It is during tough times that consumers are forced to make decisions about what really matters to them.  It is important that companies and organizations stay on top of what they choose and WHY they choose it.

Focus Groups are the traditional “why” tool – and a great way to actually see your customers discussing their choices and the reasons for the decisions they are making.  

So how can you continue to do the Focus Groups you need now that the budget has been cut?   Some ideas worth considering:

n       Smaller groups.  Every Focus Group moderator will tell you that smaller groups equal more in-depth knowledge because there is more time to explore the issues.  Since recruiting and incentives are a major part of the Focus Group budget, going from 11 people to 7 in a group can knock quite a bit off the cost.

n       Several groups in one day.  Most focus group facilities charge by the day.  If you do three rather than two on the same day, the room cost is often the same. 

n       Watch the catering costs.  You pretty much have to feed the respondents, but you may want to consider scaling back on viewer meals.  Room costs generally include all types of soft drinks and snacks like pretzels and M&Ms.  But the client meals are catered at a per person cost.  If you are flying all day to get to the groups, this may be the best thing.  But if your groups are in your home city, you and the other viewers may want to hit the drive-through on your way and do a “take in”.

I wouldn’t recommend:

n       Substituting on-line groups for Focus Groups.  On-line groups are great for some projects, but they are not a direct substitute for in-person sessions.  You lose all of the spontaneity, body language and unedited remarks.  These are too important to lose when you are looking at the reasons people make decisions.

n       Combining several segments into a single group.  This tends to defeat the purpose.  Instead of getting a good picture of one segment, you get a fuzzy picture of more than one. 

My number one recommendation – Talk to your moderator and be honest about your budget.  We have some negotiating power with suppliers since we use them regularly.  And we know how much these services cost around the country and which corners can best be cut without sacrificing quality!