Tag Archives: american idol

February 23^rd, 2011

Dear American Idol Producers,

I hate to say it, but most of us have stopped drinking the Kool-Aid. Wait, Okay, I take that back.

But the point remains the same. No one who wins American Idol is actually the winner. Remember Taylor Hicks? No. Remember Chris Daughtry? Yes. They were both contestants on season five of American Idol. Taylor Hicks took home the gold while Chris Daughtry took home whatever precious metal they give to fifth. Since getting the early boot, Chris and his band Daughtry have sold more albums than Taylor Hicks or any other American Idol contestants except Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Just to re-cap, in 10 seasons of the show, only those 2 winners have actually been winners, at least on the basis of album sales.

A common understanding in marketing is that things people say in a market survey or focus group are not always the best indicators of their actual behaviors. For example, a consumer can tell you that they like a product at first glance and would be inclined to purchase it. Then the product hits the shelf and people are not buying it like they said they would. Sometimes these failures are epic- think New Coke or Heinz’s Purple Ketchup. This is the primary goal of the marketer- to determine which stated consumer preferences they will actually act on when economic tension hits the equation.