Media & Marketing Research

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Research: Luxury or Insurance Policy?

(June 27, 2001) What are some of the first things eliminated when the budget needs to be cut? Overtime, research, mar-keting, free sodas and the holiday party — you’ve all been there. But I wondered, “Are we really saving money? Or are we jeopardizing our product, espe-cially when we cut back on research?”

To help answer that question, I offered this sample dilemma to several radio- and research-industry professionals: Since our station has not been making budget this year, our research dollars have been eliminated. We are gearing up for the launch of a new billboard campaign in October. Is there any way we can conduct a focus group or test our campaign in-house without spending too much money?

MARCELLA NELSON, BEDFORD RESEARCH
(WWW.BEDFORDGRP.COM)
A focus group is not a research tool that should be implemented when budgets are limited. While groups can provide invaluable information, a single group is not statistically reliable due to the small sample size. You would need to conduct a series of groups to obtain a concrete picture and a greater degree of reliability.

Additionally, focus groups can be pricey. The cost of recruiting, obtaining a facility, providing followup and incentives, hiring a moderator, catering, etc., can add up. That is why many people are tempted to cut corners.

Ideally, moderators should be unconnected to your organization. Great care has to be taken to ensure that moderators remain neutral in the manner and form of the questions they pose. Decide beforehand if you really want a focus group, where ideas flow one way from the group to the moderator, or a round-table discussion, where the moderator would have a more interactive role.

Ideally, your location should not influence the sample. If you conduct a group at your station, respondents may be more inclined to respond favorably about the station. They’ll feel that you invited them, introduced them to their favorite air personality and fed them, so they owe you something.

A mailed survey, done in-house, or survey conducted at a station event would be more cost-effective ways to test your campaign than focus groups. I would consider those preliminary activities that would provide top-line information that could be explored at a later date (when the budget allows) by using another instrument, such as a focus group or a telephone survey.

Contact Marcella Nelson at research@bedfordgrp.com.

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