Ad Storm #3: Authenticity & Cultural Capital

Hello everyone,

Recently for my consumer behavior class we have had to read the book, "Chasing Cool", which is an amazing book. This book really articulates a lot of the ideas and concepts I've had about brand development back during the Gamers Lounge days that I did not yet had the knowledge to describe. It was just unsure intuition at the time, and makes me regret the many times I didn't listen to it after reading this book.

One of the reoccurring themes in the book is authenticity, and how to break into a market you need to be part of the market or at least make a sincere and in-depth effort to understand the market. My studies are primarily in Pop Culture first, and in marketing second so I approach many of these topics from a anthropological stand point where this idea is common sense. I think my background in Anthropology/Sociology as applied to Pop Culture gives me a distinct advantage in todays branding environment. Although much of what I've learned should be common knowledge so I'm gonna expound on some useful concepts, primarily, Cultural Capital.


I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?
II. Cultural Capital
III. Conclusion




I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?

Some definitions as written by the great Google:

Anthropology

The scientific and humanistic study of man's present and past biological, linguistic, social, and cultural variations. Its major subfields are archeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and anthropological linguistics.

By this definition the study of all culture is anthropological. Most people assume it's only about past cultures, this generalization is why I think many marketers might not look to this valuable discipline for a lot wisdom to understanding the market.

Sociology

the study of social institutions and processes

Again, on the surface it may seem not completely relevant to marketing. But by understanding the underlying structure of a society you can see how to influence that structure which inherently influence the consumers, again this all relies on whether the consumer "wants" or "needs" the change or benefits you offer.

A lot of people have a lot of trouble distinguishing the two so I'm going to use some hypothetical based on the hip hop community on how Anthropologist would approach it than a sociologist.

If I were an anthropologist I'd use method research called, Ethnography, where I would immerse myself in hip hop culture and become part of it (remember this for later). I would become part of what I am studying and I'd be interested in the slang and dialects spoken among hip hop subgroups and what it means in social contexts. I would take a look at cultural forms such as breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, and rapping and study how it differs among different regions.

As a marketer at this point not only have you built an understanding of the culture giving you the ability of authenticity that the word "bling" does not provide, but it also helps to further segment and target.

Although, as a sociologist I'd be interested in the institutions that developed the culture like the education system in urban areas. The economics processes and more to understand where this culture is coming from. It's hard to know where something ends without knowing where it starts which is the beauty of sociology.

Why is this important?

To summarize many of the themes in "Chasing Cool" in order to have sustainable success in todays marketplace you must have a quality product with consistent and authentic brand image that your target market either relates or aspires to. In this search for authenticity a deeper level of understand your market in necessary, and this is why these disciplines are important.


II. Cultural Capital

A concept that was hinted at in "Cool Chasers" is the pivotal idea in Popular culture studies, Cultural capital. While personal branding is about the amount of value attached your personal association, Cultural Capital is about your knowledge of the subcultures canon of texts and processes in order to achieve authenticity. So to set out to present this authentic brand image, it must have an adequate level of Cultural Capital to satisfy your target market.

Let's take communism,

If I call myself communist and write a new book communism but never read the writings of Marx or studied read about the USSR, Cuba, or Vietnam do think I'd come across authentic enough for other communists to buy my book?

This is the question and answer Cultural Capital provides, and develop this cultural capital a firm understanding of sociology and anthropology concepts I would almost deem necessary.


III. Conclusion

In a world where marketing communications bombard everyone from every subgroup, the average consumers senses to authenticity is more acute than ever. No longer is only understanding what benefits your target market wants is enough for sustainable success, you must intimately understand your market and their unique culture. To achieve the cultural capital neccessary for effective brand communication you must understand social science concepts. Being a student of the Popular Culture studies department in Bowling Green State University has lent me many tools to achieve this authenticity.

- Alex Merced