Sew Focused

Yesterday, I participated in my first ever focus group. This was something that had been an interest of mine for years now, so anytime the opportunity presented itself, I would dutifully apply and hope to be accepted. Sometimes, it seemed like I was forever this close, but invariably one of my answers during the pre-interview would trigger that I wasn't in some way qualified for their study. However, as luck would have it in this particular case, being female and an intermediate sewer, I was finally a candidate!

I arrived early for the 5:30pm start, filled out the necessary paperwork, and took my place among seven other women. I don't recall if we were allowed to reveal the details of what transpired during the focus group. To be vague, it involved critiquing sewing product ideas for a well known person who happens to keep a tight rein on their empire. We were asked a ton of questions and for our personal opinions about product placement and celebrity endorsements.

We were also shown three television clips and asked to compare and contrast each of them. The comments and ideas flowed throughout us group of women and it was obvious that the moderator was pleased with our honest responses. That they provided cookies and refreshments only helped us settle in and relax a bit more. The entire discussion was filmed for them to review our responses later, but we were assured that it wouldn't end up on YouTube or anything like that, which was a relief!

The focus group lasted a little over an hour and a half. For our time, we were each handed $75 in cash at the end of the session. I think I'm liking this focus group stuff.