How do focus groups work? - Hector Lanz

譯者: Angela Hung 審譯者: 庭芝 梁

為什麼我們會選擇 特定的產品或品牌呢？

Why do we buy certain products or choose certain brands?

This is the sort of question advertisers have always asked,

廣告商總是在問這類的問題，

and there are no easy answers.

但這並沒有簡單的解答。

However, there is a handy tool that helps companies explore this

然而，有個很棒的工具，

能幫助公司探討並了解這類問題，

and similar questions,

and it's called the focus group.

稱之為「焦點團體訪談法」。

直到 1940 年代為止， 市場調查幾乎都以量化方式為主，

Until the 1940s, market research was often quantitative

使用銷售圖表和顧客問卷 來追蹤消費行為。

using things like sales figures and customer polls to track consumption.

But this changed during World War II.

但這在二次世界大戰中 開始有所轉變。

Sociologists Robert Merton and Paul Lazarsfeld

社會學家羅伯特·默頓 和保羅·拉扎斯菲爾德

set out to learn how unprecedented exposure to wartime propaganda

想了解過去未曾出現的 戰時宣傳內容

如何對大眾產生影響。

was affecting the public.

Instead of polling large numbers of people

他們並沒有採用大量問卷，

with straightforward questions and quantifiable answers,

以簡單直接的問題 去得到可量化的答案；

the researchers conducted in-person interviews,

而是改由研究人員 採取面對面的訪談，

sometimes with small groups,

有時也會用小組方式

讓他們進行更開放的討論。

engaging them in more open discussions.

Later, this method was picked up by the advertising industry

後來，在顧問們的幫助下 這個方法被廣告業所採用，

with the help of consultants,

like Austrian-born psychologist Ernest Dichter,

像是奧地利心理學家 內斯特·迪希特

who first coined the term focus group.

他是最早使用 「焦點團體訪談法」這個名稱的人。

這個新的方法 屬於質化研究的一種，

This new technique was a type of qualitative research

focused on the nature of people's preferences and thoughts.

聚焦於人們 真正的喜好和想法上。

It couldn't tell marketers what percentage of people buy a certain product or brand,

它無法告訴廣告商，有多少比例的人 會買某樣商品或品牌，

but it could tell them more about the people who do,

但它可以告訴他們 是哪些人會買，

their reasoning for doing so,

以及他們購買的背後原因，

and even the unconscious motivations behind those reasons.

甚至是這些原因背後 更深層的動機。

Rather than providing definite conclusions for business and sales,

比起為營運和銷售提供確切的結論，

focus groups would be used for exploratory research,

焦點團體訪問法 更適合用在探索型研究上，

generating new ideas for products

來為產品提供新的點子，

and marketing based on deeper understanding of consumer habits.

深入了解並且根據消費者行為， 進行行銷活動。

For example, early focus groups found that contrary to popular opinion at the time,

例如，早期的焦點團體發現：

與當時民眾普遍的觀點相反，

wives often had more influence than their husbands when choosing which car to buy,

太太對於先生選擇購買車輛 其實有更高程度的影響，

so Chrysler shifted gears by marketing cars directly to women.

所以克萊斯勒公司 轉而向女仕們行銷汽車。

And Dr. Dichter himself conducted focus groups for Mattel

而迪希特博士也為美泰爾公司 舉行焦點團體訪談，

to learn what girls wanted in a doll.

來了解女孩們想要什麼樣的娃娃。

The result was the original Barbie doll.

研究結果成為當時 芭比娃娃的設計原型。

So how does a focus group work?

那麼，焦點團體訪談法 是如何運作的呢？

First, companies recruit between six and ten participants

首先，公司根據特定條件 篩選適合研究主題的對象，

according to specific criteria that meet their research objectives.

並招募六到十位參與者。

They could be mothers of children between five and seven,

這些人可能是 擁有五到七歲小孩的媽媽，

or teenagers planning to buy a new phone in the next three months.

或是計畫在三個月內 要購買新手機的青少年。

This is often done through professional recruiters who manage lists of people

參與者是「專業研究招募員」找來的， 他們的手上掌握許多受試者名單，

who've agreed to participate in focus groups for payment or other rewards.

有些民眾會為了酬勞或其他獎勵 而同意加入受試者名單。

During a session, participants are asked to respond to various prompts

在訪談過程中，參與者需要回應

由團體主持人所提出的問題，

from the group moderator,

like sharing their opinions on a certain product,

例如分享他們對某項產品的意見，

or their emotional reactions to an advertisement.

或是他們看到 某則廣告時的情緒反應。

They may even be asked to do seemingly unrelated tasks,

他們甚至可能被要求 進行一些看似無關的任務，

like imagining brands as animals in a zoo.

例如將品牌想像成 動物園裡的動物。

The idea is that this can reveal useful information

因為這麼做能獲得

關於參與者感受的有用資訊，

about the participant's feelings

that traditional questions might not get to.

而這是傳統的問題無法得到的。

除了這些基本方法外， 還有許多不同的變化。

Beyond these basics, many variations are possible.

A focus group may have two or more moderators

一場焦點團體訪談 可以有兩位以上的主持人，

perhaps taking opposite sides on a question,

針對問題的不同面向進行詢問，

or a researcher might be hidden in the focus group

或是可能會有研究人員 在其他參與者不知情下，

unknown to other participants to see how their answers can be influenced.

藏身於焦點團體中， 看看他們的答案是否會受人影響。

And the whole process may also be observed by researchers

研究員也可能透過單向透視玻璃，

through a one-way mirror.

觀察整個過程。

But although they can provide valuable insight,

雖然焦點團體法 能提供有價值的洞見，

focus groups do have their limitations,

卻也有一些限制，

and one of the main ones is that the simple act of observing something

主要之一就是， 即使只有簡單的觀察行為，

can change it.

也可能改變結果，

This principle is called observer interference.

這個原理稱之為「觀察者效應」。

The answers participants give

參與者所提供的答案

are likely to be affected by the presence of the researchers,

很可能因為研究人員的存在，

來自團體成員的社會壓力，

social pressure from the rest of the group,

or simply knowing that they're taking part in a focus group.

或是受試者知道 自己正參加焦點團體而受到影響。

加上研究者往往是在特定的情境下 使用小量的樣本，

And because researchers often use a small sample size in a specific setting,

it's hard to generalize their results.

因此結果很難類推到其他情況。

The findings that researchers do reach from focus groups

研究員從焦點團體中得到的結果，

are often tested through experiments and data gathering.

常會進行深入的實驗 或是蒐集進一步的資料。

Those put numbers on questions like how many potential customers there are

這是為了更精確掌握問題， 像是有多少潛在顧客、

and what price they'd be willing to pay.

他們願意花多少錢消費。

This part of the process changes as technology evolves.

這個後續的研究階段， 隨著科技進步而有所改變。

But focus groups have remained largely the same for decades.

但幾十年來，焦點團體的 進行方式大致不變。

Perhaps when it comes to the big, important questions,

也許當我們想要瞭解 真正重要的問題時，

there's no substitute for people genuinely interacting with each other.

人與人之間真摯的互動 仍然是無可取代的。