Who Are The Dumbest People in the World?
| By Naseem Javed 01-20-2006The corporate teams that are overdependent on research averages often see their marketing fail at a spectacular rate. Their new product introductions seem caught in a revolving door — what’s in and what’s out based on “researched” hypotheses that have little to do with actual market behavior. Interest in surveys that purport to identify averages and norms is so great that the myths this type of research spawns are sometimes floated as sophisticated branding and marketing strategies. Cures are invented, fads are nurtured, styles are crushed and dogmas are erected as though mandated by some newly discovered “truth.” Sometimes psychological warfare is involved. For example, when high-priced researchers ask, “Are Americans dumb?” 95 percent of Canadians say “Yes.” If they ask, “Are Canadians dumb?” then 95 percent also say “Yes.” However, when they ask, “Who are the smartest people in the world?” then the answer is “Americans.” The moral of this story is that t
