FREQUENTLY ASKED RESEARCH QUESTIONS
How many focus groups are needed to obtain useful results?
At least two focus groups are conducted with each set of listeners that have a different relationship to the program or station being studied. Almost all focus group projects have at least two of these "sub-groups" that are targeted.
For example, if a new national news and information program is being researched, two groups of different target listeners might be tested: those who listen to news and information programming more than any other on public radio [a.k.a. news imperatives], and those who listen to news and some other programming equally [a.k.a. dual imperatives]. In a situation like this, a minimum of four groups would be conducted: at least two with news imperatives, and at least two with dual imperatives.
In other situations the different groups may consist of current and former givers, men and women, several different age groups, or heavy, moderate, and light listeners to a station or program.
How much do focus groups cost?According to the 1998 survey of the Qualitative Research Consultant's Association [the most recent data available], the median cost for one typical two-hour focus group with seven to ten participants was $4,000 for a consumer group, and $5,000 for a business or professional group.
This average figure does not include videotaping, client food, travel expenses, or any extra audio-visual equipment that might be required.
Actual costs may be somewhat higher or lower, depending upon the target audience, location, and total number of the groups to be conducted. These figures are simply provide a guideline.
In some cases, the cost-per-group may be slightly less if a large number of focus groups will be conducted in one location or as part of a single project.
Some stations and producers shy away from research because of the costs. Market Trends Research often completes projects below this industry average cost, and can suggest ways to reduce research expenses without harming the results.
How many surveys are needed to obtain valid results?This is a complex question for which there is no simple answer. The number of surveys required generally depends upon two factors:
- The precision required in the results: How precise do survey results need to be? For example, if a survey indicates that 68% of your like a new program, is it acceptable for that figure to be precise to within plus or minus 10%? [This means that between 58% and 78% of listeners actually like the new program.] Is 7% acceptable, or is greater precision such as plus or minus 5%, or 3%, necessary? How the results will be applied generally determines the level of precision required, and the total number of surveys that need to be completed.
- The number of different groups included in the study: Many survey results need to be examined in detail by calculating the results for several different groups. These might include separate results for men and women, older and younger age groups, or core and fringe listeners. While the results for the entire survey may be accurate to within plus or minus 5%, the accuracy for each of these "sub-groups" might only be plus or minus 10%. For many projects, this is not acceptable, and additional surveys must be completed to increase the precision of the results for all sub-groups.
The more precision that is required and the more different groups to be included in the study, the more surveys that will be required to successfully complete a project. Market Trends Research will explain the options and assist in choosing the sample size that best satisfies your objectives.
Costs for surveys vary greatly, much more so than for focus groups. The cost is influenced by: the number of surveys to be administered, the target audiences, whether a survey will be conducted by mail or telephone, the length of a survey, the level of accuracy required, whether a list must be purchased to locate respondents, and several other factors.
As a general guideline, expect the total cost of an accurate and relatively brief survey to be in the vicinity of $10,000.
How to decide whether to conduct a survey, focus groups, or both?
Why shouldn't a station conduct their own surveys or focus groups?Conducting quality market research requires skill, experience, objectivity, and time. Market research is a profession. Most non-researchers do not have the skill and experience in developing the questions and analyzing research results. Research questions that are poorly worded cause misleading, inaccurate results.
Furthermore, the management and employees of a station, or a program producer, often do not bring the necessary objectivity to the research, nor do they have the time to set up, conduct, input data, and analyze the research results.
In defending a lawsuit, stations would not attempt to represent themselves in court. In a tax audit, most businesses would not choose to face the IRS alone. All businesses, and radio stations, depend on professional service providers with the knowledge, experience, and objectivity to represent them in such important matters.
Since research results often have a major impact on a station's audience service, it makes sense to depend on a knowledgeable, experienced, objective professional to perform critical market research studies.
Good research is an investment, not an expense.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of online research?Please click here for a detailed look at the advantages and disadvantages of online research.
When conducting focus groups, what advantages does an independent market research company offer?Retaining an independent, full-service firm like Market Trends Research to conduct and analyze your focus groups offers several advantages over a focus group facility that utilizes moderators on their staff.
- Since we are not tied to one facility, Market Trends Research can select the focus group site(s) whose location, accessibility, experience, and cost best fit the needs of the project.
- As an independent, full-service firm, Market Trends Research conducts focus groups around the country. This is especially important if a project requires groups to be conducted in more than one location. Moderators and analysts employed by a focus group facility may not enjoy this flexibility and may not be able to conduct your project in different cities or at different times.
- If a project requires follow-up in the future, Market Trends Research will be there. Our company has been around since 1985, and will be there in the future. Moderators and analysts employed by a specific focus group facility may not be available. The may be working on other projects, may have left the company, or may no longer be in the market research business!
- The structure of many research companies forces them to spread the overhead costs of their entire facility across each project, whether or not a client uses all their services! No one wants to pay for services they do not use. With Market Trends Research, you pay only for the research services your company needs.
- Some university-affiliated stations may be tempted to reduce their costs by utilizing professors or graduate students to conduct their research. Certainly, there are some very skilled researchers working in academia. However, few of these individuals have a working knowledge of public radio, its programs, its listeners, and how they use the medium. Many stations have found it necessary to 'educate' academic researchers about these matters. This often requires considerable time or results in research results that are not focused or actionable. For researching public radio, why not employ an experienced public radio research professional?
These are some of the research questions that we hear frequently. Have a question that is not answered on our Web site? E-mail us, or call Market Trends Research Inc. at (727) 784-0967.
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