When you “own” one of the target market, kid, spouse, room-mate, you too have the ability to do a “Kitchen Table Survey.”  Beware attributing any great insight into the KTS because your version of the KTS-ee may be unique (i.e. not representative of the entire target market, or, in the KTS vernacular “weird.”)

This morning I conducted my own KTS regarding paid online news content.  Subject is a mid-40s male, entranced with the Boston Globe sports page, currently a subscriber to the paper.  Note that subject’s opinions do not equate with MY opinions.  (We disagree on a lot of subjects and since he says my blog is of NO interest to him and that I write about BORING stuff, he’ll never come here to dispute this.)

Poke, poke.

Q. 1. “Hey, honey.  If the Globe stopped printing, would you subscribe to another paper?”

A.1.  “Well, since the only other major local Boston paper is the Herald and that seems barely one step up from the National Enquirer, probably not.”

Q.2. “What about like the New York Times?  Would you subscribe to that?”  (I don’t even bother going for the WSJ or the FT — both of which I would subscribe to but I already know he wouldn’t.  I’d also go for the Boston Herald as they do a very nice job in a couple of key areas.)

A.2. “Nah, it’s not a local paper.”

Q. 3. “What about online?  Would you pay for the Globe online if that was the only way to get access to it?”

A.3. “Maybe.  Probably.  But not much.”

Q.4. “How would you want to pay for it?  Subscription or like 5 cents for every article?”

A.4. “Probably subscription.  Paying for each article would be a pain.”

Q.5.  “How much would you pay?”

A.5. “I don’t know!  Now quit bugging me.”

Major media — there’s your answer.  “Quit bugging me.”

(Note: this is a follow up to yesterday’s substantially less goofy post about how newspapers will survive and some ideas abou how they can change their business model.)