Technical jargon: What does "niche" actually mean?

For a long time, it was generally considered cool if something was not mainstream, but served a niche market or market niche. But those days are over: all the off- and off-off productions, stores, labels, campaigns and ideas that were produced from and for the creative industries are hardly popular anymore at the moment.

Why niches are struggling today

The little word stands for many things, except: volume. Derived from the Old French "nichier" (to build a nest), it suddenly finds its way back to its origins at a time when volume, scalability and clicks dictate the economy of marketing and the media. Today, who dares to build a nest that only accommodates a few? Who wants to stay in their nest when outside in the mainstream the big multiplication and thus the financial success beckon?

Globalization and digitization are creating a highly explosive mixture. Marketing departments, agencies and editorial teams don't have time to burn their fingers in niches, no matter how hot they may be. That's why it's more appropriate to comment on an idea in meetings of marketers with "Great, I'd like to do that, but it's just too niche. That way, you're not hurting anyone, but you're actually saying, "It's not relevant enough for what matters today." And in sub-subtext, "I'm too much of a coward to risk it - and even tell you."

Niche was hip when we could still afford it. Today, success is the order of the day and essential for survival. That's why, unfortunately, no one ventures into the niche or the nest anymore; instead, people just surf the surface, stream and track. It's a shame, really, because you can sometimes find gems among them. And those are also in demand in the mainstream.