The problem with this kind of "wide appeal" demographic-based analysis used by content producers is that it ignores specialisation.
Famously, MTV stopped showing music videos years ago. They did a bunch of analysis to see what the target demo for a music channel is, what that demographic wants to see in general, and started playing that.
But, obviously, if I turn on the MUSIC TV channel, I expect to see music.
I'm the "target demo" for Science Fiction. That doesn't mean I want to see SciFi when I turn on the evening news. It doesn't mean that I never want to see a period drama, or a nature documentary.
But based on a purely statistical analysis, I should only be shown Science Fiction forever and ever, on every channel, because that's my favourite content category.
Similarly, the number #1 most popular content for the general public is sports for men and celebrity gossip for women.
Does this mean that every streaming service, TV channel, and content producer should create nothing else other than Soccer, Football, Dancing with the Stars, and Big Brother Celebrity?
It seems producers think so. They really do, and NetFlix is going down that path as fast as their statistics will carry them...
Famously, MTV stopped showing music videos years ago. They did a bunch of analysis to see what the target demo for a music channel is, what that demographic wants to see in general, and started playing that.
But, obviously, if I turn on the MUSIC TV channel, I expect to see music.
I'm the "target demo" for Science Fiction. That doesn't mean I want to see SciFi when I turn on the evening news. It doesn't mean that I never want to see a period drama, or a nature documentary.
But based on a purely statistical analysis, I should only be shown Science Fiction forever and ever, on every channel, because that's my favourite content category.
Similarly, the number #1 most popular content for the general public is sports for men and celebrity gossip for women.
Does this mean that every streaming service, TV channel, and content producer should create nothing else other than Soccer, Football, Dancing with the Stars, and Big Brother Celebrity?
It seems producers think so. They really do, and NetFlix is going down that path as fast as their statistics will carry them...