h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm that way about most things to do with business and commerce, I can't help it.

I'm sure that some companies use these surveys as a way to find out what their customers want, but I'm equally as sure that for the vast majority of them, especially the larger and more corporate companies, surveys are just a way to maximise profits and target certain markets Have you ever noticed how a product you like and have been buying for several months suddenly disappears from the supermarket shelf? It's not that the company can't afford to stock it (because it doesn't sell quick enough), they want to find out what sells more quickly and therefore creates higher profits from higher turnover. And you make much mention of the huge sums of money paid by companies to the people who conduct these surveys. In business, all outgoings and overheads are always passed on to the customer as higher prices or the employee as lower wages. Shareholders will only get lower dividends if someone screws up *really* badly.

Of course they're doing surveys to make money...finding out what their customers want will, of course, "maximize profits." But what's wrong with that? Businesses exist to make money, and they can best do that by understand their target market's needs.

Quite so, but if you're not in anyone's 'target market', then you, and your wants and needs are going to be pretty much ignored by businesses who just want the cream. Most corporate retail and service businesses will target the consumers who have the most money, and if that's not you, you're stuffed. You're going to have to travel further and pay more for what you want, if you can find it at all. Take Radio 2 for example. For years R2 has been the 'Mums and Dads', easy listening, middle of the road station. A few years ago however, the powers that be decided that their target audience was now going to be the baby boomers who were approaching middle age, and that the musical interests of the people who had been listening to Radio 2 for years, but who were now reaching retirement (and probably looking forward to spending their days listening to R2), were going to be either sidelined, or completely ignored. It's even worse here in the US because radio stations are formatted and will mostly only play one type of music. If what you like to hear isn't what they think will generate revenue, you're not going to hear it. Commercial television stations here only want to show whatever will draw the biggest audiences because that's what will attract the advertisers. If they start showing programmes which only a few people want to see, but which are artistically or intellectually 'worthy', that station ain't gonna be around for too long. That's why PBS is always strapped for cash.
No offence meant here, but personally, I find the whole concept of target marketing obscene. If you're in business, then by all means provide customers with what sells in huge quantities, but stock the other stuff too - the items which sell much more slowly but which some people still want. My opinion is that whatever line of business you're in, it's your duty and obligation to take the rough with the smooth, and provide *everyone* with what they want, within your sphere of business. Don't just take the icing off the top of the cake.

Is it the "icing off the top of the cake" or "the lowest common denominator". I am too familiar with the things you talk about. Cruddy TV, radio and magazines written by what sometimes appear to be writers with a lack of English writing skills who don't have a clue about geography, politics, world affairs, history or heaven forbid art.

If you generate piles of crap based on the basic reptilian brain stimuli - sex, violence and chemical stimulus then you can easy mass market it and probably increase your ROI versus creating worthwhile or entertainging and stimulating media or goods well made and crafted to be enjoyed by you and your children (etc.).

Then you (the vendor) can call people up at dinner time to ask them lots of questions. Once you average all this stuff out you will end up with some homogenous offering that you can plug on narrow-minded format TV and radio. As now there is little choice left, you (the consumer) either are rich and can afford to import stuff or fly around the world shopping, or you have to make do with what's available.

When I see the use of media like this made into one-minded consumerist mush promoting products, I want to heave too. There is so much that people miss and the educational and entertainment opportunities are lost.

Media-wise there's SW radio and the internet (most of it's garbage but you can watch worldwide broadcasts and find good information - as you choose).