Focus Group example essay topic

Hi, y'all. I want you to know that this could get long, but please read it. And I hope it doesn't sound like I am irritated, I just want you to see how I saw things. Plus, I get my thoughts out better written down than verbally. First of all, now that I have found my composure, I want to say thank you for saying something last night. I wish you had said something earlier.

I really didn't realize you didn't feel I was contributing at all. I know Julia was doing more than she should, but I thought I was trying to do what I could. Please accept my apologies and know that my contribution or lack thereof wasn't conscious or planned - things have just happened. You are right, I should have asked about the research proposal and offered to write up your notes, but I really thought y'all were writing the whole thing that Saturday.

And I was planning on meeting with you until you postponed and didn't want to do it Sunday, when I could do it. Then I got caught up in my midterm exam, paper and presentation so didn't really think to find out about the proposal because I knew you had it under control. As for the focus group, I had asked for the notes as early as possible, but didn't get them until late afternoon on Friday when I had said I wouldn't be able to write anything on Saturday. So, Sunday was it.

You gave me a bunch of notes so I tried to include everything I could, including my ideas, to be edited down later. I could have edited it down myself. I said it was a rough draft - I asked in my email for you to tell me what changes to make and to email me back about it but Julia went ahead and did it. I didn't realize you wanted a finished project - I figured you would want some say so in it. Which, it was obvious you did since ideas I had added were removed.

And, I did ask people to come to the focus group - they just didn't come because they didn't have that Saturday afternoon free. And they were probably people who go out a lot. Plus, I attended the focus group and took notes. All three of us couldn't have been on camera anyway. This past week was pretty much out of my control. I came to our meetings and formatted a lot of the excel sheet and got the questions to flow.

After Monday, I thought everything was under control - just doing the cover letter and making the notes nice. Then I had to go out of town again. Anyway, I look to have a fresh start after break. We definitely need to communicate better (not just through phone vs. email, but laying things on the line up front). And, I would like to ask a few things of you as well. First, and most importantly, I don't understand why everything I say - comments, corrections, or ideas- are challenged then rejected or ignored completely.

I don't think I have heard one thing I have said accepted. And, there are a few things that I would have been right on - the sampling frame in the research proposal, for example. In my comments while proofing I mentioned that, but it wasn't changed. And, no, I didn't change it myself for fear that you would just change it back because you disagreed with me - then you would find a way to be annoyed with me that way. I also came to the first focus group meeting with about 30 questions I had thought about beforehand, but y'all pretty much ignored those and just wrote questions, many similar to mine, some not included, as if I hadn't done those.

And, even though we just added the "over 21" attribute to the list of ranking favorites, I think that the way it is worded will not apply well to those under 21 and we will get a false negative. I think we are missing that big part of 18-20, the majority of undergraduates, who won't go somewhere because they can't drink, if they don't have a fake ID, regardless of how many flyers they see. I know HOB can't change the drinking age, but they might have to decide NOT to target undergraduates, if drinking age enforcement is a draw or deterrent. But I haven't been able to really express that. Also, I suggested putting our questionnaire in Word which would have saved a lot of time in formatting frustrations. I got no feedback on that.

I would have just done it myself but I figured it had been started in Excel for a reason and again, y'all would be annoyed should I change it. Then on Monday, Allison decided it should stay in Excel, making the formatting difficult. Secondly, Allison had mentioned that she had never been in a group where she had to do all the work and had to say something to a group member about not performing. Well, I have never been in a group when group members don't really say hi at the beginning of class or never really ask questions about me or start up a conversation with me.

I know you aren't looking for a new friend, but some sort of camaraderie would be nice if we are working together. And I know y'all talk a lot already, so there might things that I naturally miss by missing those conversations. Finally, some help would be nice, too. This is my first (real) marketing class so I am learning along the way.

Of course my write ups aren't going to be what you want if I don't know what Quinlan or you are looking for. Guidelines would be great. If you know what a cover letter is supposed to be then tell me! I could have written what you wanted, but instead I did the research on my own and came up with what I thought was correct. Then that was shot down. And if you don't want to have to proof anything, then tell me you want me to produce the final product.

So, I guess what I am saying is that while I think I am contributing, I am probably not stepping up as much as you think I should because I don't feel all that comfortable. That makes it harder for me to speak up or take initiative. That in turn leads to less contribution. This is all subconscious, mind you, but now that I think about what you said and what I think has happened, maybe it makes sense. So, for the final project - I agree (and had agreed when it came up last week) that we should get this rolling quickly. I think I even mentioned doing the survey at the beginning of the week after break so we can start analyzing together that first Friday back and getting it done by the end of the weekend, if not that Friday.

Then we will have 3 weeks - which should be more than enough time. We can divide up the sections - and, with all that time I will have plenty of time for rough drafts! Okay, I have got to wrap this up. I hope this helps you see what I see going on. Let me know what you think.

And after break, a fresh start. Have a good break! I'll be here until Thursday if you need anything.