Thanks to our neighbors in Galveston, Houstonians may well get a sneak preview of products before other parts of the country:
Marketers launching any new product are nagged by an age-old question: “Will it play in Peoria?”
They should be asking: “Will it play in Galveston?”
Galveston, Texas, nestled along the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles southeast of Houston, is the best test market in the United States, according to a new study by American City Business Journals.
ACBJ analyzed all 3,141 counties and independent cities across the nation, comparing them to the national averages for 20 statistical indicators. The closer a county comes to being a perfect microcosm of America, the higher its score is on ACBJ’s 100-point scale.
First place belongs to Galveston County with a score of 89.24 points. Camden County, N.J., is second, followed by Hillsborough County, Fla.; Jackson County, Mo.; and Greenville County, S.C.
The supposed exemplar of middle-American values, Peoria County, Ill., can’t match Galveston’s prowess as a test market, but still ranks a respectable 19th with 85.27 points.
Congratulations, Galveston, on being so… average!
