Where are the consumer focus groups in the UK?

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Back in Canada, I was registered with a consumer focus group that would occasionally bring me in to spout my views on shampoo/nose strips/KFC. We usually got $50-$75 for one or two hours of our time.

I'm looking for ways to make a little bit of extra dosh here in Manchester and thought about doing that again, but I can't find anything on t'internet. Am I using the wrong key words? Surely these same sorts of focus groups exist here. Wait, don't tell me, they're all in London.

Any help or even sympathetic ranting appreciated.

― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha! I knew this would be you even before I read your name at the bottom.

― Tag, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Or before you saw my name in parentheses on the questions list, perhaps?

Is everyone's bf *this* cheeky?

― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

They are all in London yeah - I can't think of any big research firms based up in Manchester.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I got stopped by someone at university. I got £30 to go to a pub in Deansgate to discuss NatWest student account advertising. There was another tenner available for filling out a diary of all the media I'd been exposed to in the last week. I didn't but hadn't it in anyway and tried to explain that I'd only filled in the demographic stuff at the back, but he wasn't listening.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:01 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought there was one in Norwich but I might be wrong.

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Or was it Ipswich?

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Typical. Does the 'Hoof 'n Eyelid meat-like grill' pound count for nothing?

― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I did an alcohol testing thing once which netted me about AUD$80 for two hours over two days. I had to drink samples of a whole lot of extremely vile Vodka-based chick drinks. Yuck. I'd do it again though.

― Andrew, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I think in the UK the market research rules say that a respondent can only be in a focus group once every few years.

The place I used to work had a flotilla of middle-aged women whose job it was to recruit groups, which they would do in places like Watford town centre or Brent Cross. If you go to places like that and see women with clipboards, chances are...

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually I do notice women with clipboards in the city centre of Manchester sometimes, but I always got the impression that they expect you to stand there and do a survey for free. As if!

― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:15 (twenty-three years ago)

there is one in manchester, i saw it on linda green 8)

andy

― koogs, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:19 (twenty-three years ago)

You get paid? All I ever got was a pen.

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I think in the UK the market research rules say that a respondent can only be in a focus group once every few years.

Suzy they work like the rules which say you can't sell on promo copies.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:44 (twenty-three years ago)

You mean you can sell on promo copies. Whoopie!!! I was wondering what to do with all those advance copies of the new Jesus Jones LP.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I think market research should give paid shoppers unlimited expense accounts for CDs, books and movies. Yes, that would do.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought the only limitation to participation was that you met certain criteria? They would always try and trick you over the phone first so you couldn't fake that you were perfect for the focus group.

i.e. "Do you use Salon Selectives products?"
Me: {blag} "Oh yes, definitely. I use them everyday."
"Sorry, we're looking for people who dislike that brand."

― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

No, Suzy's right. MRS guidelines say (I think) once every two years for respondents. Everybody ignores this though.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

When I did it they said ON PAIN OF DEATH not to recycle respondents. Rationale given was 'when you least expect it someone from the client side will recognise someone from another group, AND KILL US ALL'.

The one MRS guideline we ignored was the 'no journalists or PRs on groups' guideline. When they want you to find style leaders for a BOOZE group, it is so much easier to whip out Filofax etc. than do the clipboard dance.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 16:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I got an NME badge and a black and white repro of some Morrissey cover story (woo-fucking-hoo) for answering questions about different formats for 'music broadsheets' about 10 years ago in Altrincham town centre. The guy interviewing was really pissed off when he asked "so why do you read Melody Maker?" and I said "my mate writes for it". "This makes my survey a waste of time!" he ranted, "I already asked if anyone you knew worked for IPC!". "No you didn't, you asked if any of my family worked for IPC. And they don't". "Oh (harumph) here's your damn badge".

― Tag, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

eight years pass...

Getting paid to drink beer for 5 days and then video blog about it...

LOLLLLLLL

― Patrice Leclerc Delacroix Poussin (admrl), Wednesday, 10 August 2011 17:47 (fourteen years ago)

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