We're recruiting for Mumsnet pre-election focus groups: would you like to take part?

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Would you like to be involved in three pre-election Mumsnet focus groups we're co-organising?

We're working with the Times and a polling organisation to find out what issues are important to you, which politicians you like / loathe and how likely you are to actually cast your vote.

We're planning on running three focus groups (one at MNHQ and the other two online) and you would need to be able to take part in all three.

If you're selected and take part in all three groups you will receive £100. Travel expenses will be paid for the London group, (up to £15 for those in London and up to £100 for second-class rail travel for those coming to join in from outside London).

1. The first focus group would involve coming to Mumsnet Towers in Kentish Town, London on Tuesday 23 March between 12.15pm and 2pm. We'll provide a light lunch, but we're really sorry we can't accommodate babies/children as we simply don't have the space or facilities.

2. The second focus group is online - so you would just be logging in from home (we'll send you a link) and will take place on Tues 20 April from 11.30am-1pm.

3. The third focus group is also online and will be on Tues 4 May from 11.30am-1pm.

We're looking for a good cross-section of Mumsnetters. The polling organisation has devised the questions.

The comments made during the focus groups will be used by the Times for articles in the lead-up to the general election - please note your real first name may be used and they will want to use a picture of you.

All data from this survey is confidential - participants will be screened by responses to the questions and your MN or real name will not be linked to your responses.

Sorry, but this project is only open to UK residents who are eligible to vote in the upcoming general election.

So if you're interested, and you can make all three focus groups, please click here.

Thanks,
MNHQ

I don't think it said it was market research did it (maybe I misread)?

Mumsnet, if I were you, I'd go back to the polling company and the Times and ask them to do it entirely online. That way, you will get the proper feel of mumsnet anyway as you'll guarantee a lot more participants. The whole draw of mumsnet is the online nature so I can't see them having too much of a problem with that - they can still pick people via the survey (and pay them ).

I'm not 100% sure why they'd need people in real life for this thing anyway other than the photos tbh.

Well said biwi.

this whole sucking up to the media and playing into "a mumsnet election" I find it pathetic and laughable.

In a few years, or maybe months there will be articles written about how a web community were duped into believeing they actually were an important part in politics. I resent that we are regarded so naive and gullible.

Maybe something useful will come out of it, maybe it will even show that women are so tied up in their domestic sphere, of juggling childcare/life/work, they cannot have a place in neither politics nor be taken seriously in the workforce. If so, if any politician were keen to make changes, it would be a good think. But I doubt it.

foxinsocks - the OP asked if we wanted to take part in 'focus groups' and that a 'polling company' was going to be involved - therefore for most people, this will come across as if it's market research rather than the PR exercise it so patently is.

You may not have a problem with that, but as a professional market researcher I seriously do. It undermines the faith that people may have in market research and it makes it harder for us to get people to take part in legitimate research as a consequence.

I don't object to MN being involved in the shenanigans in the run up to the election - in many ways I applaud it, as it's a demonstration of how politicians have come to realise that they must engage with the electorate - even if they do happen to have children who take them out of the workplace at inconsiderate times - but this has stepped over a very important boundary, IMVHO.

The pm will be on Netmums on mothersday. So clearly they are wooing ALL mums of forums, not just us.

well I don't/can't speak for most people but I didn't see the market research angle at all - it's PR, I can't see how it could be anything else

it couldn't masquerade as anything else I would have thought (given the way people will be chosen and the sample they are choosing from)

maybe I'm just too cynical Biwi

It makes it pretty clear that it is for an article so it doesn't appear to me to be market research, just some editorial in run up to the election.

The papers need to attempt to keep momentum somehow so I expect this is just one of the ways of doing so.

QS, I don't think anyone thinks that they're important do they? It seems to me that MN are just exploiting the opportunity to get lots of free press, seems pretty sensible to me. The thing with a democracy is that every vote is important, not just those of a certain group but it can't do any harm to have mothers being more vocal. Of course the PM is wooing other Mothers, he needs to woo as many people as possible to win, everyone counts in a democracy!

Even if the only thing to come out of it is some coverage in the Times then that would still be a positive, it might reach just one person who could do with the support that MN is so good for.

I feel sorry for MNHQ, they can never bloody win!

It begs the question:

What IS mumsnet?

