Identifying with a luxury brand is a lot more subtle among wealthy consumers than you think. "Subtle Signals of Inconspicuous Consumption," a paper appearing in the current issue of Journal of Consumer Research, suggests that high-end shoppers are more in tune with "discreet markers, such as distinctive design or detailing," than obvious brand logos. "Signaling Status with Luxury Goods: The Role of Brand Prominence," another study (this one published in the July issue of Journal of Marketing), finds that "luxury brands charge more for 'quieter' items with subtle logo placement and discreet appeal."

As content websites fragment audiences into more and more tightly defined demographics, your site's target is by definition going to look less and less like a "representative sample" of anything. That's not to say that a survey of U.S. consumers or U.S. internet users (still two different demos) isn't useful any more. For instance, last week's survey by ExactTarget (@PennOlson) showing that Twitter users are the most "influential" folks on the internet had some really intriguing data. The survey found: 72% publish blog posts at least monthly; 70% comment on blogs; 61% write at least one product review monthly; 61% comment on news sites