Focus Groups in Asia

How Focus Groups Work

Usually an incentive or compensation is given after participating in a Focus Group.  While you will not be compensated for filling out this Focus Group mailing list sign up, everyone who is chosen and actually participates in one of our groups or interviews does receive a monetary incentive for their time and insights, plus it is fun!

We primarily conduct Focus Groups in China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Focus groups in Asia uncover key insights into:

• customer satisfaction
• purchasing processes
• testing of new product ideas
• preferences of local consumers
• unmet customer needs in Asian markets
• other key factors

Focus Groups Deliver Insights

Focus groups in Asia are used by corporations interested in entering and expanding in Asian markets. This methodology can gather key information on consumer perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors about the company’s products and services that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

To explore market opportunities by employing focus groups in Asia, companies generally identify the intended target market and recruit a representative sample of people from that market. This sample is subsequently gathered for a mediated debate conducted by a trained facilitator. 

Throughout the discussion, the moderator will pose a number of questions tailored to elicit consumer perceptions regarding the product or service being offered. Then, feedback from the focus groups will reveal key insights and trends concerning the market opportunity and the entry strategy. 

This insight provides invaluable data for the company as it will be able to enter the market without taking unnecessary risks and with a profound study of the local market.

Types of Focus Groups

In-person focus groups

An in-person focus group is a qualitative research methodology, in which we bring 8–10 respondents to discuss their opinions. It allows clients to understand behavior, attitudes, and preferences.  A moderator guides the flow of the discussion, ensuring that the client’s key questions are being raised during the focus group.  

In Asian markets, focus groups are widely applied to collect data and opinions on the particular consumer behavior, advertising opportunities, and buyer preferences of the main Asian markets such as China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. 

However, the focus group methodology slightly varies by country and culture to adapt to local nuances and provide an adequate and timely analysis for companies. In any case, the moderator is an expert in the local culture and will lead the debate to ensure the most relevant data for a successful market entry.

Online Focus Groups

An online focus group is a new approach that enables respondents to discuss with the moderator via audio, video, or chat.  

It is a qualitative research technique used to gather information about a wide range of products and services based on the opinions of local consumers online. Respondents will discuss over the Internet a specific topic and provide key insights into the preferences of Asian consumers. The discussion is also facilitated by a moderator, who leads the focus group and stimulates participants to engage in the discussion and share their thoughts and experiences. 

This type of focus group is beneficial for specialized topics such as patients of healthcare conditions, B2B market research, and other technical niche projects and they provide multiple advantages, including:

• Convenience: Online focus groups are conducted remotely and participants can be in different locations, providing a broader cross-section of the population.
• Value for money: Online focus groups may be less expensive than in-person focus groups since they don’t entail physical venue rental and logistical costs.
• Time-saving: Online focus groups are recorded and the results can be subsequently analyzed and customers may monitor them in real-time. 

Nevertheless, online focus groups pose some limitations including a lack of non-verbal signals and products that involve a sensory experience like food that cannot be studied in depth. Therefore, the strategy to research the market must be previously discussed depending on the industry, product, or service to analyze.

Benefits of Focus Groups

The main advantages of conducting focus groups in Asia are:

• Detailed market insights: Our focus groups in Asia enable in-depth exploration of a topic and deliver a wealth of knowledge and information about consumer attributes and behaviors.

• Multiple perspectives: By bringing together a wide range of respondents, SIS International’s focus groups offer a variety of viewpoints to pinpoint key trends in a given market or industry.

• Cost-effective: Our focus group sessions are a resource-efficient approach to collecting large amounts of quality data in a short amount of time for your market entry strategy.

• Flexibility: Focus groups in Asia are employed to examine a broad range of subjects to understand the local market.

• Professional facilitators: SIS has trained focus group facilitators to direct the discussion and make sure that all participants are kept on track and heard.

• State-of-the-art technologies: SIS employs modern technologies such as web-based platforms and videoconferencing to conduct focus groups in Asia. These technologies are especially helpful when it is challenging to gather participants in person or when numerous participants are required to conduct a successful focus group session.