Short answer
Be mindful that marketing and product design choices can actively construct the identity and societal roles of target demographics, particularly vulnerable groups.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) (2005)
- Method
- Discourse analysis of popular culture and marketing texts
- Evidence
- Strong effect
The definition and cultural recognition of a demographic group can be actively constructed and driven by marketing efforts aimed at consumerism. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2005 study published in OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network). Using Discourse analysis of popular culture and marketing texts, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Be mindful that marketing and product design choices can actively construct the identity and societal roles of target demographics, particularly vulnerable groups.
Marketing Creates Cultural Identity: The Case of the 'Tween' Demographic
The definition and cultural recognition of a demographic group can be actively constructed and driven by marketing efforts aimed at consumerism.
OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · 2005
Key Findings
- 01The 'tween' demographic was initially defined and recognized by marketers to increase product sales.
- 02Marketing discourse played a significant role in shaping the cultural identity and perceived ideal of tweens.
- 03Participation in consumer culture was presented as a primary role for tweens, linked to the adoption of gender-specific norms.
Application
Design takeaway
Be mindful that marketing and product design choices can actively construct the identity and societal roles of target demographics, particularly vulnerable groups.
How to apply
When developing products or marketing campaigns for emerging or specific age-based demographics, analyze the discourse surrounding that group and consider how your efforts might contribute to or alter their perceived identity and roles.
Project actions
- 01Analyze how a specific product or brand has influenced the perception of a particular user group.
- 02Consider the ethical implications of targeting specific demographics, especially children or adolescents.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a critical perspective on the origins of a significant market demographic.
- +Connects marketing strategies to broader cultural and gender role formation.
Limitations
The study's focus on discourse means it doesn't capture the full complexity of how tweens actually experienced this period.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity relies on the thoroughness of its discourse analysis. Reliability would depend on consistent application of analytical frameworks across different texts.
Think critically
To what extent does the marketing creation of a demographic group serve the interests of the consumers within that group versus the interests of the market itself?
Design Principles
"Demographic identity can be a product of market creation, not just a reflection of existing reality."
Understanding how marketing shapes perceptions of specific age groups is crucial for ethical product development and communication. Designers and marketers must be aware of the potential for their strategies to influence not only purchasing behavior but also the self-identity and societal roles of their target audiences.
What This Means for Your Design
Marketers invented the idea of 'tweens' (8-14 year old girls) to sell them more stuff, and this marketing helped make 'tweens' a real cultural group with specific expectations.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to support arguments about how market segmentation and targeted advertising can shape user identity and behavior in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights how marketing can actively construct demographic identities. For instance, the 'tween' category was largely created by marketers in the 1990s and early 2000s, with their cultural recognition and definition heavily influenced by consumer-focused discourse and popular culture texts, emphasizing their role as active consumers and socializing them into specific gendered expectations.
Source
OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network)
SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN: TWEEN QUEENS AND THE MARKETING MACHINE
journal · 2005
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about marketing creates cultural identity: the case of the 'tween' demographic?
- Be mindful that marketing and product design choices can actively construct the identity and societal roles of target demographics, particularly vulnerable groups. Evidence: OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) (2005).
- Why does "Marketing Creates Cultural Identity: The Case of the 'Tween' Demographic" matter for design?
- Understanding how marketing shapes perceptions of specific age groups is crucial for ethical product development and communication. Designers and marketers must be aware of the potential for their strategies to influence not only purchasing behavior but also the self-identity and societal roles of their target audiences.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Be mindful that marketing and product design choices can actively construct the identity and societal roles of target demographics, particularly vulnerable groups.
- What were the main findings?
- The 'tween' demographic was initially defined and recognized by marketers to increase product sales.. Marketing discourse played a significant role in shaping the cultural identity and perceived ideal of tweens.. Participation in consumer culture was presented as a primary role for tweens, linked to the adoption of gender-specific norms.
- What research method was used?
- Discourse analysis of popular culture and marketing texts.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2005 journal from OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing products or marketing campaigns for emerging or specific age-based demographics, analyze the discourse surrounding that group and consider how your efforts might contribute to or alter their perceived identity and roles.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focuses on discourse and does not directly examine the lived experiences of tweens.