tion .Thus focus groups help to improve planning, implementation as well as evaluation of marketing strategies.
The technique also suffers from some limitations. First, groups may be difficult to assemble or may vary considerably. As the group interaction forms the basis for focus group discussions, the information so provided can only be used at group level and not individually. Also, the people representing the consumers in the focus group setting might not be an exhaustive representation of the population at large. There is also the risk of moderator being less knowledgeable or biased towards a particular opinion. However, with necessary precautions focus group studies act as one of the most efficient social research tools.
In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
In-depth face to face interviews use intensive one to one discussions with a small number of people. They are executed as confidential one to one conversations between researcher and participant. This method is suitable where the purpose of the study is to get exhaustive and precise answers from individuals regarding their motives and experiences which focus group studies and quantitative techniques cannot encompass. The method is also suitable where if the issue in hand is sensitive or controversial. Also, interviewing community leaders can provide a quick overview of needs and concerns of the respective communities. In the world of marketing, in-depth interviews are used usually in the initial strategies namelyto evaluate a new packaging, a new product concept, advertisement idea and so on.
The in-depth interview is usually conducted in private surroundings of the participant so as to keep him comfortable in his or her natural settings. The average duration of the interview ranges from 1.5 to 2 hours and is usually recorded for post interview analysis. Following are the stages in the interview process.
While focus group discussion is essentially a group behaviour technique, in depth interviews allow researchers to study opinions and behavior of participants individually. Also, in-depth interviews provide an opportunity to probe deeper into issues and get rich data.
Ethnography
Ethnography finds its origins in anthropology. In simple words ethnography is study of human beings in their natural environment and culture. The researcher submerges himself in the diverse and unfamiliar cultures and makes a rapport with the local population to understand their value system. This is done through active participation in day to day rituals such as cooking, eating, sleeping and shopping and close observation of people’s attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and customs. In marketing context, ethnography helps in understanding customer point of view. While focus group discussions and surveys provide self reporting data, ethnographic studies provide observational picture of consumers engaged in their day to day lives. It therefore, answers the latent reasons (why) behind consumer behaviour in particular communities. Once the facts are revealed, the information is then translated into marketing recommendations for the clients.
The basic reasoning behind ethnography is that life and decision making process are more complicated than the marketing models. Ethnography can be undertaken at any time of the day in shopping malls, theatres, restaurants, stations, bus, colleges, schools or even on
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