Three ways to run packaging research without classic face-to-face focus groups

With the current disruption to the qual world, it’s not looking feasible to do focus groups for packaging research in the near future. However, various online research methods are an increasingly viable alternative.

Packaging research may be designed to elicit feedback on design routes or formats, such as shelf visibility and impact. It may also include, or be solely devoted to, pack messaging and hierarchy. Whatever the purpose, it’s important that the results include participants’ emotional reactions as well as their considered or rational responses to designs and messages.  These are central to the consumer purchase decision-making process, after all.

With face-to-face focus groups the moderator sees participants’ instant reactions through their non-verbal communications, especially facial expressions and physical stance.  So how can such instant reactions be captured online?

 Here’s the low down on three different online methods.

1. Real-time Zoom focus groups

Seemingly the most obvious alternative to face-to-face focus groups is real-time Zoom focus groups.  This method allows participants to visually engage with each other and with the moderator. In addition, the moderator can show pack shots to the group and observe participants’ instant reactions.

There are issues with this method, however. Firstly, Zoom groups are not as spontaneous or informal as face-to-face groups, so the engagement between participants is not as natural or free-flowing.

Secondly, it is relatively trickier to moderate more than 3-4 participants at a time in a Zoom focus group. This means, ideally, running two such groups to replace one face-to-face group with 8 participants. This adds cost and time, and still does not faithfully emulate the dynamics of an 8 person face-to-face group.

Thirdly, such groups can suffer from practical or technical problems with log in, or audio and video. So generally these groups benefit from an additional team member to manage potential tech issues.  

2. Bulletin board focus groups

An alternative to video groups is to undertake so-called asynchronous online focus groups. These are otherwise known as bulletin board focus groups, or BBFGs.

With a BBFG the questions and answers are posted in writing, although images, videos and other types of digital file can also be included. They run over several days, and, if the moderator chooses, participants can read each other’s answers, and comment on them. In addition, the moderator can comments and probe around detail or clarification and/or adjust original discussion frameworks in line with emerging understanding.

BBFGs typically have up to 30 participants, and they benefit from giving participants time to think about the subject in detail and to look at and consider packaging designs without feeling under time pressure.

However, with BBFGs the moderator cannot see participants’ ‘real time’ reactions to pack shots, and participants will not engage with each other to the same extent as in real-time focus groups. It is possible though to ask participants to write down instant reactions. This can be time controlled so they only have a few seconds, and are more instinctive rather than over-thinking their response.

In terms of the reduced group interaction, it could be argued that this is not essential to packaging research as, in the real world, most decisions are made individually and instinctively at shelf, or in response to media imagery such as online banner ads.

Bulletin board focus groups are a genuine, proven alternative to focus groups, and they work well for packaging research.  They are also cost-effective and fast to set up and run.  However, there is a third alternative to consider.

3. Deepr Digital Insight Panels

These are structurally similar to online surveys, except that there are typically more open-ended (and fewer closed) questions in the discussion framework.  Typically sample sizes would also be smaller than for quantitative research, although large by qualitative research standards (say 40+).

In addition, qualitative surveys are administered rather than self-administered.  Deepr Panel study software is programmed to control the speed at which (some or all) questions are shown to respondents. With a self-administered quant survey it is the respondents who decide how quickly or slowly they work through the questionnaire.

Such time controls either encourage respondents to stop and think about their answers, or may be used to force respondents to give instant, more instinctive responses.

Other programming measures can also be used within the online questionnaire to elicit good quality answers, including our unique AI enabled Virtual Moderator for probing.

Digital Insight Panels are fast and inexpensive compared with other forms of packaging research, not least because of the ready availability of sample, without compromising the quality of results.

Whilst with qualitative surveys there is not the visual contact between moderator and participants that comes with face-to-face focus groups, they can nevertheless elicit both emotional and considered reactions to packaging designs and have considerable flexibility in terms of length of Study interview.

For example, for a packaging research study aiming to determine which messages should be on front of pack, and how they compare to each other in relative importance to consumers, such research may only take 10 minutes of participants’ time, which is ideal for a Digital Insight Panel study. It is then possible to gain the ‘real time’ nuance by subsequently inviting a subset of Panellists to record and upload videos after the survey or to take part in online depth-interviews, undertaken by video calling through, for example, WhatsApp.

We both deliver and appreciate the strengths of traditional face-to-face focus groups, and know the value they can bring for clients. But especially in these socially distanced times there are genuine online alternative methodologies, which have their own particular strengths and which can adapt and ‘dig’ in innovative ways. Intelligent and adaptive ways to fit with the ‘new normal’ reality facing the research industry.