In Focus

This post could be considered a public service announcement of sorts.

This probably comes as a shock to my two-handfuls of readers. If you’ve been with me for awhile, you know I don’t generally use my blog for PSA’s. I may be preachy, but this blog is generally not my preferred forum for stirring the social consciousness. The spiritual consciousness, perhaps, but not the social consciousness. That’s just how I roll.

But today, for one post, you can bear with me. Especially since you’ve been stuck looking at that recipe for potato salad for so long. I mean honestly, no matter how good that recipe is, you can only read it so many times before you’re already sick of it – and you haven’t even eaten any. Trust me, I know. I read my blog, too.

Last night, I participated in a focus group with Dallas by Definition (formerly Dallas Focus). I have done many focus groups with them in a variety of settings and have enjoyed each experience. Group topics have ranged from radio stations to online banking to TV shows and programming to cheese to “Got Milk?” ads to bras. Yes, bras. They have been conducted in one-on-one interviews, product testing at home, videotaped shopping experiences, group interviews in a conference room and roundtable discussions in a hotel suite. Each of them introduced me to diverse groups of people with equally varied professions, cultures, and outlooks on life. In each group, there was only one common thread that joined us together: the topic of discussion. But our perspectives were as widely different as they come. And that always makes for an interesting time.

So what’s the public-service in this announcement? Simply this: Do it. As a Christian, I believe it is important for us to be involved in influencing manufacturers, marketers, and suppliers with our perspective. Executives pay a lot of money for these focus groups and therefore have a vested interest in listening to consumers’ concerns and meeting market demands. I take my obligation seriously and am involved with other forms of market research including the Home Testing Institute and Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel.  While these forums don’t provide me the freedom to explain my choices like a focus group does, I can demonstrate through my purchasing habits what does/does not appeal to my family and where my family chooses to spend our money.

So I encourage you to become involved. There are many other focus group opportunities besides the ones I’ve mentioned. There are focus groups at the mall – get paid to express your opinions and then go treat yourself to a new pair of shoes!  Find ones that you like. Get on their database call lists. Make your voice heard. Your opinions do count. And the few extra dollars or free product you’ll pocket isn’t a bad deal, either.