I was thinking back on my last post ... and asking myself will blogs kill focus groups? I hope not, as that will mean I am out of business as a conventional qualitative researcher :).
And I think not. Because, while both can be research tools, the differences in the nature of these tools is intrinsic to the conversations they foster.
Because, especially in a country like India, a large portion of the 'consuming' population is still not online.
Because, often the focus group is treated as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. Many times, focus groups and quantitative surveys are hijacked by internal clientpolitics, and researchers are not really given the freedom to becreative. A simple example, advertising agency has created two ad concepts, marketing manager likes one, VP marketing like the other .. in two days flat, select the winner doing a couple of groups! QADR again.
Because blogs are conversations on the other hand, between customers, often between marketer and customers - they are emergent and may go off on tangents, as they encourage the telling of stories. Which sadly not all focus group moderators encourage especially when the client is breathing over them from the viewing room. Or because they just don't work hard at getting to the true heart of the matter. Which sadly, some clients feel are inconsequential, especially when they are just 'hearing' what they want to hear, to justify either their position or their boss's.
Because its easier to 'trust' what a researcher recommends based on physical evidence of focus groups (tapes, DVD, transcripts), rather than trust her ability to foster or analyze blog conversations.
Because many times, focus groups are intentionally set up as a conversation between the moderator and 8 respondents - we even call them respondents and not participants! Whereas blogs are conversations across people, where both the questions and the answers come from participants.
Because focus groups are more controlled - usually recruited purposively, with stringent demographic and psychographic criteria, controlled by questionnaires and field supervision - more a perception really, as practitioners we know there is no absolute verification method, and enhanced by one of the largest criticisms against focus groups - that the participant may not always be honest, as there is peer pressure that affects the expression of real behaviour and feelings.
Because blog conversations are viral on the other hand, and often there is no way of 'checking' back on the demographics. Its difficult for an 'outsider' (read marketer who isn't into blogging) to trust this conversation then, although some smart marketers believe, "bloggers' unsolicited opinions and offhand comments are a source of invaluable insights that are hard to get elsewhere".
I think I have sufficiently confused the issue .. which one is better at an absolute level - I don't know. Still, I don't think blogs will kill focus groups. I see blogs as playing a large role in supplementing and complementing the information or data gathered around a certain subject. They are ongoing focus groups in real time. Nielsen BuzzMetrics and other blog monitoring services seem to be doing just that, but they are not cheap. Some call Technorati the focus group of the web.
What do you feel?
Focus Groups,Qualitative Research Market Research, Research Methods,Blogs
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