What’s the Matter with Boston?

Earlier this month, two clients contacted us about moderating focus groups in Boston.

Why is this notable? Well, we almost never conduct qualitative research in Boston, despite being headquartered 50 miles to the north.

In 2007, Boston barely finished among our top-10 cities for qualitative research:

• 1. New York
• 2. Washington, D.C.
• 3. Atlanta
• 4. Philadelphia
• 5. Southwestern Connecticut
• 6. Los Angeles
• 7. Dallas
• 8. Chicago
• 9. Phoenix
• 10. Boston

When looking to conduct focus groups and IDIs in a Northeast market, our clients opt for New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. But rarely do they choose Boston.

Considering the healthy number of well-educated, higher-income consumers that most of our clients are targeting, I wonder: Why don't our clients, many of them headquartered in New York, want to conduct research in Boston?

A few possibilities:

It's too white -- and, at the same time, ethnic. Boston's metropolitan area is more than 20% whiter than the national average, and has a reputation of being more segregated than other major U.S. cities. Boston residents are thought to have a stronger-than-average sense of cultural identity, which could set them apart from potential participants in other cities.

It's too educated. Boston Public Schools, the oldest public school system in the country, is still considered the nation's best, and the array of colleges and universities provide a population that could be seen as too intellectual.

It's weird and isn't representative of the U.S. A lot of people think New Englanders are just strange and don't represent the rest of the country. (Many New Englanders appreciate this reputation.)

What do you think?