Now, new technology makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to identify and serve targeted micro-markets in ways that were physically impossible or prohibitively expensive in the past.
The thatched-roof Pelican bar, planted on a sandbar, serves passing boaters and tourists on Treasure Beach, a low-key fishing village on Jamaica's less developed southern coast.
Chains such as KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut are setting a new standard of customer service, using strict employee training and constant monitoring to ensure the friendliness of frontline staff.
The benefits principle can also be used to argue that wealthy citizens should pay higher taxes than poorer ones, simply because the wealthy benefit more from public services.