The Daily Mail, the paper assumed to represent the beating heart of a mythical middle England, is trying to discover yet more about its audience (though it prefers to regard them as mid-Britons rather than mid-Englanders). To that end its owner, Associated Newspapers, is creating a panel of 8,000 consumers to garner views on the inhabitants of MidBritain, explaining that they are "a demographic" described as "optimistic, politically engaged and involved in their local communities."
Mad.co.uk reports that Associated is setting up the panel in the belief that it will help deepen advertisers' understanding of middle class readers. Its marketing services director, Linda Grant, says: "This new panel will be vital for anyone who wants to target the economic heartland of the UK. MidBritain is a group of astute intrinsically valuable consumers who can make or break brands."
She revealed the ploy when announcing new appointments to Associated's 20-strong strategic insight team in an attempt "to better understand brands and consumer behaviour."
Most journalists find this marketing-speak a turn-off, partly because we hate jargon (except our own), partly because we can't accept that brands are so important (which they are), and partly because we distrust all research into audiences (which has long been one of our greatest failings).
But I take heart from the Associated initiative. Given the difficulties papers now have in retaining readers, and the even greater problem of attracting new ones, it is no longer good enough to rely on the traditional view that editors and journalists intuitively know what their readers want.
It's also very significant that the Daily Mail, of all papers, should be taking such pains, because there is an assumption that it is closer to its readers than most of its rivals. I wonder whether it will allow any outsider to get a glimpse of its panel's views?
