Focus groups and in-depth interviews are the two core formats behind our qualitative research – each suited to a different kind of question. Here’s how we run each one and how to know which fits your project.
Focus groups
Focus groups bring several participants together to discuss a topic, product, or experience. We run these live (in-person, at a venue suited to your audience) or online, depending on who you need to reach and how geographically spread they are.
Group sizes are typically kept small enough that everyone genuinely contributes (usually six to eight participants), with an experienced facilitator guiding discussion without steering it. This format is particularly useful for understanding shared attitudes, testing how people react to a concept in real time, and surfacing the kind of group dynamic and social influence that one-on-one research can’t show.
Online focus groups have become a genuinely strong option, not just a fallback – they let us bring together participants from across Australia in a single session without travel, while still preserving real-time group interaction and discussion.
In-depth interviews
In-depth interviews are one-on-one conversations, run face-to-face, by phone, or online. Without a group setting, participants often speak more openly, particularly on sensitive, personal, or commercially confidential topics.
This format works well when you need to understand one senior stakeholder’s decision-making in detail, explore a complex or emotionally sensitive experience, or simply avoid the risk of one participant’s view dominating a group.
Which format fits your project?
The right choice comes down to what you’re trying to learn, not just personal preference:
Testing reaction to a new concept or campaign?
A focus group shows you how people respond and build on each other’s reactions in real time.
Understanding a single senior stakeholder’s perspective?
An interview gives that person space to speak candidly, without a group setting influencing the answer.
Exploring a sensitive or personal topic?
Interviews typically surface more open, honest responses than a group setting allows.
Need to understand shared social or cultural attitudes?
Focus groups reveal how people talk about an issue together, not just individually.
If you’re not sure which fits, that’s a normal starting point for a briefing conversation – we’ll help you land on the right format based on your objective, not the other way around.
Common questions
How many participants are typically in a focus group?
Most of our focus groups run with six to eight participants – enough to generate genuine discussion and a range of views, while still small enough that everyone has room to contribute meaningfully.
Can focus groups and interviews be run online for regional or interstate participants?
Yes – both formats work well online, which means geography doesn’t limit who you can include. This is particularly useful for projects needing input from participants across multiple states or regional areas, without the cost and logistics of in-person travel.
How do you recruit participants for focus groups and interviews?
Recruitment is tailored to your target audience and project brief – we work with you to define the right participant profile, then manage recruitment to ensure the group or interview sample genuinely reflects who you need to hear from.
Do you provide a summary of findings, or just raw transcripts?
Every project includes analysis and reporting, not just raw transcripts – we interpret what participants said in the context of your original objectives, so you get clear, actionable insight rather than a pile of unprocessed data.