Urban Lifestyle and Culture’s Influence is important to the cultural and economic trends of this country. Many in this new generation, regardless of race, embrace an urban-centric phenomenon. Its continued growth makes it a critical market for mainstream success. Even the youngest members of the hip-hop nation are media-wise, sophisticated, and influential trendsetters. They are discriminating and active consumers at even earlier ages than previous generations, spending billions of dollars of their own money each year on entertainment, fashion, taking in media of all forms, and doing so on their technologically advanced devices.
With this mainstream acceptance (and even co-option) it has become imperative for marketers and retailers to learn about and reach out to “urban socialites.” Main Street and Wall Street may not want to emulate them by walking a mile in their shoes, but they sure would like to sell them the footwear to make the trek, and with good reason. This population will represent the bulk of the market for many of the most trendy products and services.
The Urban Market makes a big impact in two ways. Based on their relative size, they disproportionately influence entertainment, fashion, media, and music consumption patterns in this country. While African Americans make up about 12% of the nation’s total population, they buy 25% of the movie theater tickets sold. In addition, as trendsetters for larger mainstream markets, urban youngsters strongly influence buying patterns across the
spectrum. Look no further than hip-hop music, which was born in America’s toughest inner-cities and continues to be created overwhelmingly by urban African Americans. Yet three out of every four hip-hop CDs sold are purchased by suburban white youth.
The youngest members of the Millenial (Generation Y) are 30-something years old. And while the flavor and personality of urban culture evolves, it will continue to seep into mainstream life and affect how tweens, teens, and young adults in the following generations make their purchasing decisions.
The development of the urban culture has to a great extent been based on a particular genre of music, which in the urban context is more than just entertainment, but it’s a means of expressing emotions and values and political convictions.
Because of the growth in popularity of hip-hop through the years, the urban lifestyle has become the norm for many mainstream consumers, and the cultural features and styles of urban culture have been imported into the fashion and media industries. Today we see that the lifestyle of the urban culture is global, but with various forms of expression from culture to culture and within cultures – sharing common values such as youth, authenticity and opposition towards the mainstream.
Patterns of consumer behavior give indications about the urban culture in terms of product purchases as well as the interrelation of product groups. Certain products and brands are grouped into clusters because of the symbolic meanings and the values attached to them, which provide social meaning and are used by urban consumers for self-definition.
With this information one can see the need for also pioneering an inspirational/aspirational component aimed at the urban-iNSPiRED and Faith-Driven consumer segment who prefer “Cool Culture Without Compromise” messaging and content. Creating lifestyle profiles that allow entities and other firms like iCulture Magazine to appeal to and target specific groups of consumers with specific products and brands are on the rise and in demand.