Supporting/promoting MN is one thing. And I'm all in favour of that.

But this kind of exercise actually doesn't do MN any favours, and it certainly does market research a disservice.

On this post it makes it clear it's for an article - but when it's actually in the article, it will purport to be research that was conducted by .

Anyway, will get off my soapbox now as I have to go to do some real market research. About important things. Like frozen food.

As an aside to BIWI, I went to a focus group for Vertbaudet a few years ago. It was very interesting. It was also interesting to see how they treated the people who had arrived and who they after all did not need (scruffilyy dressed, no fashion sense ), courteously, apologised saying they had invited a few extras in case not all showed, paid them, thanked them for their time and willingness, shook their hands, and let them go home. There was gratitude, even if they were not needed. Very professional.

I also went to one for Slug & Lettuce. That was fun.

How many members does MN have and how many people will be chosen for this focus group?

your criteria excludes a lot of people eg working,commitments,study.hardly representative or deep sample if only those

available to participate all 3 sessions
able to travel

Yes QS, it was the same when I went to the one I mentioned. And we were supplied with some fabulous good and drinks, even though that wasn't the focus of the research.

This is the kind of email I get for real market research:

1. Carers Important Restrictions: MUST NOT have taken part in any market research projects within the last 12 months, and MUST NOT have taken part in any Market Research about Carers previously, and MUST NOT work in Public Relations, Advertising, TV/Radio/Journalism or Market Research.

Required:

• ALL MUST provide 35+ hours of care per week to a partner, husband, wife, brother, sister, child, relative, friend, neighbour etc.
• ALL MUST earn less than Ã?£95 per week net pay (after tax and National Insurance).
• ALL MUST NOT receive any carer's allowance.

Age: 16+ years
Gender: Male or Female
Date: before end of April
Time: tba
Duration: 1.5 hours
Venue: in-home (or other location if preferred)
Research Format: individual interview
Incentive: �£40 cash

Just to hijack the thread for a second. Market research. How does one get into it? Is there anyone you can recommend? Thanks

This is the sort of thing that I would love to take part in but I live too far away and it would end up costing me money - you've left it too late to get the cheapy rail tickets and it would be cheaper for me to fly from Glasgow!

I'd probably need one night overnight accomodation, and to find someone to look after my children after school as dh works and could not take a day off for something like this.

It sounds like a deliberate ploy to keep it London-centric, but as the meedja is already so London focussed I'm sure it didn't even occur to anyone that this was being exclusive.

One of the reasons I vote nationalist, normally!

i appreciate that serenity.. but the whole thing just smacks of a PR stunt, rather than a serious agenda

and using the meeja like this is a double edged sword

how about 3 online focus groups, at different times of the day.. or via webcam/skype.. ?

this is exclusive, not inclusive and will only perpetuate all the crap about MN that has been in the papers..

are MNHQ going to respond??

Argh, ordinarily I could do it, but my friend is away so couldnt have ds2 on that mnhq date.I'm going to see if I can beg anyone else.

Having said that, i'm soo out of tiouch with anything, i doubt I'd be any use

And I think 20th April is still easter hols. no? So 2 kids to get rid of.

I can get a train for £41 each way [impressed]or £270 for a return (from Cumbria)

But can't get 23rd off I could have worked around the others too but I needed more notice.

Oh sod it, I've applied anyway. Kids will have to sort themselves out

I would love to do this but the daytime thing is impossible for me with 2 preschool age children at home (have used up all my emergency childcare/begging favours options lately with various medical things).
If you do rethink and do an online only thing I'd relish the chance to be involved.

We have a very good expression in Norwegian.

PR-H orny

I think a debate about what mumsnet IS, Should be, or is Trying to be, would be quite interesting.

Oh BOLLOCKS

I filled in the survey without reading properly and thought that could do just one focus group of the three.

I certainly can't do the London one (am not traipsing up there for a couple of hours), and can only really do one of the online groups in the middle of the day.

Some of us WORK you know. Why can the online ones not be in the evening.

So, the upshot of this will be that the focus group will consist of SAHMs with childcare, who live in and around North London.

So will UPHOLD the view that all of us on mumsnet are middle class yummy mummies. It will NOT be a cross section of the actual MN populace.

Of course, this suits the Times very well as that is what they think of MN anyway so it will confirm all their opinions.