Researchers' profiles reveal the stereotypical gadget fan, sort of

What does the stereotypical Beats fan look like? Or Apple, HTC, BlackBerry? You've probably got some pretty strong images in your head right now, but I can almost guarantee they don't jive with those on market research firm YouGov's new profiling tool. A small volcano is erupting online as people type in their favourite brands and products to see if they're anything like the 'typical' customer. Entering Motorola, for instance, brings up a 60-year-old man from East Anglia that works in engineering. 'Wait, that isn't right!' I hear you cry. Well, that's because the results don't actually represent the stereotypical user. As YouGov explains, the data shows what it thinks is 'particularly true' about a company's fans. So in Motorola's case, it could just mean it has a large number of customers aged 60 and above, or at least more than you might expect. (It doesn't necessarily mean that the average Motorola customer is that age.) Nevertheless, it's still great fun to enter a tech company or gadget and see what distinctive traits pop up. Just don't take it too seriously, okay?

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