One’s world may be defined by available media, and the spread of that media is becoming increasingly larger.
The YUL – LAB Project recently met in Chicago to promote itself. I was invited to attend the closing reception.
In the world of product research, introductions and research, a city is usually targeted to be a “test market” for this function. In the past, this has usually been a city of a size that isn’t a major market, of a level of taste that would deemed conservative, and located with a relative amount of isolationism – so that word of this new product wouldn’t suffer “market leak”. Like: Peoria, Illinois. Peoria has traditionally been a testing ground for new products. However, even Peoria has been more and more difficult in that last criteria point of “media leak”. These days, one may listen to the radio, watch television or read a newspaper over the internet. I read other cities’ newspapers all the time on the web.
YUL is the airport code for Montreal – Pierre Trudeau International Airport. Montreal is promoting itself to be used as a market research laboratory in this project. Montreal is a typical North American city with one exception: it speaks French. Its media communicates in French. Moreover, its French speaking media really doesn’t get much “leak” outside of Montreal, to those other North American markets that speak English. In the YUL – LAB Project, Montreal is billing itself as the perfect test market.
If Peoria – a stoic sort of place – were the typical profile for a test market city, Montreal is different. Cosmopolitan, Montreal’s a very stylish and fashionable place, cutting edge at times. I really do like Montreal, but compared to what tastes constituted a test market before: maybe we’re in for some changes. Not all bad, could liven things up a bit.
And about the media leak thing – dare I say that one of my favourite internet radio shows is the afternoon / drive home jazz show on Radio-Canada / Espace musique? Listen to it all the time in Chicago…
The website of the YUL – LAB Project is http://www.montreal.ad/en