The listener as a moving target

A few days ago, on Thursday, I listened to metal on my way to work (Sweden's excellent Arch Enemy), baroque in the morning hours (Bach's The Goldberg Variations), easy listening during the afternoon (The Carpenters, my not-so-guilty pleasure) and singer-songwriter stuff on the way home (Suzanne Vega's solid Beauty And Crime album).

Now, does this eclecticism make me a dream consumer or a marketing nightmare for the music industry? I would guess the latter. The advertising and brand people in the big corporations try to create brand loyalty and long-lasting ties between their product and a consumer. The only way to connect with mass audiences is to awake the interest of certain predefined target audiences they can then cater to.

Since I'm a bit this and another bit that and find life way too amusing to settle into any particular segment, capturing my attention would be like aiming at a very fast moving target - very frustrating!

And here's what bothers me: I sincerely believe a Renaissance mentality - "nothing human must be alien to me" - is, or it should be, a vital part of our dealings with the world around us as it is the only way we can truly evolve beyond tribal, local and national preconceptions. But instead, our entire business-driven and profit-based reality favors pre-made choices, obedient consumer segments and predictable purchasing behaviors. We talk of freedoms and liberties but settle willingly into Pavlovian patterns.

Gotta go make and make some dinner; I think I'll put on some music from the era of the Crusades. Catch me if you can.