Focus Group Moderator's Guide Development

Client:Amazon

Research Objective:Amazon is interested in finding out (1) the best new features to include in next year's Fire tablet as well as (2) the key message points that will differentiate the upgraded Fire tablet from competitive offerings.

Develop a brief moderator's guide that willwork to address your chosen client's research objective. Moderator's guide should include the following components.

1. Introduction(should include the role of moderator, purpose of the session, and ground rules).
2. Ice breaker activity(should incorporate research topic in some way).
3. Series ofopen-ended questionsto elicit conversation among participants.
4. Two-threefocus group activitiesfrom Chapter 4 (listed below). Activities should be fleshed out with specific instructions for participants. Appropriate questions for the group should follow each activity.Remember, the purpose of activities is to spark group conversation.
5. Moderator and note taker instructionsin brackets [] throughout. This includes activity instructions for moderator as well as reminders to prompt and probe certain questions.

Activity: Description

Cartoons: Participants develop stories and conversations around pictures, often featuring ambiguous characters engaged in conversation.

Collages: Participants assemble photos or other objects that represent their thoughts and feelings.

Storytelling: Participants make up a story, often about a fictional consumer experiencing the product or service being discussed.

Surveys: Participants take a short survey on the topic at hand and discuss why results among the group are similar or different.If you use this activity, include the survey questions in your moderator's guide.

Usability tests: Usability testing refers to participants interacting with a product or service by testing it with representative users. Typically, participants are asked to complete tasks given by the moderator while observers watch, listen and take notes.

Voting: Participants vote on concepts or solutions and discuss the outcome.

Word association: Participants provide the first thoughts that come to mind in reaction to a stimulus, such as an advertising concept.