Steve Stoute has played a significant role in helping me define and clarify my career path. I always remember him being in the background as an artist manger and influencing the career of hip hop notables, such as, Kid and Play, Nas, and now the unprecedented commercial success of his business partner Jay-Z.
I found this interview of his interview with the Harvard Business Review about his breakout book, The Tanning of America.
The general concept of the book talks about the trend and transformation of consumer tastes in young american culture, also known as millennials. He addresses the idea through the lens of a hip hop historian on why marketers can no longer market to consumers within the context of a racial box.
He warns these marketers that use traditional demographic targeting that the mental complexion of consumers are changing. He suggests these marketers must radically change their approach by being aware that they are communicating to a community of "polytechnic" youth that have grown up in a mash-up cultural experience.
He warns these marketers that use traditional demographic targeting that the mental complexion of consumers are changing. He suggests these marketers must radically change their approach by being aware that they are communicating to a community of "polytechnic" youth that have grown up in a mash-up cultural experience.
Stoute states that this phenomenon is the result of the influence of the hip hop culture.
Some of the themes that he covered in the book:
•Aspiration
•Authenticity
•Risk
•Cultural Curiosity
•Tanning in culture and commerce
•Relevancy in the marketplace
•Revitalized Storytelling
•The New Code of Cool
As marketing execs in the 21 st century it is a necessary to be aware of how the cultural lines are being blurred.
We no longer live in a black and white world.
Although those aspects of society still exist, with the rapid advancement of technology and access to other culture experieces by the click of button as stated in the book, a kid in the inner-city of Newark, NJ can learn how to skateboard the same time a kid of the same age learns how to skateboard in sunny California where skateboarding is a staple activity amongst the youth.
This juxtaposition will either scare up and coming marketers or can be a source of deeper research and creativity to penetrate into the mind-sets of this market.
We Want To Hear Your Thoughts:
- What ways can you begin to take steps in marketing to this tanning generation?
