Parents Market Research
We recognise that decisions about schools and further or higher education often involve parents to varying degrees, and hence we feel that it is often important to speak to parents. Market research with VoicED has several key benefits:
- Access to parents from across the UK
- Ability to target parents from a range of ethnic or cultural backgrounds
- Ability to complete market research with young parents (including teenage parents for instance)
- Conducting research with parents from different financial backgrounds – i.e. those with children receiving free school meals, or those who send their children to independent schools
- Full range of qualitative and quantitative approaches
Market research with parents can help aid understanding, and provide insight in to the decision making process for a range of stages and elements within the education and skills landscape – from major decisions like which college or university to attend, to practical approaches to helping children achieve such as tutoring, learning aids and online virtual learning environments.
Our parent market research experience is wide-ranging, and includes work for a range of charities, sixth forms and other further education colleges and private sector brands, as well as for other public agencies such as local councils and ‘Sure Start’ centres for instance.
We have experience of carrying out both qualitative and quantitative market research projects with parents from across the UK. In addition, we can also target specific groups of parents or carers, such as those from minority ethnic groups, from a range of financial backgrounds, or young parents (including teenage parents for instance).
Parents Market Research – Case Studies
Some recent projects we have carried out are detailed below:
Methodology: Focus Groups
Project details: We conducted focus groups with parents of 18 year olds in order to understand perceptions of the value of higher education and to gauge reactions to a number of potential universities and courses.
Methodology: Face to face
Project details: We carried out 100 face to face on-street interviews with parents of children aged 15-16 in relation to Sixth Form choices available in the area. This was an area with a large number of available options at the FE level, and thus our client wanted to understand how to differentiate themselves in the local market. Parents were one of several stakeholder groups interviewed using a range of methodologies.
Methodology: Focus groups and telephone depths
Project details: We completed five focus groups with users of Sure Start centres. Parents (and some grandparents) in the groups were from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and had children (grandchildren) ranging in age from less than twelve months old, to 4-5 years old. The research covered a range of topics, including why they used Sure Start, what specific services they found most helpful and the benefits of the Sure Start centres.
In addition to completing research with parent users of the Sure Start centres, we also conducted six telephone depth interviews with Advisory Board Chairs to provide insights from additional stakeholders.
Methodology: Focus groups and online surveys
Project details: We conducted a number of focus groups with parents of children under the age of 10, to understand their views on branding for a major toy retailer. The focus groups were followed up by a large scale online survey to generate quantitative evidence for the insights formed as part of the qualitative research.
If you are interested in learning more about the types of parents market research we can offer, please feel free to get in touch using the contact form – or call us directly on +44 (0) 1663 761 292.
