Oh we have all so been here...
(thanks to Skydeck Cartoons)
But what I can't get my head around is this. You have a focus group. Let's say it's a big one: 10 people. 3 people really love what you're showing; 4 are ambivalent; 3 hate it. What have you got? An unmitigated disaster: it's back to the drawing board with a flea in your ear about being too radical, too polarising, too challenging or too whatever.
Now let's look at things another way: 30% of your target audience love your brand; 40% are ambivalent; 30% hate it. What have you got? Market leadership probably. And you're being used by companies across the land as an example of how they would like their brand to be. And there's a big fat pay rise in the post. And so on.
Go figure!
Now I know it's not that simple. But can anyone please explain to me why consensus in research is a good thing to be aiming for?