http://www.msadverthinker.com/2008/06/02/blogs-the-new-focus-groups/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:21:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.msadverthinker.com/2008/06/02/blogs-the-new-focus-groups/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Tony Flanders Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:53:39 +0000 http://www.msadverthinker.com/?p=65#comment-162 This doesn't seem all that new to me. I've moderated focus groups for almost 30 years and I have always told my clients that this was just one source of understanding customers. The best customer relationship management remains evidence-based. But, as always, every thing - even the new media - require substantial judgement. And as always, you have to really be careful about your sample; who do they really represent? If the new media help you see the patterns clearer, serve your customers better; then by all means add them to your toolkit. But the hammer is still a pretty good tool for driving nails. Focus groups still have their use. This doesn’t seem all that new to me. I’ve moderated focus groups for almost 30 years and I have always told my clients that this was just one source of understanding customers. The best customer relationship management remains evidence-based. But, as always, every thing – even the new media – require substantial judgement. And as always, you have to really be careful about your sample; who do they really represent? If the new media help you see the patterns clearer, serve your customers better; then by all means add them to your toolkit. But the hammer is still a pretty good tool for driving nails. Focus groups still have their use.

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