Strategically Communicating

I noticed that the teens and advertising study was conducted before the explosion of social media. I’d be fascinated to see this study duplicated among the same age group now to test reactions to advertising on social media platforms, specifically with people who have grown up with social media and have never known a world without it.  This would be fascinating! Would the interpretation of images be determined even more through associations and personal stories within the friendship circle? Is the inherited culture association waning?  Is there a new definition of culture itself as popular culture over traditional linkages such as nationality, ethnic background, religion or ethnic class?

Piper Jaffray released a study on April 10 of this year that showed that 48 percent of teenagers in upper and average-income homes own an iPhone, and that number is growing every month. What impact does the use of technology have on how we respond to messages and relate to each other?  Has this already changed?  It would be an intriguing focus group project.

Having been both a focus group participant and the client behind the glass, I fully appreciate how crucial it is to have a highly trained moderator.  Otherwise one person can take over the discussion or the conversation can devolve into trivial matters. Both scenarios are painful to sit through and yield little useful information.