Consumer Report
If you think you know your target market, think again.
He was Joe Average; she was Jane Doe. They lived in a
traditional nuclear family and watched "Laverne &
Shirley" for laughs. They thought disco was hip and computers
were for nerds. And they believed there was such a thing as the
right brand of dishwashing liquid or the correct kind of car. They
were typical American consumers--and back in 1977, the world of
business still believed in them.
But a funny thing happened on the way to 1997. We discovered we
were not a nation of typical citizens with common market needs and
a one-size-fits-all identity. We were large-sized women and single
dads, ethnic minorities, yuppies and slackers, affluent seniors,
savvy teens, gourmet coffee drinkers, self-made millionaires and
burnouts seeking lives of voluntary simplicity. Instead of assuming
that one "head of household"--presumably a man--was
calling all the shots on purchases, businesses learned to recognize
the considerable economic muscle of women and children.
As we discovered this diversity, we also found the technology to
differentiate ourselves. Enter the age of target marketing, with
computers to track our incomes, lifestyles and spending habits.
Though niche marketing had already dawned in the '70s, in the
'80s and '90s, it not only changed the landscape of
American business, but it also changed the way consumers viewed
themselves.
Joe Average and Jane Doe are now history. In 1997, the typical
American consumer has a name, a life and a laundry list of
particular needs. And in the future, say experts, consumers will
demand even greater recognition of their individuality.
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None of this is to say that broad societal trends have been
absent these past two decades. On the contrary, Americans are now
older, wiser, hipper and more exacting than ever, thanks to the
forces of time and technology. As we look back on the past 20 years
of consumerdom--and forward to the decades to come--it's clear
that the only constant will be change. Welcome to the kingdom of
the new, improved American consumer.
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