Hamstringing Creativity: How Focus Groups Get in the Way of Breakthrough Ideas.

Don’t get us wrong; this is not an article that slams focus groups but rather a cautionary tale about relying on focus groups incorrectly. We always use focus groups and discovery sessions when we are developing brands, marketing, advertising or themes for fundraising campaigns. But, when testing creative concepts, messaging or designs with groups, we proceed cautiously. Sometimes in dread.

Why?
Great creativity or arresting design usually emerges from the unexpected. Group opinions tend to gravitate towards what’s familiar, limiting the possibility of groundbreaking ideas. Unexpected gets noticed, and familiar blends into the background.

Ideas that resonate with one group may completely miss the mark for another. Don’t let a few voices, or even the loudest or most contrarian voice, decide the fate of great work that may make some people uncomfortable. You can’t please everyone.

Great ideas usually start as a spark within one person’s mind or a small group. There is a risk, more likely a guarantee, of diluting unique perspectives and compromising a vision by surrendering to focus group testing. Too many potentially great ideas get trampled before they have a chance to bloom.

People’s responses in a controlled, facilitated group setting are not the same as in real-life scenarios. What might seem ideal in theory could be a disaster in practice. Not sure? Start with a limited test, with a small market, in the real world.

To get back to our quote above, Steve Jobs, arguably his most famous marketing piece, was never focus group tested and received considerable pushback from his board of directors. Today, the “1984” TV commercial is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential commercials in advertising history. Not only did it receive significant attention when it first ran (a central goal of every piece of advertising), it contributed to the successful launch of the Macintosh computer.