The first suggestion Google gives when you type in “focus groups” is “focus group near me.” Focus groups are prevalent in our society in which a small group of people holds the majority of the power. Focus groups came about because this small group of elite people is often disconnected from the needs of the population they are marketing to. For example, management workers who are mostly white and male often do not have the necessary experience to understand the needs of colored women. Focus groups allow them to gain insight into the demographics they are trying to market to.
Despite the prevalence of focus groups, the elite just as often profess their dislike for them. They often cite the fact that focus group members are being paid. They don’t like what the focus group has to say and don’t believe the members of the focus group represent their target population. They resent receiving feedback from people they consider ignorant about their products. However, all of these things speak to the effectiveness of focus groups at pointing out flaws in the products they are reviewing. Focus group members view it as their duty to give honest feedback about products. The negative opinions on products provide a reality check to the people in power, which is sorely needed because of the immense differences between the elite and the target consumer.
Social media has contributed to the consumer’s power to voice their opinion. Any person can post their opinions on social media or comment on what they like or dislike on sites such as Yelp. Consumers do this because they want to express their opinions to both the people in power as well as other consumers. Companies take complaints on social media seriously because if a consumer puts up a lot of fuss, there is a chance the story will go viral and hurt the company’s image. For the most part, social media works largely in a company’s favor, as they get more feedback from a larger variety of users for little to no cost.
Focus groups aren’t perfect and are only necessary because of the power difference that exists between the elite ruling class and the common people. However, they can be effective tools in understanding the needs and opinions of a target audience.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/06/talk-is-cheap-the-myth-of-the-focus-group
The use of focus groups like you have mentioned seems to decline with every passing year. Personally, it seems that what's missing is empathy to be able to connect with others, but that's not as easy to just learn so focus groups it is. With the growing use of technology, focus groups will no longer prove necessary especially because filling out a quick survey sent to your email or phone is so much easier to access. It's honestly kind of scary how much social media impacts our lives.
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