Driving through one of Chicago’s toughest
neighborhoods – coming from the vehicle of a man whom many would assume a loyal
fan of hard rap, based on his attire and early model ride – I heard an
impressive version of a British pop song with the singer’s intermittent vocals
fading in and out over lush instrumentals, creating an extended, soulful
remix. The musical effect was
charismatic, as it inspired my interest in the song, which I have yet to hear
anywhere else.
Soon after this encounter, I came
across another vehicle blasting explicit rap lyrics, which I'd assumed to be
coming from someone fitting the above profile, rather than what I saw after
daring to look – preppy vehicle, driven by a clean-cut young man reflective of
college status.
It’s common to assume that
certain demographics gravitate to certain genres of art without consideration
for the “individual” marketing dynamics that play into the marketing equation,
based on individual tastes and/or personal experiences.
As we are becoming a more
globalized society, the standard demographic models used to define target
markets will increasingly have to take the individual approach into account,
predicated on the complexities of global interests, personal tastes, and
consumer sophistication.
