Urban market is more than the 'Bling' Assessing the urban market through hip hop or the "bling bling" theory has several shortcomings when it comes to both developing strategies and driving sales at the dealership.
By Marcus Amick
Assessing the urban market through hip hop or the "bling bling" theory has several shortcomings when it comes to both developing strategies and driving sales at the dealership. Automakers need to understand some key tenets to credibly reach this market.
As a person who has been influenced by hip hop and recalls artists like Schooly D who rapped about driving a Mercedes back in the '80's I known that automobiles have always had a special connection with rap/hip hop. And yet, my years of experience covering the automotive industry show that rap/hip hop hardly represents a comprehensive strategy to connect to the core urban trendsetters in the market for a new vehicle.
The urban market is far more complex than hip-hop. Although "urban" includes "hip hop," it is not true that urban is hip hop. To simply assess this market from a singular standpoint negates some important factors such as consumers' other interests, what drives the trends, and more importantly, co-influences when purchasing a new automobile.
While it might appear that the popularity of certain vehicles in the urban market is tied to hip hop, the reality is that a lot of that popularity has more to do with product, design, style and overall positioning rather than how many times the brand shows up in rotation on urban radio. Automobile sales among urban trendsetters are driven by new and exciting designs and brand credibility.
In fact, it was style and brand credibility that led to Cadillac's success with the Escalade in the urban market. Sure, hip hop gave the SUV mass exposure and credibility on T.V. and in music. But if the Escalade's design hadn't resonated with core consumers in the urban market, the vehicle wouldn't have been as successful. The Escalade gained popularity among urban trendsetters because it was a "Caddy," which already had long-standing credibility in the urban market as a brand. Also, it was a nicely designed truck that came out at time when the demand for SUVs was growing.
Much to the same degree, while the Chrysler 300 appeal to celebrities such as 50 Cent, the vehicle's success in the urban market will be due to its aggressive design, affordability and a renewed interest in cars. Mercedes Benz, which is one of the most frequently mentioned automotive brands in hip hop, gained popularity among urban trendsetters long before the automaker teamed up with Jay Z, because of the status associated with the brand, which was built among a core group of buyers, many who have little if any ties to hip hop.
As with most people, often for people driven by the urban lifestyle, purchasing an automobile is one of the most important investments they'll make second only to a house. In a lot of cases, buying a new vehicle is actually the biggest investment for urban trendsetters, and if polled, I sincerely doubt that most in the market would lean on a multi-platinum selling hip hop artist for advice on the matter. It takes more than big time celebrities to connect to the urban market, and while the "bling bling" theory might work when marketing a pair of $150 tennis shoes or a $200 pair of jeans, convincing somebody to dish out $26,000 for a new vehicle requires different thinking.
While the ties that hip hop has to the urban market are undeniable and the aspiration to live like a star might hold true to some degree, connecting to urban trendsetters in the market for a car is much more complex than the glitz and glamour of hip hop.
If done correctly and with the appropriate artist, hip hop can help to give a new automobile exposure. However, to rely on a hip hop artist as a means to connect with the core of urban consumers to drive vehicle sales should produce about the same results in terms of sales as Chrysler saw when it relied on Celine Dion. There's a connection, but it's not compelling for the majority of the urban market, either in providing strategic direction or getting people to the buyer's table.
