From Demographics to Passions: Navigating the Evolution of Targeting Part 2
In Part 1, we discussed the need for brands to evolve their targeting strategies online beyond demographics, given the shift in how consumers identify and connect online. Their preference for being described by their passions and interests, not solely demographic attributes like age, gender, and location, has changed where and what they’ll engage with online.
Vox Media confirmed this shift through a survey, with 66% aware that “society uses demographic characteristics to label me.”
Cores and aesthetics are among many ways consumers connect online and build community over a shared excitement of self-expression and creativity. These cores and aesthetics also reflect consumers’ psychographics—values, interests, and beliefs—beyond just fashion and beauty, as seen with trends like Cottagecore and Y2K.
Below are three emerging cores and aesthetics brands can leverage to connect with and engage consumers passionate about cultural moments among celebrities, music, and pop culture.
Cowboy Core
All things Western have been top of mind in 2024 since Beyonce unexpectedly released two new songs from her hit album Cowboy Carter during the Superbowl. Cowboy wear has infiltrated fashion music festivals and has made country music cool to the masses. The social media posts from celebrities to influencers at music festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach wearing Western-themed fashion all signal a renewed interest in this style. Brands with deep roots in cowboy culture, such as Lucchese and Stetson, are experiencing a revival. TikTok stars like Montana Boyz and musical artists like Zach Bryan have taken over For You Pages and social feeds. With 89M views of cowboy-themed content on TikTok in the last seven days, western style will be front and center in 2024.
Coquette Aesthetic
While the coquette aesthetic has existed on social media for a while, buzzy celebrities like Sydney Sweeney, Lana Del Rey and popular TV shows like Bridgerton have sustained its popularity in fashion and beauty. Celebrities like Sweeney are leaning into pale pink manicures decorated with girly 3D gemstones or wearing ultra-romantic styles to signify their femininity. With #bows trending on TikTok with over 86M views in the last 30 days and coquette with over 100M views in the past seven days, the coquette aesthetic is building momentum again.
Kid Core
As the world continues to feel chaotic, dangerous, and out of control, consumers are leaning into kid content, toys, and experiences to bring them joy as adults. From buying Squishmallows for themselves to celebrating their birthday at Disney theme parks, Gen Z and Millennials are leaning into their childhood desires as a form of self-care. HomeGoods’ retail store recently hosted “Finder’s Camp,” an adult-only, nostalgic reminder of carefree childhood summers. Adult sleepovers, with over 1M videos posts about them on TikTok, have become a way for adults to hang with their friends IRL in comfy loungewear or cute sleepwear in a fun, relaxing, and nostalgic way.
If you’d like to read more about how brands like Ganni to Urban Outfitters use cores and aesthetics to reach their target audiences through their passions and values, read Part 1 of this newsletter.
Liquid Death x Qulture
Liquid Death has emerged as a juggernaut in the beverage industry, challenging traditional marketing principles and transforming water into a billion-dollar entity. As Quynh Mai, CEO of Qulture, a Gen Z-focused marketing agency, notes, "Liquid Death nailed it with their aluminum can vessel as it nods to the nostalgia that Gen Z loves – those soda cans they drank when they were young before everything went plastic." Mai adds that Liquid Death's marketing tactics "were more closely aligned with Mr. Beast's YouTube hijinks and nostalgic episodes of Punk'd than traditional CPG marketing," going viral and generating invaluable word-of-mouth publicity.
By rejecting plastic bottles and embracing a beer can-style vessel, "Liquid Death makes every drinker feel like a rebel." This demonstrates how an irreverent and iconoclastic approach to brand marketing, combined with a deep understanding of the Gen Z media ecosystem and a savvy distribution strategy, can elevate a common product like water into a cultural phenomenon, resonating particularly well with younger consumers.
Read more here