[B5JMS] Has Marvel ever done audience testing?

[b5jms at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: windbag1000 at aol.com (Windbag1000)
Date: 03 Jun 2003 22:49:55 GMT

I'd be curious to know if there has been any independent audience research
since Quemas took over.  They seem confident that what they are doing is a
dead-cinch to improve the books readability, but what evidence do they have
beyond Jemas's hubris over his gifts for storytelling cultivated through years
of working at a baseball card company?

I would think an independent research group would be able to put a lot of
interesting demographic data together.  Other media use them to understand ways
to maximize their product's awareness and maximizing readership would certainly
be a valiant reason to take this step.

Of course, I suggest it with an idea on what to test - 

Here's what I'd suggest

Break it down by age --

kids 12 and under

kids 13-15;

teens 16-19

young adults 20-25

adults 26-40

Then what should they read - 

Well, if it's just Marvel - see what they prefer of the following examples --
this is just a random selection - the important thing is to use of the more
representative books of each decade of the Marvel Universe:

Marvel Milestone Edition of Spider-man #3 by Lee and Ditko

Marvel Milestone Edition of Hulk 181 by Wein and Trimpe

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars 1 by Shooter and Zeck

Heroes Reborn - Fantastic Four 1 by ????

Daredevil 46 by Bendis Maleev

(you could even go so far as to give one different issue of Daredevil from each
decade - obscuring the price on the cover and the date to insure it doesn't
effect results

OR - do a separate test featuring multi-part arcs from the various decades)

After they read each issue, ask them questions like the following:

Which book would they most likely spend 2.99 cents on every month?

Which book had the best writing?

Which had the best art?

Which book had the best characters?

Which book was the most understandable?

Which book was the most entertaining?

Which book would you recommend to your friends?

Which book would you ask for as a gift?

Which would you like to read the next issue of?

Which character did you relate to best?

Testing may be the bane of some entertainment, but it seems as though comics
could do worse than reach out in this way to better understand what the market
might support and where the best potential is for growth in today's economy and
in the key demographics.  It must be done independently of course, lest the
selection of titles used be limited only to the type of book the powers at
Marvel already push.

What do the rest of you think about independent testing?

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 04 Jun 2003 07:45:21 GMT

>I'd be curious to know if there has been any independent audience research
>since Quemas took over.  They seem confident that what they are doing is a
>dead-cinch to improve the books readability, but what evidence do they have
>beyond Jemas's hubris over his gifts for storytelling cultivated through
>years
>of working at a baseball card company?
>

Focus groups and audience testing have been two of the biggest reasons for the
general decline in quality television programs over the last few decades. 
Nothing of value is ever learned, and the results are always used to justify
dumbing down the stories to appeal to the lowest common denominator.  Shows
that test poorly often do very well; shows that do well with audience testing
almost always fail.  I was watching a focus group once where an audience
member, during testing, said he didn't like a given show because it "wasn't
science fiction."

Upon being asked by the group facilitator what he would consider to be good SF,
he replied, very earnestly, "Power Rangers."  This is in no way or shape an
exaggeration or distortion.  That's what he said.

Hearing that comics were going to focus groups/audience testing would be the
fastest way to get me the heck out of comics permanently.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine 
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