Using Focus Groups to Identify Rural Participant Needs in Balancing Work and Family Education

Abstract

Marketing emphasizes understanding the target audience as a prelude to or concomitant with program development. This article illustrates how marketing techniques can be used by Extension to develop programs for the expressed needs of a target population. Six focus groups were conducted to learn the balancing work and family needs of rural residents in a Western state. Results provided program developers valuable information on how a program should be produced, priced, promoted, and where it should be held to attract the largest numbers of participants.