For all the discussion about niches in the context of the Long Tail, there's rarely any talk about movements or activities which are considered "niche" only because our mainstream media overlook them... certainly not because of their actual size or popularity.
We call them "mega niches".
Simon's been exercised about it for ages; it's a heavy metal thing. Metal is huge, worldwide and in the UK specifically, but you'd never think it from the UK media coverage. Oh for sure, there will be ironic or knowing "respect" given to, ooh, ACDC or Metallica or even Maiden, but as for the shit the kids are really into - bands that can sell out the Brixton Academy without trying - it's completely off the radar. It's like the opposite of the Pete Docherty phenomenon, where an act's name can be known to everyone but its music to all intents and purposes ignored. So we were reminded of the mega niche on a couple of occasions recently.
The Times blog reported on the MTV Europe Music Awards and were surprised that Tokio Hotel scooped the live act prize ahead of the Foo fighters and Metallica. Well yes, that is a surprise until you learn that - and this from Wikipedia - "The quartet have scored four number one singles and have released two number one albums in their native country, selling nearly 5 million CDs and DVDs there". So actually, their award in only really a surprise if your world view is entirely formed by the UK media.
Next... and this is better... a purer take on the mega-niche... Our thanks to our good friend Kate Lawrence for bringing Geo-caching to our attention. For those who are as ignorant as we were about it, geo-caching essentially revolves around tiny gifts or clues being hidden in containers and then hunted for with the aid of clues and GPS. Think Masquerade or Perplex City... except as a community activity. Treasure Hunt for generation i. So far, so geeky, you'd think, except that (again)according to Wikipedia " Today, well over 800,000 geocaches are registered on various websites devoted to the pastime. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries round the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica."
Now that's some niche activity. No doubt, right now, some zeitgeist-obsessed film exec will be dreaming up a hokey plot with a geo-cache as macguffin. Actually, there are probably half a dozen films in development along the same lines (remember the year when at least three major films - Casino Royale, Breaking and Entering and, er, Flushed Away all featured parkour - like, wow, edgy!)
But for now, geo-caching remains a fine example of the mega-niche. And from DS's point of view, a salutory lesson in not keeping up...
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