An Emoji for Your Thoughts: Confessions from Online Focus Group Converts
Written by Savannah Daugherty and Faith Vickery.
Let us start by saying, we didn’t believe in online focus groups. So far in our careers, we’d really only had experience with in-person groups, where you can more easily read body chemistry, tone, and energy when you’re sitting right across from someone. It’s easier to spark rapid fire conversation and build on exciting ideas through the in-person energy of others.
But, we’re “yes and” kind of people. So when COVID-19 started, we said, yes! We can do it online, no matter how complicated.
Taste test?
Of course.
Co-creation with singers, artists, and chefs?
Sure!
Social media usability?
Duh!
Obviously, we couldn’t do a taste test, and co-creation seemed impossible to pull off online, but the underlying business questions couldn’t wait, so we got creative. We worked closely with innovation, marketing, and product development to create online stimuli that approximated sensorial experiences, and we leveraged online collaboration tools that go way beyond the typical “Zoom” sessions. And frankly, we’re surprised by how well it’s turned out.
There are some unexpected benefits above and beyond traditional in-person groups: people are a little more willing to share behind a screen and in the comfort of their own home, and you can structure sessions in flexible ways, combining online journaling and moderated video conversations with innovative tech tools.
But the most interesting for us, was to see the unexpected benefits for clients:
More FUN: First of all, it’s weirdly and unexpectedly FUN, in the way that a virtual happy hour is strangely fun.
More comfortable: There’s no comparison between a sterile focus group facility and the comfort of your own home where you can control the temperature, get up and stretch, sit on a couch instead of an old unergonomic office chair, which is all probably partially why it’s more fun.
More room for the party: There’s not a limited number of chairs or backroom space, so more stakeholders can participate, and don’t have to travel to do so.
No noise police: Stakeholders don’t have to “keep it down” or resist the urge to throw a tomato at the two-way mirror (though we don’t advise you throw a tomato at your computer).
Lights on: As an observer, you’re not sitting in the dark, and it’s not awkward if you have to get a snack, run to the bathroom, or check your email.
Probe in the moment: There’s no passing of notes to the moderator and no need to wait until the end of the group for probes and questions.
A penny for your thoughts (or an emoji): The backroom chat stream creates an automatic record of the conversation. Everyone can “hear” what everyone else says and can react through comments and even emojis, which allows for quick alignment. It also gives an opportunity for quieter clients to chime in more easily than if they were in person.
Open door policy: Stakeholders can pop in and out and can quickly get caught up by skimming the backroom chat thread.
But the benefits require planning and experience. Online is not a one-to-one replacement for in-person qualitative. And we’ve definitely had missteps and learned from those mistakes. It’s important to allow ample time for A/V checks, the awkwardness of online conversation, and the inevitable tech failures, and it’s key to find creative ways to re-screen and build trust before you even start the group, so you can hit the ground running with the right people.
There’s so much more to online groups than meets the eye: from adding logistical support to adjusting moderating style and guide flow and sometimes even entirely reimagining the approach. While we, like all of us, are struggling with the stay-at-home restrictions, we’re excited to see what else we can do while we’re stuck online and what opportunities this might open in the future.