Time of Death? Not So Fast Since about 2010, there has been a chorus among detractors that focus groups are dead. One article written by a consultant even said that within five years focus groups “…as I have known them will not exist.” 1  This author suggested that social media will be responsible for the focus group demise. She qualifies…

Apple Computers described empathy as the fundamental principle of their brand DNA in the early 1980s. The “Apple Marketing Philosophy”, an internal memo, stated that Apple would truly understand customer needs “better than any other company.”  Since that time, empathy has become a popular buzzword across the tech and market research industries. But what is empathy? Is it a skill set?…

Next is Susan Fader in our Moderators’ Voice Series!  She joins Zoe Dowling for a chat on Focus Groups. The Players Susan Fader, Insight Navigator, Qualitative Researcher, Moderator & Strategist Zoe Dowling, Lead Research Strategist, Focus Vision The Set-Up What happens when two qualitative veterans sit down and talk shop? The room suddenly becomes a perfect fly-on-the-wall venue for other…

Oh, the maligned focus group. Misused, devalued, the butt of jokes, then thrown out to dry. But they’re not crying for themselves so why are we crying for them? In my twenty years of doing strategy work for brands, it’s true – I have been doing fewer focus groups, but not because they have no value. It’s just that before…

The focus group. It’s one of the most commonly used qualitative approaches, employed across the full spectrum of industries and research questions. Its venerable origins date back nearly eight decades. Yet it also has a troubled past; frequently the butt of jokes and suggestions, while its future is subject to regular calls predicting its death.  Given all the recent talk…