How well do you understand people?

Every entrepreneur is in marketing. And I believe every marketer needs to know what makes people tick. What attracts their attention and compels them to action?

It's rare that we actually get a chance to see what interests people most. But here's an interesting opportunity in the Toronto Star's website: its "most e-mailed stories" page.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Render&c=Page&cid=1109682110623

On July 27, the day British police arrested a key bombing suspect and NASA revealed more launch problems with the shuttle Discovery, which Toronto Star news stories did readers most e-mail to their friends and colleagues?

You guessed it: the liquor store strike that didn't happen. Furor over a downtown movie studio. Ikea cuts prices. Which gives us lots of clues into why people behave the way they do (hint: self-interest), even if it is Marketing 101.

Here are the Star's Top 10 most-emailed sories of the day, in descending order:

Cheers! LCBO strike averted
July. 27, 2005 04:55 PM
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario and the union representing its 5,400 workers have reached a tentative agreement that will avert a threatened strike at 12:01 a.m. tonight.

Mega-studio deal sparks controversy
July. 27, 2005 06:17 AM
A massive studio complex has become mired in controversy.

Ikea cuts prices on more than 500 items
July. 27, 2005 07:09 AM
Retailer Ikea is slashing prices on its most popular items by 17 per cent.

Rule forces MD to leave her patients
July. 27, 2005 01:00 AM
Dr. Jesse Bhatia is wondering how seriously the Ontario government is taking the shortage of physicians.

Meet the chef of Kimbourne Farm
July. 27, 2005 01:00 AM
Louis-Charles Desjardins pulled up in front of the 1896 farmhouse at the end of a dusty road and knew he had found the perfect place for his country inn.

CSIS angered by imam's campaign
July. 27, 2005 06:19 AM
Canada's spy service is waging a rare public battle against an outspoken Scarborough imam.

Newcomers' skills wasted, group argues
July. 27, 2005 06:41 AM
The provincial and federal governments are doing a terrible job of helping professionally trained immigrants become accredited in Ontario.

Residents shocked as Abitibi closes mills
July. 27, 2005 04:09 PM
STEPHENVILLE, Nfld. — Residents of this community were stunned to learn that the region will lose 300 jobs.

Blackout hits downtown
July. 27, 2005 10:33 AM
A blackout yesterday morning knocked out traffic lights and power for more than 7,000 customers.

Who's taking blame for Christian violence?
July. 26, 2005 01:00 AM
Now that imams are publicly condemning terrorist acts as anti-Muslim and against the teachings in the Qur'an, I wonder if pressure might be put on Christian leaders to take a similar stand.

We'll have another "Understanding People" exercise in a few days. Because people are your target market.