Ron Sellers has spent 23 years conducting brand and advertising research and in that time he has seen clients trying to get answers to questions that consumers simply can't answer properly.
In a recent article on the Brandweek website, Mr. Sellers of Grey Matter Research & Consulting wrote, "In at least a third of the advertising-related focus groups I've moderated, the client has insisted we ask a question such as: 'What would be the best media to advertise our product?' The inevitable answer is television. But that's just because TV is what people tend to envision when they think of advertising. It's not because consumers actually have deep insight that a TV buy would suit the marketplace goals of the brand in question."
Questions about the effect advertising has on consumer purchasing decisions can also lead to wrong answers. "Consumers will tell us flat-out that advertising has no effect on what they buy. If only they realized how much it really does," he wrote.
"If consumers don't even know all the reasons for their own behavior," he asked, "why do we continue to treat them as if they do, ask them questions they cannot hope to answer accurately and rely on the results for critical decisions?"
Discussion Questions: Is there any point to asking consumers to consider the reasons behind their own shopping behavior? What is the most effective means to understand the connection between advertising and consumer shopping behavior?