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Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.15,0:00:10.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why do we buy certain products\Nor choose certain brands?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.93,0:00:14.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the sort of question advertisers\Nhave always asked,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.53,0:00:16.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and there are no easy answers.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.48,0:00:20.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, there is a handy tool\Nthat helps companies explore this
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.53,0:00:22.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and similar questions,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.56,0:00:25.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's called the focus group.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.15,0:00:29.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Until the 1940s, market research\Nwas often quantitative
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.06,0:00:34.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using things like sales figures\Nand customer polls to track consumption.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.32,0:00:36.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this changed during World War II.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.92,0:00:40.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sociologists Robert Merton\Nand Paul Lazarsfeld
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.75,0:00:45.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,set out to learn how unprecedented\Nexposure to wartime propaganda
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.12,0:00:47.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was affecting the public.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.27,0:00:49.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead of polling large numbers of people
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.64,0:00:52.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with straightforward questions\Nand quantifiable answers,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.89,0:00:56.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the researchers conducted \Nin-person interviews,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.13,0:00:58.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sometimes with small groups,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.16,0:01:00.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,engaging them in more open discussions.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.83,0:01:04.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Later, this method was picked up\Nby the advertising industry
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.28,0:01:05.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the help of consultants,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.83,0:01:09.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like Austrian-born psychologist\NErnest Dichter,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.66,0:01:12.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who first coined the term focus group.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.17,0:01:15.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This new technique was a type\Nof qualitative research
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.40,0:01:19.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,focused on the nature \Nof people's preferences and thoughts.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.61,0:01:24.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It couldn't tell marketers what percentage\Nof people buy a certain product or brand,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.45,0:01:27.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it could tell them more about\Nthe people who do,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.30,0:01:29.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their reasoning for doing so,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.12,0:01:33.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and even the unconscious motivations\Nbehind those reasons.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.29,0:01:36.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather than providing definite conclusions\Nfor business and sales,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.79,0:01:40.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,focus groups would be used\Nfor exploratory research,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.69,0:01:42.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,generating new ideas for products
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.83,0:01:47.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and marketing based on deeper\Nunderstanding of consumer habits.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.24,0:01:52.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, early focus groups found that\Ncontrary to popular opinion at the time,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.44,0:01:57.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wives often had more influence than their\Nhusbands when choosing which car to buy,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.70,0:02:02.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so Chrysler shifted gears by marketing\Ncars directly to women.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.38,0:02:05.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And Dr. Dichter himself conducted\Nfocus groups for Mattel
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.98,0:02:09.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to learn what girls wanted in a doll.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.02,0:02:12.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The result was the original Barbie doll.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.07,0:02:14.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how does a focus group work?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.47,0:02:18.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First, companies recruit between\Nsix and ten participants
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.18,0:02:23.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,according to specific criteria\Nthat meet their research objectives.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.01,0:02:26.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They could be mothers of children\Nbetween five and seven,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.02,0:02:30.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or teenagers planning to buy\Na new phone in the next three months.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.76,0:02:34.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is often done through professional\Nrecruiters who manage lists of people
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.74,0:02:39.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who've agreed to participate in\Nfocus groups for payment or other rewards.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.24,0:02:43.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During a session, participants are asked\Nto respond to various prompts
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.76,0:02:45.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the group moderator,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.55,0:02:47.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like sharing their opinions\Non a certain product,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.97,0:02:51.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or their emotional reactions\Nto an advertisement.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.64,0:02:55.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They may even be asked to do\Nseemingly unrelated tasks,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.42,0:02:58.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like imagining brands as animals in a zoo.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.59,0:03:01.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The idea is that this can reveal \Nuseful information
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.64,0:03:03.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the participant's feelings
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.48,0:03:07.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that traditional questions \Nmight not get to.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.08,0:03:10.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Beyond these basics,\Nmany variations are possible.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.67,0:03:13.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A focus group may have two\Nor more moderators
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.60,0:03:16.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,perhaps taking opposite sides\Non a question,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.64,0:03:20.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a researcher might be hidden\Nin the focus group
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.30,0:03:24.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,unknown to other participants to see\Nhow their answers can be influenced.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.68,0:03:28.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the whole process may also\Nbe observed by researchers
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.09,0:03:30.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through a one-way mirror.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.62,0:03:32.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But although they can provide\Nvaluable insight,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.94,0:03:35.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,focus groups do have their limitations,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.59,0:03:39.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and one of the main ones is that\Nthe simple act of observing something
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.44,0:03:40.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can change it.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.90,0:03:43.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This principle is called \Nobserver interference.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.69,0:03:45.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The answers participants give
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.62,0:03:49.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are likely to be affected \Nby the presence of the researchers,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.40,0:03:51.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,social pressure \Nfrom the rest of the group,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.50,0:03:55.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or simply knowing that they're taking\Npart in a focus group.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.14,0:03:59.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And because researchers often use\Na small sample size in a specific setting,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.70,0:04:02.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's hard to generalize their results.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.55,0:04:05.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The findings that researchers do reach\Nfrom focus groups
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.45,0:04:09.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are often tested through experiments\Nand data gathering.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.10,0:04:13.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those put numbers on questions like\Nhow many potential customers there are
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.56,0:04:16.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what price they'd be willing to pay.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.22,0:04:20.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This part of the process changes\Nas technology evolves.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.19,0:04:23.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But focus groups have remained\Nlargely the same for decades.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.64,0:04:26.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Perhaps when it comes\Nto the big, important questions,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.98,0:04:31.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's no substitute for people\Ngenuinely interacting with each other.