HOW TOs

Writing A Good DG

Prepared by Phuong Nguyen

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 Review … FGD process in a nutshell

Planning
- Define research objectives
- Design methodology
- Design sample size
Moderate FGDs /IDIs

SET UP AND ANALYSE

PLAN FIELDWORK
RECRUITMENT DATA

- Recruit respondents - Analyze data

- Write DG - Writing report

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Agenda

1. What is Discussion Guide?

2. How to Write a Discussion Guide Effectively?

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What is Discussion Guide for?

Discussion guides are structured scripts, proposes a comprehensive

set of questions to help take moderator through a discussion in order to
– collect all of the most important questions you want to ask
– a timing plan to make sure you ask the most important questions in
the time you have available.

Our Treasure Map & Compass

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Why we need a discussion guide?

• Sketch out a framework for navigating through the topic

• Capture our thinking on how to best tackle information areas.

• Short cut reminders of key objectives & how you plan to address these.
objectives

• Notes on any hypothesis that need to be addressed.

• Plan ahead about alternative possible ways to tackle the information needs –
fall back scenarios. Possible outcomes and resulting action.

• Plan ahead – when and how to use ‘stimuli’ if needed.

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A Bad Discussion Guide

• Overload

• Has poorly organized topics does not logically connect one topic
to another, does not flow naturally, abrupt sequences of topics

• Asks so many questions but lacks FOCUS in terms of relevant

information that will answer the objectives of the research

• Asks biased/leading or direct questions

• Asks questions that may have double meanings and thus

confuse respondents.

• Written like a UA questionnaire with lengthy ‘what, when, and

why series’.

• Use too many marketing languages!

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 A good Discussion Guide…

• Is clear on objectives – what is to be achieved (Need to understand how

consumers purify drinking water).

• Is clear on the information areas (structure) that are to be covered – what

are the key information areas to be exploited to answer the above objectives.
• Is comprehensive, yet `tight’ areas of information

• Reflects the business issues/ concerns (internal issues, political issues,

hypotheses…)

• Fits well with the methodology – questions are tailored to scenario of FGD,
IDI, Observation…(typically IDIs use fewer projective techniques )

• Is sensitive:
– to consumers as people, to issues pertaining to the study
– to learned, perceived & ‘real’ responses

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A good Discussion Guide…

• Flows well – logical ; typically from general to specific (not a rule!)

• Reflects the specific concerns of different target within a project (rotation

of stimulus material, different questions for different target groups…)

• Ensures richness of data – a good mix of direct questions and projective

techniques

• Is iterative – incorporates learnings and hypotheses from previous

groups

• Takes care of RLF (Respondent Load Factor) – not overloaded with

questions, not unnecessarily repetitive. Using practical projectives that
are matched to respondent's abilities.

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How to Write a More
Effective Discussion
Guide
Step 1: Think first … focus on ‘need/problem’ you are trying to solve

What am I trying to understand?

What is the marketing problem I need to crack?

Need or Problem Definition

Objectives

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Step 2: PLANNING (drafting out the structure /flow)

Organise The Overall Flow (Structure): To get to

this objective, what is the information we need?“

Using Mind Map

technique (fill only
broad topics and sub-
sessions topics – not
the questions)

Work around & backwards to make sure your structure

1) Makes sense and flows well
2) Link logicall back to the set Objectives

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Step 3: WRITING – The inverted pyramid

BROAD TOPICS WITH KNOWN FACTUAL/OBVIOUS

ANSWERS
To warm up /put RES at ease
To give moderator some contextual understanding for
analyzing responses or setting framework of discussion

PROMPTED ISSUES
To deeply dive into pre-defined
issues /concerns
Or to prompt issues which were not
mentioned

MORE SPECIFIC PROBES

To examine the key
motivations behind each
issue
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Eg. The inverted pyramid

FRAMING QUESTIONS
E.g. Now please tell me about your last time buying your new
motorbike? Where did to go? Whom did you talk to? What
brand did you consider? What brand did you finally choose

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS
You said that you went to shop at the store ABC, can
you tell me a little bit more about this? How did you
know this store? What your impressions about this
store versus others? What are their unique selling
points?

PROBE QUESTIONS
So what is the most important reason that you
have decided to choose that store? What
makes that reason so important to you? Is
there any other factors which are also
important for you to choose a store to shop
motobike and how?

