system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why does commericalisation tend to make things bland?

Sorry for the vague question, but it's just an inkling I have rather than a fleshed-out idea.

&#x200B;

It seems there is often a trend where something starts out niche and interesting, and then business spots an opportunity, but in the process makes it bland. The web is one example - it used to be common to come across interesting sites by people with a particular passion. Now things seem to be consolidated into a few big media and tech companies. Another example is music - the most popular music tends to be bland in comparison with more niche music. 

&#x200B;

I'm wondering if there is any social scientific work on this phenomenon - whether it's real, what might cause it, etc.
gpt
Companies work to capture the largest percentage of the market. They do this in two ways, established products seek to differentiate themselves from other products to maximize customers, new products seek to replicate established products to take away their customers. It is obvious why replicating other products makes things bland, but I'll give an example of how differentiation can too.

&#x200B;

Imagine two established chocolate companies names Coke and Pepsi. People have a preference for what percentage of cocoa they want in their chocolate. Coke starts with 20% coca, Pepsi starts with 80%. Coke realizes if they make theirs with 79% coca they'll get all the people who like less than 80% cocoa chocolate. When this happens, Pepsi starts losing money, but realizes if they make 78% cocoa chocolate they'll get almost as much of the market as Coke had from moving to 79%. This continues back and forth until they end up at 50% and 51% cocoa, where no one can get more of the market by changing their product.