Benefits of Focus Groups and Group Discussions Explained When you’re building a business, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is: what do my customers really think? It’s not enough to just assume or rely on gut instinct—brands that last are the ones that listen carefully, test their ideas, and adapt. One of the most tried-and-tested ways of doing this is through focus groups (also known as group discussions or sometimes workshops). What exactly is a focus group? A focus group is a research technique where you bring together a small group of people—usually between 6 and 10 participants—who fit the profile of your target customer. They’re invited to share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences on a particular topic. This might be anything from testing reactions to a new product idea, to exploring how people feel about your latest ad campaign, to understanding everyday behaviours in a category like food, travel, or finance. These sessions are led by a trained moderator (or facilitator). Their job isn’t to lecture, but to guide the conversation in a way that keeps it relevant and insightful. Moderators use a discussion guide (a plan of topics and questions), but they also have the flexibility to dig deeper when something interesting comes up. That’s what…
