Focus Group

Instead, backed by a brutally efficient opposition research unit, the president will use focus-group tested lines of attack to disqualify the Republican nominee by questioning his or her values, intentions and intelligence. ❋ Karl Rove (2011)

According to a new focus-group study by the same researchers, fame is now the number-one aspirational value among children nine to eleven years old. ❋ Dr. Jim Taylor (2012)

There are some factors that are beyond the power of focus-group driven repositioning. ❋ Fernando Espuelas (2011)

The filmmaker was particularly bemused about the nearly ubiquitous studio practice of using focus-group screenings to shape material — a process he was forced to endure by the producers of a studio-financed 1993 take on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." ❋ Bruce Bennett (2011)

"Consumers expect over-the-top advertising but there is some over-sensitivity out there," says Carolyn Crafts , chief marketing officer for Cars.com, which will air a focus-group tested spot that shows a two-headed man buying a car. ❋ Suzanne Vranica (2012)

On health spending, Mr. Ryan wages semantic warfare over whether "voucher" or "premium support" describes his Medicare plan, a distinction that smacks of focus-group testing. ❋ David Wessel (2011)

When Invesco tested the phrase "institutional-quality money management," one focus-group member asked why prison inmates were handling the money. ❋ Brett Arends (2011)

Some focus-group participants found the older character offensive. ❋ Suzanne Vranica (2012)

They can raise more money, do opposition research against opponents, do focus-group testing on how to beat these guys. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Steve Shannon , vice president of marketing for Hyundai's American division, says that while Hyundai has used focus-group testing to help it select and shape its Super Bowl ads for several years this year it went even further and put its two big game spots through an additional focus group test that was done online. ❋ Suzanne Vranica (2012)

"Yeah, I [barely] even listen to the [radio] anymore, all [the hip] Focus Group Rock is on the TV!" ❋ Cynic Syndicate (2012)