Focus!

Hello. I'm Andy. This is my picture. You might suppose I read the weather or drive buses, but I don't. I'm Market Research Manager at the University of Bedfordshire and part of the wider Marketing team. Market Research is usually viewed as a poor, rather distant cousin of academic research, but provides dynamic information in support of our marketing initiatives.

This is my first post on the University’s Marketing blog. Normal service will be resumed next week. For now, it’s high time to dust off the pie charts, chuck a few pivots around, take a sneaky peak at our competitors and let you know the sort of thing we get up to in Market Research. And, perhaps, to persuade readers to take part in focus groups and help themselves to the rather enticing rewards available for an hour’s worth of time……

Market Research can very broadly be split into quantitative (quant) and qualitative (qual) research. Both are difficult to say, but both would score well in Scrabble. ‘Quant’ involves surveys, data immersion - and all the thoughtful soul searching and occasional flashes of blind terror associated with juggling huge Excel spreadsheets – qual involves talking to people, which can be even more terrifying. That's a very broad explanation; there's more

Both methods have pros and cons, although most market research problems are best approached, when possible, with a mixture. This will allow researchers to gain insight from audiences picking up on areas you hadn’t thought about (qual) and then to quantify and see how strong these feelings are across different audiences (quant). See?

Timescales and budgets don’t always allow for this two pronged approach. However, the Market Research team and a colleague from our Internal Communications team recently carried out some groups with students in Luton and Bedford in support of an online survey. We were looking, specifically, at what I’d assumed would be a limited subject - the content, display and accessibility of the Uni’s digital signage. Or “noticeboards” as I insisted on calling them to my increasingly exasperated colleague in Comms.

That’s right. Digital Signage. The merits, locations and use of. One hour. Discuss.

I prepared as best I could, mustering as much bluster, enthusiasm and stationery as I could. In anyone’s language, talking about digital signage for an hour was, I though just too focused. I’d laced the discussion guide with a few more wide-ranging questions in case things ground to an undignified, awkward halt, but still, we were really going to ask our respondents to work for their Amazon vouchers on this occasion……

But, readers, the groups not only went well, but were extremely interesting. As is often the case, there is (or are) no straight answers. No silver bullet, smoking guns, great decrees or show stopping, ground breaking insight. (A reminder, we were talking about noticeboards. Sorry, Digital Signage). The groups did, however, give the Communications team some valuable insights and pointers for future development and were more than happy to use up some of the stationery I'd bought them. 

One group member even drew some flowers. I wasn't sure and she wasn't sure why, but she did so in a supportive kind of way. She seemed to be having a nice time and wanted to let the group know. And they're nice flowers, right? Naturally, I'd've preferred a picture of football, motorbikes or rock and roll, but I was touched by the sentiment and impressed by the nifty execution.

So yes. Focus groups can be tough, for invigilators and for respondents. No doubt. And it's not always easy to tell which are going to work and which are not. But at the end of it, if all goes well, they can be enjoyable for all and provide fantastic input for the University's work. And an Amazon voucher FOR YOU, YES YOU (fill in this form if you'd like to be considered for future involvement).

If they can help improve the way we do things, then it can only be a good thing.