Letters

Focus Groups Are Used Unfairly as ‘Whippin’ Boy’

I was offended by media editor Jack Feuer’s characterization of focus groups as “mostly just exercises in creative collective lying” [A&C, Dec. 3]. Especially bothersome was the short, unsubstantiated manner in which he leveled this charge (a one-line reference in an unrelated article). It is ironic that Feuer, in his plea for advertisers to pay more attention to “individuals,” would paint all focus group research with the same broad brush.

As a qualitative researcher, I am troubled by the growing trend among certain members of the media and advertising communities to summarily dismiss focus-group research.