Moderating to the Max: A Full‐tilt Guide to Creative, Insightful Focus Groups and Depth Interviews

Citation

Gonçalves, K.P. (2005), "Moderating to the Max: A Full‐tilt Guide to Creative, Insightful Focus Groups and Depth Interviews", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 107-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760510589271

Moderating to the Max is a light, easy‐to‐read book about moderating consumer focus groups and individual interviews (IDIs), with the emphasis on focus groups. I have been conducting/moderating both business‐to‐business and consumer IDIs and focus groups for well over 20 years, and this is one of the first books on moderating that is worth keeping for future reference. The authors include a broad range of ideas, many of which will be familiar to experienced researchers. However, even the well‐known techniques are worth reviewing, because the authors have provided enough “how‐to” information on each to act as a refresher for those of us who do not use all of these on a regular basis. They also discuss the settings in which each is appropriate, and provide substitute ideas for when your “ideal” or “favorite” technique cannot be used.

The authors say the book is for both new and experienced qualitative researchers, but most of the techniques they describe require excellent moderation skills, and a new moderator could easily get into trouble if they were to try the more complicated “games” and “fun activities.” Therefore, new moderators would be wise to use these ideas only in conjunction with a mentor or other seasoned team member who can guide them through the more complex group activities.

I would also advise business‐to‐business researchers to use caution when adapting the more “fun” and “creative” ideas to business research. Some of the proposed ideas work with professional audiences, but others have the potential to detract from the serious nature of many business‐related topics – another reason for inexperienced moderators to work with a seasoned qualitative researcher.

This 142‐page book includes only five chapters and a short appendix, all of which are very easy to read. The book is exceedingly well organized and is designed to be both fun and informative – and it achieves delivery! Even the introduction is worth reading, as it does a nice job of laying out what to expect from the book and how to use it as a “handbook”.

Chapter 1, which accounts for half the length of the book, describes a range of tools and techniques and when to use them. They range from free association, to perceptual mapping, to storytelling and on‐site interviews. There are lots of pictures and other graphics to help convey each set of ideas, as well as thorough checklists that describe when to use each tool, how to complete each exercise, lists of what you will need (e.g. magazines, tape, scissors), directions for conducting and de‐briefing the session, and variations on the basic tools.

Chapters 2 through 4 describe more specialized tools and techniques: laddering (Chapter 2); projection and the use of metaphors (Chapter 3); and getting respondents to explore different perspectives (Chapter 4). All of the tools included have been tested in many groups over time, and the authors provide good examples of how the results of each actually look/sound/read. For example, the authors include two completed ladders, along with the types of probes one might use to help build a ladder successfully, and how to interpret the results once the ladder is complete.

The authors are good about letting the reader know when a technique is more likely to work in IDI or mini‐group settings than in traditional focus groups, and for the most part, I agree with their assessments. I am not convinced that “Word Bubbles” would work well with the audiences they suggest, but another experienced moderator might be delighted to read that section, and may have a client with whom they can use the technique in the near future. What I like about the book is that the authors clearly describe the methods and their applications, so readers can decide if and how they might apply them in their own practice. There is enough information about each so readers can intelligently assess when they personally would use each method.

Chapter 5, “Exploring the junk drawer” (Don't you love the title? It captures the light and playful mood of the book nicely), is a nice reminder of what moderators do, their role in qualitative research, and some basics on running a successful group. It also highlights some of the more important differences between traditional qualitative research and ideation – a distinction that many clients do not understand. This is probably the first chapter that relatively new moderators should read, and provides a nice summary at the end for experienced moderators.

The book ends with a short appendix which is an index of techniques from the book, organized into a chart with the following headings: “When you need to learn”, “Try using”, and “Page.” This handy chart allows the reader to find and evaluate quickly and easily the ideas they are considering for a particular research project.

This quick, easy, and informative book is a good reference for anyone who conducts or who purchases consumer qualitative research. Research professionals will find ideas for new tools as well as variations on the ones they already use. Companies that purchase qualitative research will find this useful in explaining to their vendors what they want, and in understanding why their vendors have chosen various methods. Both groups are likely to find that this short, catchy volume becomes a ready reference tool that they use over and over.