Monetary democracy and the lack of the mad pound

The Pink Pound is the marketing vernacular for the LGB market. The gay
niche represents a significant market for a variety of businesses and
services.

It's important too because currency is a form of democracy. A person's
power and ability to influence is based on money. Choice in products and
services is also defined by the choice the public make. The huge range
of gay and lesbian magazines in WHSmiths and other retailers has been
created by the (generalised) buying preferences and volume of purchases
of gay men and women. There are other who people have made the point
about money as a form of tool in the democractic process of developed
world nations.

The 'mad' and the potential market is everyone who will have a mental
health problem at some point in their life. In my personal opinion it's
everyone however an educated guess is over 50% of people fall into this
category. I'm using the broadest definition of mad when I describe this
potential market as the Mad Pound and it's an incorrect use because
madness is really synonymous with severe mental illnesses and problems.
Not every gay, lesbian, bisexual or other sexual is pink either so I'm
confident there won't be many marketers who'd have problems with my use
of language.

There isn't really a Mad Pound in the sense that this hasn't yet been
identified as a potential demographic for mainstream marketing to
exploit. There are many ways where marketing uses psychology of course.
It's just they haven't cottoned on to the potential of the Mad Pound.
The main problem is the perception of the mentally ill. It's assumed
that they're poor and they will be. That's called poor occupational
outcomes and it's observed for many mental illnesses and is why there's
the social model of disability and the Disability Discrimination Act.

The aspect of a lack of buying power created by the poverty and poorer
outcomes in life that are inherent with mental illness, distress and
problems mean this group are under represented in the consumerism
democracy. For example there are few travel firms providing services for
the Mad Pound market. Without demand there is no change to the supply.
The small number business and services providing tailored services to
the 1 in 4 very year who experience a mental health problem are diamonds
in the rough.

The barriers in the political democratic process are already noted
however there is a signifcant way to go in recognition and action in the
consumer democracy we live in today.