Cherry-picking

The convenient comparison

We’re #1 — among the competitors we chose.

a.k.a. benchmark shopping · the stacked deck

Any bar looks tall next to the right neighbors. Pick the comparison set after seeing the numbers and “leading the industry” becomes a certainty rather than an achievement.

How to spot it

Ask who is missing from the lineup.
Oddly specific qualifiers: “among mid-size providers in the Northeast.”

The honest version

Define the comparison set before looking at the numbers — and include the awkward competitors.

In the gallery

No exhibits charged with this — yet.

The wall is still being hung. When a chart pulls this trick, it'll be exhibited here.

Browse the gallery