BBC Article

[Guest]

...I like this bit in particular:

[interviewer asks Michael and Emily]

Do they ever consult market research?

"No," says Emily firmly. "Not interested," bellows Michael.

They could tell you who your audience is and...

"No! No!" Emily interrupts. "We know they're great. We don't need to know any market research. Market research is death to everything."

"No, we're not interested," Michael insists again. "No way."

This is great. Market research is to blame for XFM - which should be great - being utter crap. And lots of other crap things too.

Edited June 23, 2009 by ThomasT

[DaveMac]

Reckon M & E have done well enough without market research so far.

Why would they bother now having established a very successful and much loved Festival.

Hope they keep relying on their gut instincts as they always seem to manage to surprise us one way or another each year.

[windy_miller]

I don't want to be given what I want at Glasto. I want to turn up and they go "here's whats on offer whether you like it or not. Have fun!"

[bombfrog]

Finding out more about the people that come to their festival and what they like would clearly be a bad thing for the festival

[TheBoyInTheBubble]

Finding out more about the people that come to their festival and what they like would clearly be a bad thing for the festival

[pedmills]

If they just booked on who the majority wanted then the headliners would be Kings of Leon, The Killers, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead or Oasis every year. Sometimes the best things to watch are the acts we wouldn't have thought of, or usually wouldn't have listened to.

That's what makes Glastonbury great, its different, and it takes risks.

[eFestivals]

If they just booked on who the majority wanted then the headliners would be Kings of Leon, The Killers, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead or Oasis every year. Sometimes the best things to watch are the acts we wouldn't have thought of, or usually wouldn't have listened to.

That's what makes Glastonbury great, its different, and it takes risks.

spot on!!

I don't want to see all my favourite bands at every festival I go to, I want to be challenged by being presented with different stuff. That's what festivals are all about!

[Into my Arms]

Neil Young is gonna be amazing, thats all I know

[cossie]

This is great. Market research is to blame for XFM - which should be great - being utter crap. And lots of other crap things too.

[Abbathehorse]

If they just booked on who the majority wanted then the headliners would be Kings of Leon, The Killers, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead or Oasis every year. Sometimes the best things to watch are the acts we wouldn't have thought of, or usually wouldn't have listened to.

That's what makes Glastonbury great, its different, and it takes risks.

[mario man]

Its a nice article, READ the rest of it

[sh4rpie]

curious now as to how it would turn out with market research, it wouldnt be like reading or v coz glasto is huge!

[Magma]