The following report is based on input from Ms. Piyul Mukherjee of Proact Research in India. Ms. Mukherjee has over 18 years of experience and has overseen research all over India.

 

Here are some tips to ensure effective focus groups in India:

Limit repeat attendance

One of the advantages of working in such a populous country, we have the luxury of being able to sharply limit the number of repeat attendees in consumer focus groups.  We usually require that at least half the respondents never have attended a focus group; the remainder must not have participated in a focus group in the preceding two years.

Don’t mention the incentive

Unlike focus groups in the U.S., we don’t tell focus group respondents that they’ll receive an incentive for participating.  Rather, we give them a surprise gift at the end.  This is because, when incentives are mentioned in advance, Indian respondents have a tendency to want to “please the giver” and tell us what they think we want to hear.  Cash is still a rare incentive – gifts are more common.

Ensure respondents’ attendance – in person

We send out our team members to pick up each person and bring them in personally, thus ensuring a high show rate.  Otherwise, the tendency to agree to come, and then not show up can be very high in India.

Focus group logistics

Focus group facilities, with a one-way mirror and viewing room, are still rare in India, and only found in the larger metropolitan areas.  We usually conduct homemaker focus groups in a home that is considered typical for the respondents, with a video camera and the clients viewing the discussion in another room.

Many respondents are very interested in participating – they’re intrigued by the whole experience.  Some respondents (in small towns) even arrive with other family members who actually patiently wait in the vicinity for during the whole focus group discussion.  In fact, in rural India, we sometimes conduct two focus groups – the real one, and a mock focus group for the family members, to keep them occupied and appeased!

Be aware of regional differences in attitudes

Consumer attitudes and behavior vary widely in different parts of India.  We have learned to take that into account when conducting research.  Take, for example, the widely used third person technique to elicit respondents’ opinions – ” I showed this ad to some folks yesterday, and they didn’t like it, why do you think they felt that way?”  This technique simply does not work in rural India, where people have a very practical and “down-to-earth” approach to things.  Their usual reply, with a great deal of surprise : “Why didn’t you just ask them?”

 

Considering conducting research in India?  Give us a call at Bureau West Marketing & Research in Los Angeles (1-818-752-7210) or send us an email (india [at] bureauwest.com).  We’ll work with Ms. Mukherjee and her staff in India to ensure you gain an insider’s understanding of the Indian market.