Focus Groups

 A few years ago I was called by a survey agency a few times and asked if I would be willing to come in and sit in a room around a table with about a dozen other people and talk about a product or TV show. There was a large two way mirror behind us and they told us that our discussion would be video taped and shown to the people paying for the discussion. I would get paid $80 for 2 hours, get a free lunch and coffee and other drinks were always available.

Of course I said yes and went down to their site and one time we talked about a Daytime Soap Opera and what we thought should happen with the different characters. I had a lot of fun with this one and enjoyed it since I was actually watching this particular soap opera back then. It's been a while since I've watched one now though.

Another time we talked about frozen dinners and how they could be better. I think we all pretty much agreed that we would only eat them on special occasions like we just didn't feel like cooking. lol

And yet another time we talked about one of the laws that had just passed here in Las Vegas about it being illegal to give the homeless food if they were in a park. None of us liked that law. I mean if there are people going around on their own time handing out sandwiches to the homeless and they want to do that...why should the police be able to stop them and give them a fine. It didn't work anyway..those people kept doing it and just paid the fines. So it was rescinded and the law is no more. I wonder if us being in that focus group and none of us liking that law had anything to with with the law being over turned?

Have you ever participated in a focus group?