Interesting phone call tonight

[issai]

So, I received a phone call from Connie @ AIM Research (aimresearchnetwork.com) supposedly for a May 8th panel, running from 6-8pm, discussing cars. The particular panel I'm apparently attending will be held in Costa Mesa, CA.

 

She wants me to refer as many car enthusiasts as possible to her. I was undoubtedly singled out because of previous BMW M cars (E36, E46) I've sold / am selling, and she confirmed this was the case.

 

The requirement sounds like anyone who's owned an "enthusiast" car within the last year (for Japanese cars, this would anything from Acura Integra's, Civic Si's, to Subaru WRX STi's and Mitsu. EVO's and up). For example, for BMW's, she was naming off all the M cars. The car has to be >MY 1980.

 

Additional eligibility requirements include you can't be in the employ of the marketing, marketing research, or web development fields.

 

The price for my troubles: $100 for 2 hours.

 

Have you guys heard of these cats before? Does it smell fishy? If not, then I guess here's a way to earn $100 to pay for killer gas prices these days.

 

Connie's # is 1-800-308-3575 x124 if you're interested to see if you qualify and want to sign up.

 

Disclaimer: I have 0 affiliation with this whole set-up. I'm an IT consultant myself-- working in the entertainment industry for now.

 

Let me know what you guys think.

[Speedracerx]

AIM is a legit market research company. Probably doing research for the upcoming EVO X. Go for it. Answer the questions, look at the cars, have fun, take the money and report back!

[issai]

Will do, and will report back

[CobaltForge]

+1 again them being legit. There's a branch next door to my office and they're pretty cool. They totally compensate you for your time.

[Hanger]

can i just call them up and do this?

 

i can use the extra cash...

[issai]

Hanger,

 

Go for it. That was my intention for posting it up.

 

Keep in mind *their* definition of a "car enthusiast" as a requirement, though.

[Hanger]

What? NA doens't count?

 

heck i'll put in a fake FMIC then

[mickeyd2005]

This is the problem with marketing focus groups. The mfg doesn't get a cross-section of their target audience. They get a group of people who are willing to sit through a focus group session for money. And not everyone is honest so they end up with a skewed perspective.

 

These focus groups are legit. If you have the time... go for it.

 

Microsoft used to pay in software. After the focus group, you just pick what you want...

[issai]

Actually, I thought about it. And you have valid points.

 

On the other hand, I don't think it's really too skewed. If you're an enthusiast / exotic car owner / driver, chances are that you have sufficient earning potential to afford such a "pricey" car. If that's the case, then the money they're paying, $50 / hr, really isn't an eye-popping amount of $ to lure their ideal cross-section.

 

But it is just enough to momentarily have, say, budding professionals or business-owners give pause to the offer.

 

I think the compensation is a significant factor defining the focus group-- it's just enough for those who make enough coin to comfortably afford an STi, an M3, etc., and who have a speed gene in them to want to attend, etc.

 

It'd also include kids who aren't living completely financially independently and yet who own one of these types of cars. They're legit, too, since they "define the scene"-- rice-racers, street crew kids n' teams, etc.

 

Sure, some static will always be present, but these types of companies have algorithms to filter that out.

 

OR-- maybe I'm just specifying some ideal parameters *I'd* use to construct a focus group.

 

So-- that's why Windows Vista !@#!@#in' blows...!

[eldiablo]

I participated in one of their focus groups last year and had a blast. Spent 2 hours looking at brand new cars from different perspectives and wrote down my honest opinions. Talk about easy money... They write you a check as you exit the door.

 

Cars in my session included "high end" luxury wagons - Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and ummm VW... I was also asked to give quick opinions on small SUV's including the Forester, a few I can't remember and a Volvo concept car.

[Speedracerx]

Also, they don't usually go out soliciting people to attend the clinic, unless there is a problem finding "qualified" people, time is too short, or a myriad of other situations. Usually they use DMV lists to find current owners of target cars, send out a wriiten survey and then cull them down based on other demographic factors...a lot of tedious work to find a few "good" responders.

 

Clinic data always have to be looked at in the proper context and should be used to validate not necessarily create the vehicle. Despite what market research companies say, consumer research is more art than science. Unfortuately, there are many companies that use the data too literally, or listen too intently.

 

Also, another problem with clinics: you are usually comparing a new design to exisiting designs; usually designs that you are used to seeing and/or like(?) versus something that may look initially strange. Remember the first Ford Taurus? Whatever you personally think of it, it was bashed at first, then sold a whole bunch over time!

[el scorcho]

I went a few years ago when the last civic si came out. I told them it looked like a small mini van, but they still released it that way even though everybody there agreed.