The Enduring Appeal of Lists

Humans love a horse race. There is something about a list, especially one that ranks the names on it, that virtually guarantees media attention. Making lists and positioning clients -- either as the arbitor of lists or in prominent positions on prestigious lists -- is part and parcel of the publicist's craft.

We have a relentless appetite for comparison and a burning need to know how we stack up against our peers. This internal dynamic seems universal and may be related to our Darwinist evolutionary past or our continuous competition for survival. Either way lists are great ways to get attention and lists have a life beyond their credibility or origins.

Two recent lists breakling in the media illustrate the point. Newsweek's list of the Top 50 Rabbis in the United States and Editor & Publisher's list of data from Nielsen/NetRatings ranking the Top 30 websites of le.ading US daily newspapers

The rabbi list is the first ever cross-denominational ranking. Conceived by some Hollywood guys and based on a homemade ranking system, it has rocked the Jewish world and provoked endless debate and comment about who's on, who's not and why. And even though no one really has a practical use for this list and no one will actuially use it to accomplish anything, its very existance has set things in motion and stirred the pot.

Similarly the newspaper ranking, especially at a time when offline advertising is soft, will raise eyebrows among investors and readers. The New York Times high ranking can be spun to offset invenstor anxiety about its future strategy. Data about time spent onsite can also give editors and investors cues about the relevance and interest level of online content.

The marketing implication is clear. If you can create or get on a list that ranks things with built-in audiences, you can get attention regardless of who you are, how the list is compiled or what the impact of the data in a marketplace might be.