There is no place like a focus group administration, there is no place like a focus group administration (click, click, click)

My mom’s favorite movie of all time is the Wizard of Oz, so I was pleasantly surprised when the movie was featured in a skit during the 84^th Academy Awards. The skit, shown in black and white, was a focus group of people who had just screened the Wizard of Oz movie. The moderator asked a series of questions to the participants including what they thought about the movie, what they would change, and if there were any characters they would remove.

Obviously, the skit was a parody and the participant’s comments were somewhat extreme. However, for anyone who has moderated or participated in a focus group, you know that this can occasionally happen, although it is rear to end up with an entire room of extreme viewpoints. 

If this focus group actually did happen, and the movie executives did implement all the recommendations of the participants, how would the Wizard of Oz been different?

1. First, there would have been no Dorothy as she was the one character they suggested getting rid of.
2. The movie would have lasted about 15 minutes, because the Glenda, the good witch, would have told Dorothy right away that she needed to click her heals to get home as soon as they met.
3. The Flying Monkeys would have had a much more prominent role as one of the participants seemed border-lined obsessed with the monkeys.
4. The Munchkins, would not have been Munchkins, they would have been full size men.
5. And, Dorothy’s uncles would have had a different part in the Oz part of the movie- possibly playing themselves since the participants didn’t understand that they were in the Oz part of the movie as the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. 

For most movie screenings, marketing campaigns, or product launches, focus groups can be a powerful tool that can ensure that the movie/message/product connects with the target audience. When done correctly, moderators are able to extract useful information from the participants without letting a few participants monopolize the conversation (as done in this video).  

 

You can view the video here