Imagine a method and tool to analyze online focus group data

Project Description

We are a global management consulting firm serving Fortune 500 companies. Our Insights team wants your help to create a new method and tool or template to analyze consumer focus group data. Specifically, our team conducts virtual focus group sessions where up to 500 participants are recruited for a 60 minute online session. The goal of the sessions is to better understand consumer segments and possible actions regarding a product, market, or service.  Each session generates at least 50,000 data points which makes these difficult and time consuming to analyze. 

Project Objectives

The objective of this project is to create a methodology and associated template or tool (Excel, web based, etc) that can be used in a repeatable way to better analyze future focus group sessions. Ultimately we need to find the compelling insights in the data to tell a story to the client, and so we need tools to help us find those more quickly and easily. 

As part of your proposal, using the sample data provided, please answer the following:

• Which analytical approaches could be applied in a repeatable way to identify key insights?

• Which analytical approaches should be used to build consumer segments or personas?

• How might we better analyze free text fields, for example by utilizing NLP tactics to identify good comments?

• What trade-offs must be considered when choosing one algorithm, method, or tool over the other?

• Which technologies should we build or buy to create a functional tool or template for speeding up or enhancing analysis?

• What else is interesting or confounding to you about the sample data itself e.g. format, fields, etc.? 

Project Structure

1. Open call for proposals – In a Powerpoint, Word, or PDF document, please answer the questions above and provide a cost estimate to deliver a proof of concept. Winners will be selected on a contingent basis. Timeline: 1.5 weeks

2. Proofs of Concept – Selected proposals will be built out / developed into functional prototypes, templates, or methods with displayed analytical results.  Timeline: 2 weeks

3.  Refinement – Should the outputs of the first two phases be well received by our leadership, we will work with the submitters to refine the proof of concept. Timeline: 3 weeks

Data Available for Analysis

The sample data (.xlsx format) comes from a virtual focus group session we ran with new parents conducted for a consumer products company entering the baby market.