In a classic Simpson episode Homer gets an opportunity to design a car (called the Homer of course). His brother hires him to create a car that will appeal to the “average” American, thinking that Homer must be in tune with that broad demographic. It ends in disaster, of course. Homer adds everything he can think about to the design – like two bubble domes, three horns (“you can never find the horn when you’re mad”) that plays “La Cucaracha”, gigantic cupholders and tailfins. In addition, the engine sound is supposed to make people feel “that the world is coming to an end”. Read more

Back in 1992, when Bill Clinton was running against Bush the Elder in the US Presidential elections, his campaign strategist James Carville coined a phrase – “It’s the economy, stupid” – to help the Clinton team focus on their message. Carville had spotted that President, George H.W. Bush, had lost touch with the voters. He didn’t understand that their biggest concern was the economy. Clinton’s team got this, shaped their messaging accordingly and won the election. Read more