While demographics can be a useful tool for marketing, behavioral demographics is a slippery slope. First mistake junior markeeters make is assuming that if someone is a member of a particular group, they will behave like the group. It's statistics 101. 50% of the population has below average intellegence for instance.
The second mistake is extended assumptions. Usually our data is not granular enough to make sweeping assertions based on combining several statistics.
What brought this to mind, was seeing War in Salt Lake. (reminded me of going to 
Foster Beach in the summertime growing up.) I got into a discussion with one of the concert promoters. It's a delicate equation. They need to balance the cost of the perfomer, overhead and venue against ticket price and sales. Every band appeals to different people.
Here's a pop quiz. Utah is the most Republican state in the US. Now think about Republican demographics and behavior.
Question: We have three performances: Michael Moore, Ann Coulter, and Bill Maher. Which one(s) do better in Utah?
Answer:
Michael Moore : sold out
Ann Coulter: cancelled
Bill Maher: sold out
Bonus points: Why?
My guess re Ms. Coulter is that she's boring. She reminds me of Joan Crawford's "acting." Ms. Crawford had three expressions and the camera had to cut away and back so she could "act." Same with Ms. Coulter - she plays the same small set of notes over and over. And, what would the poor woman do if Clinton had never been president or Kennedy hadn't driven off that bridge? That'd take away a large part of her repertoire.
Moore and Mahler, even if you don't agree with them, have real talent and wit.
So? Did I get a bonus point?
Posted by: Mary Schmidt | 25 April 2006 at 01:28 PM
Mary,
You get 3 out of a possible 5. Here's another clue:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/backgrounders/school_funding.html
...Bruce...
Posted by: brucefryer | 25 April 2006 at 02:20 PM