Multi-Cultural Marketing II - The Thumb Tribe

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Remember the other day I was saying that it's not sufficient to target cultures such as African Americans or Asians and consider the matter of multi-cultural marketing concluded? But of course it is concluded because marketers generally draw the line where media properties end, and for example, for African Americans, they end with television such as BET - the Black Entertainment Network, etc. But there are cultures, pervasive cultures within the cultures - that marketers never explore. They've never heard of them. Yet it is these cultures within the cultures that influence us all - hence we call them "Culturally Influential Consumer Groups."

The first I mentioned was "Walking Actors," the 1/2 of the US population employed by service and information based industry - hence their need for products and services that make them a better them - a huge chunk of the population that's little understood.

Now I'd like to introduce you to another "Culturally Influential 'Developmental' Consumer Group" we can recruit for use in developing new products, services, positioning strategies, media properties, content, etc.

Let's call them the 'THUMB TRIBE' referring to the masses of young people around the world that use mobile phones for texting, email, entertainment and mobile phone conversations. They've grown up in a world that is dynamically different from the one we lived in. What kind of cars do they want? And what gadgets? They don't even use computers - computers now percieved as going the way of B&W television. At what point do their childhood toys and t'ween technology devices merge? And what future outcomes do they, and marketer-manufacturers expect?

Honda's in Hot Pursuit of Gen X

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With All the Boomers It Can Handle, Automaker Goes After New Demo

Generation X. Generation Y. Boomers. All nice macro targets - invented by someone else years ago. And made a buck at. Now just part of the drive-by marketing scenery. Does anyone remember VALS - SRI's values and attitudes lifestyle studies that came on the heels of our launching Culturally Influential Consumer Groups® years before the dawn of qualitative research?

Today, marketers talk about Generation X, Y and Boomers as if they really exist, and think about themselves this way...as if saying it makes it so. What do researchers tell their focus group recruiters? Go find me someone who identifies with being Gen X. Guys, this was all made up so someone could sell something to you! Now you buy into it! No wonder marketing's in trouble, and Madison Avenue's worse. The conned are being led by the conmen.

But what Honda and RPA's research doesn't show is the presence of more Culturally Influential Consumer Groups within these audiences. These are the real decision makers and trend leaders. Culturally Influential Consumer Groups like "Walking Actors" are not theatrical people per se. They are simply men and women who because of their occupations and lifestyles must come into contact with more people everyday. For this reason they are more concerned with the cars they drive and the statements that they make. The clothes they wear and the statements that they make. The foods they eat and how food makes them feel. And given that over half the working population now works in a service or information driven industry, that's a huge group of consumers that Honda has yet to learn how to talk to in a private and personal context. This is how you learn what really motivates people about your products. The conversation would be much more intense that the shot this effort will put across the bow. And there are over 250 other Culturally Influential Consumer Groups that will cause more consumers to sit up and take notice.

Expect a bunt and the runner to get picked off at first base here.