target demographic, which may include factors like age, gender, occupation, and consumer behaviour. A screener questionnaire is used to collect relevant information about potential participants to establish their suitability.

How much are focus group participants paid?

It is standard practice to offer focus group participants an incentive, i.e. a monetary reward for their time (and potential travel costs if the group is face to face). Depending on the project, the incentive may be paid in cash, by bank transfer, or as a gift certificate. The amount paid depends on the length of the session, the topic and the sponsor’s budget, but the hourly rate is typically several times the hourly minimum wage.

Where are focus groups held?

Face-to-face focus groups are usually held in a specialised market research viewing facility with one room for the respondents and the moderator, and another room for observers to view the group through a one-way mirror. If the groups are taking place in a city where no viewing facility is available, then a CCTV link may be set up between two rooms in a hotel or conference venue.

What happens during a focus group session?

Respondents are usually directed to a waiting area and offered snacks and soft drinks when they arrive for a focus group. When everyone is seated in the focus group room, the moderator will introduce themselves, explain the purpose of the group and set out any ground rules to ensure that the group runs smoothly. At this point each group member is usually invited to introduce themselves and then the discussion begins. The moderator will keep track of time and try to ensure that everyone in the group has chance to express their views. At the end of the group they will typically sum up the discussion and thank everyone for participating.

We are very satisfied with the results. Thank you for your excellent management, you were a delight to work with.

Joanna

Team Lead, European Online Retailer

Get in touch with FieldworkHub

Expert recruitment, Exceptional insights

FieldworkHub is an agile, knowledgeable market research fieldwork agency providing high-quality focus group recruitment as part of our full range of qualitative and quantitative fieldwork services.

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