FOCUS GROUPS - any experience of these?

bud-miser

I'm none too sure as to which forum I needed for this one but 'freebies' seems as good as any.

I recall seeing someone saying a while ago that it was possible to sign up for commercially-run 'focus groups', with reasonable money being paid for your attendance. A market research tool, I would guess.

I have a fair amount of time I could spare for this and would certainly be interested.

Any details, please?

ayla261

i took part in an online focus group for 'ciao' surveys, took 1hr, got paid £30, was quite enjoyable experience

MBN

Saros Research do focus groups. I'm registered with them, but have never been selected so far, so don't have any information about the actual experience of participating in one of their focus groups. They pay a reasonable sum (at least £30 for a two-hour discussion), and you can also recommend people, and you'll get some money for doing this too (£10, if I'm not mistaken). The downside is that you are only allowed to participate in maximum 2 focus groups a year.

http://www.sarosresearch.com/alternativeindex.html

HTH

purply

Hi,

I have conducted many focus groups over the last few years (i was involved in academic/community type work). The focus groups were used to glean a variety of perspectives on a particular issues. I would then write up my findings in the form of an academic paper or a report.
But fundamentally, all focus groups are the same-you come together to discuss an issue.

Its just like a having a conversation about your experiences, your attitudes, your feelings etc around a table (although structured). Ive not had any experience of online focus groups though.

They usually take about an hour to an hour and a half. The advantages of having a focus group is that the researcher can get the insights of a number of people at any one time rather than do individual interviews.
If you feel like you will have something to contribute, you'll enjoy it.

max2002ad

I have been on one focus group so far and in the near future hopefully a lot more. The focus groups are great because you spend a couple of hours talking about a particular subject. I got paid £25 for 1.5 hrs work.
It was held by a local company so the best advice i have found and have followed is to get in contact with research companies listed in the phone book.

bud-miser

Hi Max

I'm local to you in Cheltenham. I'm quite interested in what you've said, particularly since most of the focus group activity appears to take place in London and, as usual, the London mafia seem to believe that London = UK and we're all a tube ride from Trafalgar Square!

Any more detail you can give? Did you find the research company in the Gloucester phone book, then?

GeDink

Hi,
I regularly get invited for focus groups but I can't always attend. I always get an email from the company asking if I know of anyone else willing to participate, (I post these in the referrers board section) for instance, the last focus group I was invited to attend, the person attending the focus group got paid £50 plus up to £20 travel expenses and I received £10 for inviting them - unfortunately I didn't fill the criteria (grrr could of done with £70 too!), a couple of people pm'd me their name and number and I did pass this onto the company involved. All I can say is keep an eye on the referrers board for this type of thing.

max2002ad

I was lucky and they contacted me but after the focus group i got their card and also sent them an email to butter them up.
i will send you a pm with the details when i can find their card.

bud-miser

Cheers friend. Much appreciated.

klondyke

MBN wrote:

Saros Research do focus groups. I'm registered with them, but have never been selected so far, so don't have any information about the actual experience of participating in one of their focus groups. They pay a reasonable sum (at least £30 for a two-hour discussion), and you can also recommend people, and you'll get some money for doing this too (£10, if I'm not mistaken). The downside is that you are only allowed to participate in maximum 2 focus groups a year.

http://www.sarosresearch.com/alternativeindex.html

HTH

I have been to several Saros Focus groups, though this was a couple of years ago and demand for my presence has dried up for a while! Still, they were great fun and paid anything from £30 to £50 plus refreshments while there.
Although you are officially only allowed to do 2 groups per year (so they get a variety of people) they occasionally get desparate and if you fit the desparation criteria, they waive the rule!

Don't be offeneded if you don't make it - the screening questions are to find out if you fit the bill of their client, like whether you use (or avoid) a particular brand of toothpaste or whatever. (But they won't ask that question directly, so they don't get 'yes people' coming for the dosh, but not having anything useful to say about the product.)

bud-miser

Thanks for that, Klondyke.... and I have more than a sneaking suspicion that Saros operates only in London. Would you be able to confirm that? We hicks in the sticks would never get a look-in...