Focus Groups: Classic Or Dud?

If you get a focus group to influence decisions do you not just get a consensus and compromise decision which leads to blanding out of once radical ideas leaving everybody mildly dissatisfied?

The FT PM FGs would not pass Market Research Institute guidelines I fear.

I worked on accounts for the relaunch of Cosmopolitan and the launch of Mojo and other things like alcopops (which my group of style leaders found really gross, incidentally). At the Cosmo group eight women from Hertfordshire in, like, BHS-wear dissected the mag while, behind the one-way mirror in the observation deck, Marcelle D'Argy Smith was tearing her hair out and moaning about how these heffalumps were NOT her readers (sorry Marcelle, but OH YES THEY WERE). Clearly she was jonesing on some fantasy of a reader who was 24 with a good job in PR and a flat in Ladbroke Grove. Marcelle seemed to be one of those highly strung women who suffer from Sick Headaches, darling.

By the time most things are focus grouped the company commissioning the work has already decided to (re)launch whatever, so they're either trying to figure out how to sell to a particular demographic or trying to figure out if they've actually connected with the right one in the first place. In a lot of cases they're trying to affirm a cynical view they have of what ABC1s or C1/C2s will take up because after about 6 months one can become incredibly jaded about who these people 'are'.

In best cases, focus groups figure out how to sell in an intelligent way, and people do genuinely like being paid £50 and given wine, beer and M&S nibbles while being asked for their opinions. In the worst cases they're trying to make unpalatable things acceptable to people and just working out damage limitation and head them off at the pass tactics. I tried not to work on the latter. I mean, yuck: Nestlé trying to pussyfoot around the baby milk in Africa issue is just uncool.

I appear to have the wrong end of the stick in focus groups. Can someone let me be in one for 50 quid.

Far better are 'Hall-tests' where you can guzzle free product and be out of there in 15-20 mins with cash/freebies in hand.

"It doesn't pay much -- 85 dollars, and you'll have to taste beer and answer questions for about an hour," she said.

Last time, I went for a hair product or something, but they were overbooked. A woman had me wait and read magazines for fifteen minutes then handed me 150$.

Utterly classic. A scam of scams.

Like you don't ever "recycle" jokes!

let's be friends then

What's so funnya about Jamba Juice?

I am FULL OF QUESTIONS.

Jamba Juice was founded in 1990 as Juice Club in San Luis Obispo, California. In 1993 the company opened two other stores, one in Northern California and one in Southern California. In 1995 Juice Club changed its name to Jamba Juice. Since then it has expanded to become one of the nation's best-known smoothie chains, emphasizing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Founded by Kirk Perron, the privately-held company is partly owned by "Kenny G" (Gorelick), Paul Allen (Microsoft fame), and Howard Schultz (Starbucks), and two venture capital companies (which have invested upwards of US$60 million).

Since entering the market in New York City, Jamba Juice has opened 19 locations across the city, with more opening daily. The first and most prominent location is located at Columbus Circle and 59th Street, in the basement of the Time Warner Center Building, with Whole Foods Market as a close neighbor.

The number of smoothie flavors offered has grown. In addition to the smoothies, Jamba Juice sells fresh-squeezed orange juice and lemonade, as well as wheatgrass juice shots. Jamba Juice offers boosts (dietary supplements) with all of their smoothies, the most common being the "energy boost", followed by "immunity" and others.

!

I considered going there today because they have some new PUMPKIN-related beverage.

Skinny fashion student, why make Jamba Juice your breakfast?

so classic

i'm doing a focus group next week! i've always wanted to be in a focus group!