focus only comes when you're under the microscope

I spent most of the week on the road with focus groups, with inexplicably limited ability to get wireless access; hence posting was non-existent. Sorry about that.

Focus groups are a necessary evil of the ad business. Creatives hate them as a matter of course, and believe that, when it comes to judging work, everyone is too reliant on them.

Years ago I watched a client try to get groups to pick the "best" creative out of three we'd presented for a DM package. Most of the time was spent listening to people talk about how much they hate "junk" mail and they didn't want to see any of the concepts darken their doors. Eventually, in the last five or ten minutes of each group, we pried a little evaluation out of the participants, but it was half hearted. People's reactions were so negative, the groups completely drained the client's energy for the project.

The moderator has to let people blow off steam if the groups are about a typical consumer irritant, like banks, insurance, DRTV, or yes, even "junk" mail. Once they've stated their feelings, they can begin to open up about whatever you're trying to explore.

But that process can be painful to watch, especially when it's your work that's on the table.

And yet, done right, focus groups offer something valuable. Because with a good moderator, once you filter out the expected reactions, common hatreds and inevitable dislikes, you'll hear people's genuine concerns about your category. You'll get a lot of first-hand language that you'll probably both love and hate, and knowledge that you can use to make your work better for the client over the long term.

You'll get a little dose of reality from the people you're trying to sell stuff to, and that's always good.