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Step 3: WRITING – Tone and mood

Think about the conversation tone and

style you want to have…

Informality
Interaction
Exchange NOT Interrogation
Sharing Hounding
Revealing Ammunition
Digging
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Some tips for effective questioning – DON’TS vs DOs
• Leading questions. Instead, opened questions
– You think this is good, isn’t it? NO
– How would you say ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ when looking at this? YES

• Starting with negative questions. In stead, being neutral/positive

– Please tell me what you are not happy about your life? NO
– If you have a dream to change something in your life and make it better, what
would you dream about? YES
– Please tell me what you hate about this product? NO
– What are your spontaneous feelings when looking at first ? What elements
that strike your attention? YES
• Difficult questions. Instead, give options or points of comparison.
– Can you think about an ideal packaging for this product! How do you want
them to change the taste?
– Tell me how you would like them to improve in terms of color /images/ logo?
What should be more and what should be less?YES

• Use of simple words/sentences as opposed to fat words (depends on target)

– Can you describe to me your lifestyle? NO
– Close your eyes and think of your normal everyday routine, what do you do
when you wake up and thereafter, what do you do in the weekend usually?
YES
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• Probe, do not prompt
Some tips for effective questioning – DON’TS vs DOs

• Clear questions – no ambiguity

– Some say this brand has turned into a man and woman? What is the personality
of this person? NO
– Some of you say this brand has become a man, others say it has become a
woman? Can you please explain why some of you think of the male gender with
this brand and others female gender? YES

• Challenging questions to make them think more (depends on target)

– Imagine you have become the manufacturer of this product. What would you
improve about its benefit to make people more attracted to your product?
– But should not be too challenging like this: If you have to make a TVC for this
product, how would you make that TVC?

• Ask Interesting questions by using more projective techniques

– To do with personal life, thinking, feeling
– Hypothetical (to challenge consumers) like ‘what if’
– Role playing
– Emotional
– Associations

• Use different techniques if respondents don’t get a question

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Some tips for effective questioning – NEVER ‘WHY’

• RESPONDENTS BECOME RATIONAL

• TRY TO GIVE THE LOGICAL ANSWER / EXPLANATION
– They give us the reasons which they are conscious of, usually
very predictable, shallow, and sometime is a “nothing” answer

Example

– You groups these packs into “ugly group”, why you group like that?
– I group them into the ugly group because I have a feeling that they are ugly
or they are not nice !

Change

– Which elements of these packs make you think that they are ugly?
– I don’t like the dark colour, it looks sad and not prominent.

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NEVER WHY !

• There’re still many ways in which WHY can be replaced

• Although it seems a bit odd in our everyday language, it is

very helpful in getting in-depth information
– Why you say that you don’t like this product?
– Let’s imagine that this product would become a person, how does this
person look like? What about him/her that you like ? Versus, what about
him/her that you dislike?

– Why don’t you use this product?

– Because I don’t like it
– What elements in this product that stop you buying this product?
– I think it’s too expensive. I think it’s not better than my product as it
doesn't’t have DHA like my product.

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WHY Can be Replaced By …

• WHAT…?

– What makes you prefer / like / dislike this situation?

– What about this situation makes you like it?
– What is better about this situation over the others which you also saw that made you
choose this particular one?
– What particular elements / details of this scene makes you like it?

• What … for?

• What is the purpose of …?

– R: I prefer the light cigarette having a longer stick
– M: What is the longer stick for?
– R: For being more prominent and different among the group

• Asking for the relation

– R: A reputable company is one which has many advertisements
– M: What is the relationship between advertisements and how does it impact on the
reputation of a company?
– M: What do advertisements do for a reputable company?

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The Task in 30 minutes

Work in your group

1. Discuss and mapping the flow /structure of your DG

1. Each team pick up 1 session (in the structure) to

write it in detail)

• Present, inputs, feedbacks

Case Study 1 – PERSONAL CARE

• Client is a new skin care company that would like to enter Vietnam
market in 2015

• Firstly, they intend to launch a facial moisturiser that aiming at

women 18 -25 YO who have frequent make-up habit.

• The key objectives that client want to understand

– Understand how Vietnamese woman doing make-up? What are their needs for a
make-up skin.
– Understand how Vietnamese woman’s skin care habit and routine? Especially in
‘make-up context’?
– What are current perception about skin care brands? Is there any brand that
answering the need of make-up skin?
– How do Vietnamese describe an ideal skin care product especially in ‘make-up’
context.

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Case Study 2 – HEALTHY BEVERAGE

• Client is a beverage company that would like to launch a new

Ready-to-drink beverage which is positioned to aim at young
student aged 18 – 20 and focused on ‘health’ benefit

• As we observed in the market, many beverage brands are available

with different offers (style, benefits, drinking occasions, etc …). So
it’s very critical to be differentiated with new and unique offer.

• The key objectives that client want to understand

– When /in which occasion the young people will consumer RTD beverage?
– How the young people decide /choose a beverage to drink?
– Which type of beverage they are drinking now and what are the reasons to
choose/not choose a type of beverage?
– How the young people perceived and think about different beverage brands in
the market?

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Case Study 3 – ENTERTAIMENT AND MEDIA CONSUMPTION

• Client is a media and entertainment company that would like to

launch new streaming service in Vietnam (like Netflix).

• The key objectives that client want to understand

– General habit and consumption of entertainment, especially on TV and internet
– How the young people decide /choose an online/digital entertainment content?
• Who /what source influence them?
• What type of content that attract them? Versus type of content that make them bored easily?
• What are the new coming trends? What topics that make them feel interested to buy a streaming
content?
– How do the young people understand and perceive about online ‘streaming’ media
(like Netflix)
– What are key consideration when they buy an online streaming media service?

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