A Fairer Deal^© refers to the pattern of responses offered by respondents who are the most likely to feel they get a raw deal out of life. Pessimistic, cynical and often struggling financially, they think everyone gets all the fun and they miss out. It can relate to a belief that life has treated them unfairly and anger, disillusionment and hostility can build until it manifests in violence or self destructive behaviour.

They want to get back at the system which has treated them unfairly, looking for loopholes, rorts or other ways of bucking the established order. They often feel that the world is coming apart at the seams. A Fairer Deal^© often see escape, either with their mates and a beer or the TV, as the only way to deal with their frustration and anger.

Within this segment there is an emphasis on physical things and things they can do with their hands, perhaps as this is all they really have that they can control. They often hot up cars, they like loud motorbikes, get into martial arts; get tattoos - things which are not socially acceptable.

What they earn at work for a fair day's work is more important than the work they do. In the workplace they generally expect managers to make decisions, take responsibility and tell them what to do.

They tend to be heavy consumers of radio and television, but their newspaper and magazine readership is light. The magazines they read also tend to reflect their need to escape from their current lives and their interest in things which are physical and "hot". They enjoy reading bike and car magazines such as Street Machine, Hot 4’s, Fast Fours and Live To Ride, with pornography and soft porn magazines like Playboy, Penthouse and Picture also appealing; magazines laden with the stories of ordinary folk and including countless competitions, in particular, That’s Life & Take 5, also hold a strong appeal.

Television is one of this segments methods for escaping from a world which is out of control; hence they tend to be attracted to the more exciting worlds portrayed in youth orientated programmes like Home & Away, Neighbours & Charmed. There is also a heavy appetite for the Reality TV of Australian Idol & Big Brother, where average people they identify with can achieve a certain level of fame. Their comedic tastes are met by The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond and also Malcolm In The Middle.

* Developed in conjunction with Colin Benjamin - ^© The Horizons Network 1997.