Chapter 10: Focus Groups Can Be the Key to Understanding the Consumer


Overview

Finding the match between your company s resources and the needs and desires of your target customer group is a major mission that must be undertaken by every developer of a marketing plan who is serious about creating a successful venture. It is not always easy to identify this match. Casually asking customers at random may not reveal the true picture. Fortunately, there is a research method that is ideal for this purpose. It is called the focus group . You should become familiar with this important research tool, and should use it to make sure that the ideas for your business match your target customer.

Early identification of consumer practices, attitudes, problems, needs, and reactions to ideas regarding a business venture can help the developer of a marketing plan steer in the right direction. If it is determined that the product or marketing concept does not appeal to the target customer group, then perhaps it will appeal to another group. In this case, it may be possible to redirect the marketing. On the other hand, perhaps some aspect of the product or concept can be changed to make it more appealing to the target group of customers. This identification of a match or mismatch can also be very helpful in forecasting the viability and potential sales of the venture.

Developers of successful marketing plans have often used focus groups early in the development stage to identify customer practices and attitudes. The following is a basic description of focus groups and how they can be used in the development of a marketing plan.




Powerhouse Marketing Plans(c) 14 Outstanding Real-Life Plans and What You Can Learn from Them to Supercharge [... ]aigns
Powerhouse Marketing Plans(c) 14 Outstanding Real-Life Plans and What You Can Learn from Them to Supercharge [... ]aigns
ISBN: 735621675
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 172

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net