Projective Techniques That Work To Find Truth In Singaporean Focus Groups
In a Singaporean focus group, a moderator might ask, "What do you think of this new product concept?" and be met with a series of polite nods and vague affirmations like, "It is quite interesting," or "Can consider." For businesses, this apparent consensus can be dangerously misleading. We believe that in a group setting, the cultural imperative for harmony and consensus often masks true opinions.
What is the real business cost of taking this group consensus at face value? It leads to a false sense of security, flawed data, and strategies built on polite fiction rather than genuine conviction. In a society that prioritizes group harmony, direct disagreement is often avoided to prevent anyone from losing face. The most critical feedback is left unspoken. This is the core tension we navigate in every focus group. Our purpose is to design sessions that move beyond surface-level agreement to uncover the authentic, and sometimes conflicting, views of consumers. We believe projective techniques are the essential tool for this work.
Understanding Singaporean Consumers
To understand the consumer today, we must first appreciate the powerful tensions shaping Singaporean society. We are seeing a nation that is simultaneously ageing rapidly and accelerating digitally. This creates a fascinating and complex environment for any brand. The data tells a clear story. By 2030, about one in four Singaporean citizens will be aged 65 or older, a significant jump from 13.1% in 2015. At the same time, Singapore’s digital economy is booming, contributing 17.3% to the nation's GDP in 2022, with 95.1% of small and medium enterprises having adopted at least one digital solution. This digital shift is changing how people live and spend. The average household’s online spending more than doubled in just a few years, from 4.7% of monthly expenditure in 2017/18 to 11.9% in 2023. This isn't just a trend; it is a fundamental rewiring of daily life that affects everyone, including our seniors.
This transition is not just about technology; it is deeply emotional and tied to identity. It brings to mind the power of collective memory, something we see explored in cultural retrospectives like CNA Insider's look at past Singaporean TV advertisements.
The Questions We Believe Are Worth Asking
A business problem like "How do we increase digital adoption among seniors?" is too broad. It leads to generic, functional solutions. We believe in translating these challenges into more human questions. To get to the heart of the matter, we need to consider the entire ecosystem of people involved.
For the End-User (e.g., "The Cautious Silver Surfer"):
Beyond the fear of scams, what does 'getting it wrong' online mean to you? Does it feel like a personal failure, a loss of independence, or a source of embarrassment?
When a digital service works perfectly, what does that feeling of success enable you to do or be? Does it make you feel more connected to your family, more in control of your life, or simply more modern?
For the Family Member (e.g., "The Dutiful Digital Tutor"):
When you teach your parents how to use a new app, what are the unspoken dynamics at play? Is it a moment of connection, a frustrating chore, or a reversal of traditional parent-child roles?
What does the 'ideal' technology for your parents look like? Is it one that they can use completely on their own, or one that creates more reasons for you to interact and help them?
For the Innovator (e.g., a FinTech Product Manager):
How do we design an onboarding process that feels less like a solo test and more like a guided conversation with a trusted friend?
What non-digital cues and support systems, like community centre workshops or peer learning, are essential for building the trust needed for our digital product to succeed?
How We Uncover the Answers
Method Selection
To explore these questions, the focus group is a powerful tool. It allows us to observe social dynamics and see how ideas are built, negotiated, and validated among consumers. However, in the Singaporean context, the traditional focus group model can fail. The desire for group harmony can suppress dissenting opinions, and dominant personalities can steer the conversation, leading to a false consensus.
This is why our approach to focus groups is different. We design them around a series of projective techniques. These exercises allow participants to project their true feelings onto ambiguous stimuli, bypassing the social pressure to conform. Instead of asking direct questions that might cause discomfort, we create playful, engaging activities that reveal subconscious thoughts and motivations in a non-confrontational way.
Participant Targeting
We move beyond simple demographics. Instead of just looking for "seniors aged 65 and above," we seek out specific mindsets and behaviours. This gives us a much richer understanding of the market.
"The Kiasu Digital Adopter": This person is motivated by not losing out. They use technology to find the best deals and stay ahead, but they still worry about security.
"The Relational Traditionalist": This person values face-to-face interaction. Technology is primarily a tool to maintain connections with family, like using WhatsApp to talk to grandchildren. They are often wary of transactional apps.
"The Anxious First-Timer": This person relies heavily on family for technical help. They are overwhelmed by the pace of change and fear making a costly mistake.
Uncovering Insights
Our work as moderators is an art. It involves building genuine rapport within the group. We listen for the pauses, for what is left unsaid. We observe body language. Most importantly, we use our projective toolkit to create a safe space where people feel they can be honest without disrupting harmony or losing face.
Our Projective Toolkit for Focus Groups
Direct questions in a Singaporean focus group often give us polite, surface-level answers. To go deeper, we use creative, indirect exercises called projective techniques. These are not games. They are carefully designed tools that help people express subconscious thoughts and feelings by projecting them onto another object or scenario. Here are a few conceptual examples to inspire your own thinking.
Projective Tool: The Hawker Centre Party
Instructions: Imagine our brand is a stall in a bustling hawker centre.
- What kind of food does it sell? (e.g., Traditional Chicken Rice, Modern Fusion Pasta, Healthy Salad Bowl?)
- Is there a long queue? Why or why not?
- Who is the 'hawker' (the person running the stall)? Are they a friendly uncle, a young hipster, a stern aunty?
- What do the other hawkers think of our stall?
Projective Tool: The 'Smart Nation' Feeling Board
Instructions: Here are images representing different aspects of life in Singapore (e.g., a QR code, a family on a video call, a senior at a digital kiosk, a crowded MRT, a quiet park). As a group, create a collage that shows how the idea of a 'Smart Nation' makes you feel.
Talk us through why you chose and placed each image.
Projective Tool: The Unspoken Conversation
Instructions: Look at this drawing of a younger person showing an older person something on a smartphone. Fill in the thought bubbles for each person. What are they really thinking, even if they are not saying it out loud?
Actionable Framework: The Digital Adoption Empathy Matrix
Instructions: As a group, let's discuss where this new digital service currently sits on this matrix. Where do you, as users, need it to be?
| Individual Learning | Community Support | |
|---|---|---|
| High Emotional Comfort | Empowering & Independent | Connected & Reassuring |
| Low Emotional Comfort | Isolating & Stressful | Anxious & Dependent |
These tools are catalysts. They are not a substitute for genuine human connection. Their purpose is to open the door to the real, empathetic conversations that lead to groundbreaking insights within the focus group setting.
Understanding the Singaporean consumer is about more than just data. It requires an appreciation for cultural context and a willingness to listen to what is not being said. By embedding projective techniques into our focus group methodology, we transform them from exercises in polite agreement into powerful sessions of discovery. This approach builds a truer understanding of the consumer, which is the foundation of any successful strategy in this market.
If you are ready to move beyond consensus and uncover what your customers are really thinking, let us have a conversation about designing a better focus group. If you are keen to know more, here is how we do it. You can also write to our Research Lead, Felicia at felicia@assembled.sg or give us a call at +65 8118 1048.
