Market Research

Translating and Interpreting for automotive Focus Groups

One of the top five market research companies in the world required the translation of a discussion guide and an English<>Italian interpreter for focus group sessions about cars.

The Challenge

After translating the discussion guide by our linguistic team specialised in Market Research, the challenge was to book interpreters for 2-day focus group sessions taking place over the weekend. There were 3 x 3-hour long focus groups per day and each group involved 7 participants. The objective of the FG was to encourage lively discussions between the participants and to understand their car-buying experiences. As the Italian end client was watching the sessions from the viewing room, it was important to book professional interpreters with previous experience interpreting at focus groups and a degree of specialisation in the automotive industry.

The Solution

As per our client brief, we booked an experienced team of simultaneous interpreters who were used to the lively nature of focus groups and interested in the automotive industry.

Prior to the start of the focus group, it was critical to arrange a briefing session between the moderator and interpreting team so they could share knowledge and align their expectations with the research objectives. This proved particularly useful when participants were digressing from the main topic or speaking simultaneously during the discussions.

Unlike conference interpreting, simultaneous interpreting for a focus group requires a different set of skills and an ability to convey not only the verbal content but the respondents’ impressions and reactions to the topic, which gives valuable insight to the client who is watching the group.

To contribute to the success of the project, our Project Manager made sure that all relevant material including the translated discussion guide were shared with the interpreters so they could understand the objectives and rationale behind the study. Our interpreting team were so well-prepared that they found and brought in “new reference” material on day 1, which was reproduced in multiple copies for all participants at our client’s request.

The Outcome 

Our client was extremely satisfied with our interpreters’ conscientious preparation and their ability to keep pace with the changing flow of the focus group dialogues.

Get in touch with Omnicis to find out how we can help with the translation of your discussion guides and your next focus group discussions.