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1. Toronto Montreal Quebec Ottawa Calgary Edmonton Philadelphia Denver Tampa Forget the Margin of Error Debate – What about focus groups?Rick Hobbs, CMRPVice-PresidentOttawa

2. Research on the Internet? • There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things; for the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order; this lukewarmness arising partly from the incredulity of mankind who does not truly believe in anything new until they actually have experience of it • Machiavelli, Niccolo • Are you a tigger or an eeyore? • Randy Paulsch • 40% of Canadians will complete the Census Questionnaire On-line in 2011

3. What are Virtual Groups? • Many different definitions/names • Vgroups • Egroups • Virtual focus groups • On-line focus groups • Not just chat or bulletin board • To be a virtual focus group requires both voice and visual components and real time • Can be very simple • Phone call and web conference pushing PPT • Can be very complex • Itracks with skype and webcam • Can do anything you can do in a physical group – but why replicate the bias of physical world in virtual groups?

4. Why Virtual Focus Groups? • Faster • Truly faster, especially with Web Recruit • Better respondents • Inexpensive • Can be equally expensive but, • No travel cost • More convenient for everyone • Better Results – when it is appropriate

5. Is it All Milk and Honey? • No body language • No eye contact • No avoiding eye contact • Periods of dead air seem longer • Harder to control technology and moderate

6. Ideal Audiences • Gen / pop • Not about technology • Do suggest speaker phone and high speed but not needed • B2B • Great with hard to reach professionals • Keep in mind they should be used to computer work • i.e. construction professionals are rarely near their computer • Remember qualitative research is not about the technology

7. WARNING! • Do not attempt to moderate a virtual focus group if you are not a moderator!

8. How to Set-up? • Budget important – can be very inexpensive • Recommend against low cost web conference software • Web-ex and GoTo Meeting - good solid products • Remember you need a voice component and while any conference provider allows you to record, it makes your life easier to have it linked to the moderators guide • Third party tech support is helpful • Many sophisticated products involving VoIP or web cameras

9. Hints Moderating VGroups • Screener – need to screen level of comfort of respondent (D’uh) • Need a good invitation / need more hand holding for participants • Mod Guide • Think about what exercises you want to run – do traditional mod guide • Always comes down to the objectives – not technology for technology’s sake • Mix chat and voice questions • Need to repeat names more often – not so much to get everyone to talk, but for the client • Remember dead air may sound bad, but participants don’t know any different

10. Things to Remember • Establish a personal connection with recruits and get them comfortable with the technology • Make sure recruiter and participants know what the process is - ie., test your browser, call in early, don’t sit • Give your self more time between sessions • Limit permissions • Use chat when you need a break to check something (questions from the client) • Use paypal or on-line payment for fast participant payment • Prepare for technology problems but don’t freak out about them when they happen

11. The Future is the Internet • Synchronous and Asynchronous • Bulletin Boards can have tremendous value if managed properly • Social Media • On-line communities • Recruiting • Data mining