New research methods can save you from focus groups

Stop me if you've heard my rant on the evil power of focus groups to lead you astray about what donors are thinking.

Instead, go (right now, if you have any focus group research in your plans) to The Future of Consumer Research in Inc.com:

The pressure-cooker atmosphere of a group of strangers in an unfamiliar setting, combined with questions skewed to obtain answers favorable toward a product, is often a dangerous (if not deadly) concoction. Over the years, countless products that should never have been introduced made it to market, and vice-versa.

The article points out some new research methods, including internet research panels, conversation groups immersion groups, and ethnography. Some of the business world is catching on to these better ways of knowing what people think, and they're making better decisions as a result.

I might add one more method. It's much older and lower-tech, but it's an amazingly accurate way your donors: Direct response testing. It's incapable of lying. What donors do in response to actual direct marketing efforts is information you can take to the bank.

Technorati Tags: market research, focus groups

Comments

[anne]

What do you think about using focus groups as a means of getting face to faces with donors? Many donor prospects shy away from coming to a meeting, even if it's not a solicitation meeting, but people may respond better to something less focused just on them that's in more of a group setting. I tend to consider every face to face or phone conversation I can get with a donor as a mini-focus group in that what I hear from people helps to shape the methods and trends that I use. Instead of using a focus group in terms of changing internal marketing strategies I see focus groups as one of the many tools in my relationship building tool box.

[Jeff Brooks]

Talking to donors in a group (or any) setting is a great thing to do. The problem with focus groups is two-fold: First, it's a highly artificial setting. It's so weird, you're virtually inviting weird responses. But much, much worse than that is what is typically done with what's said at focus groups: It's treated as research. It's as if 12 people eating dry ham sandwiches while being asked oddball questions and trying to forget the spooky hidden audience behind the giant mirror represent what all donors think. It doesn't. It doesn't even tell much about what those 12 think.

If you want to meet with donors and build relationships with them (which is a very good idea), I'd suggest meeting in a pub, a home, or some other natural and convivial setting.

I appreciate your comment.