Markets Are Not Sales Channels. They’re the Cheapest Focus Groups You’ll Ever Run.
Digital ad costs are out of control, and markets feel like a return to human connection. But there’s a hidden trap. Markets are not sales channels—they’re the cheapest, most brutally honest focus groups disguised as social gatherings. The warm atmosphere inflates your numbers, masking the cold reality of repurchase rates. Brands that treat markets as a testing ground win; those that treat them as a revenue source fail. Here’s how to use them without getting seduced.