The Myth of the Mainstream
Conventional wisdom suggests that marketers should play it safe in a polarized culture and focus on potential customers who haven’t yet made up their minds — those in the middle, where the majority of the market is. But brand messaging can be more effective if it targets the subcultures that are strong brand supporters. Using McDonald’s successful fan-driven marketing strategy as an example, the author describes how the propagation effect can leverage existing customers to win over new ones.