Approved-By:  Diane Kovacs <DKOVACS@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Thu, 20 Aug 1992 19:06:16 EDT
From:         "Gary Klein (bear at heart)" <FAC2813@UOFT01.BITNET>
Subject:      Focus groups for technical journals

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
     As someone who worked for several years in marketing research, you ought
to know a few things about focus groups.

1)   Client names are not always revealed.
        In many cases, there is a bias by responders when they know in
advance exactly WHO is asking for their advice.  Part of that bias is a fear
of telling the sponsor all the bad news.  By keeping the client's name out
of it, respondents may feel freer to speak their minds, and not worry about
embarrasing the sponsor.

        On the other hand, they do not want to invite people who will spend
all of their time putting down their client, without ever looking at the other
side of the company's strength.  Some people go to these focus groups to vent
steam, instead of analyzing ALL THE ISSUES that the client is interested in.

2)   There may be more than one client.
        Sometimes individual competitors have not initiated the research
project, but in fact have pooled their resources, sometimes without even
knowing which other competitors are co-sponsoring the project.  Or it might
be a joint effort by professional groups that do not look at each other
as "competitors", but as working with each other (just as the Engineering
Library in NYC is a joint effort of separately chartered professional groups
for Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical engineering ETC).

3)   It may be sponsored by a new company who wants to enter the field.
        Publishers who are successful with trade magazines might want to
explore the profit potential of professional journals in the same field.
BUT they do not want to tip their hats to the existing players in the market
place.  AGAIN as in #1, they do not want the answers to be biased.

4)   The client's name was not revealed at this stage of recruitment
        But this may be revealed later on, at some point during the focus
group.  After getting sufficient info about the GENERAL problems in the
field, then you might be asked a series of questions about a SPECIFIC publisher

5)   Why does it matter who the client really is?
        If you really care about improving the problems which plague your
profession, AND you can fit the focus group into your schedule, WHY WORRY about
the name of the anonymous client.  Surely no one is going to be wasting their
time & money to arrange a focus group just for the fun of it!  IF a publisher
is seriously interested in addressing the problems associated with our
industry, why question their motives?

        Think about it.  If publishers realized HOW MANY JOURNALS we are
cutting, do you really think that they will ignore the economic reality that
they are pricing themselves out of the market.

        MCB Publications just lost one of its international marketing journals
to a group at Michigan State Univ, who claim they can put it out for $100/year
instead of MCB's $1,300 !

        When will other publishers, such as The Severe Pricing Company and
Strangler-Verlag catch on that our budgets ARE SHRINKING, and that we are
CANCELLING subscriptions to hundreds of journals each year!


     Whenever I am answering an unsolicited phone call from a vendor, I have
a very standard response to the ubiquitous, "IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE WE
CAN DO TO HELP YOU, PLEASE LET ME KNOW"

     The reply is very easy to remember:

LOWER YOUR PRICES!
No one on my campus received a pay increase for the past 2 years,
why should your firm get an increase?

     Alternative response:

GET ME A GRANT, TO COVER YOUR PRICE INCREASES!
I can save a lot more money by not buying this from you.
We will just make do without it!

"Librarian, leather bound"
      * * * *          Gary Klein,   Business Librarian,  Univ of Toledo
       *   *                     P.O.Box 12650 / Toledo OH 43606
        * *            WORK: 419-537-2629             HOME: 419-243-2740
         *             BITNET:   fac2813@uoft01        FAX: 419-537-2726
  B4 t+ w- g s+ k             INTERNET: fac2813@uoft01.utoledo.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
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