Problems often result in wasted time and money and compromised results. The right questions must be asked of the right people. Company goals for the research project should be queried. If exploring the station's image with current listeners is a goal, do the same for competitors. If attaining larger ratings is the goal, the study should survey a segment of the population that replicates the ratings sampling in terms of demographics, gender, race, and ZIP Codes by county.
Serious errors can occur in screening.
While such practices may reduce screening costs, effectiveness suffers. Research should be fun for participants. Testing TV spots and talent airchecks will reduce fatigue during long sessions. Focus groups and music tests must be proctored. Ask unruly or noisy participants to leave, and delete their answers from the results.