must. stay. focused.

I participated in a focus group for a market researcher tonight. It paid well and was on a fun topic: bodywash. It took an interesting turn when all eight 28-32 year-old women pulled a sociological smackdown on the facilitator. When reacting to images for the ad campaign, the woman two seats down from me even went so far as to say "those images are too blatant and offensive. They are about men wanting a (sexual) woman who looks like a (young) girl."

Here are a few other things I learned in the group:
A major player in the bodywash industry (I'd rather not post the name online, but I'll tell you who it is if you ask) is looking to overhaul its image and move into selling a product that speaks to my generation. (In many ways, I'm their target demographic.) The message: bodywash isn't about getting clean. It's about sensuality, seduction, and romance.

While in the group brainstorm, I came to a clearer understanding of how each concept plays into feeling sexy:

• Sensuality is about feelings and, essentially, about oneself
• Seduction is about sex and power/ control
• Romance is about love and sharing