I knew the Experiencer was me as soon as I read the first sentence "young, enthusiastic, and impulsive." Although in some of my purchases I can come off as somewhat frugal (I enjoy getting deals on everyday foodstuffs and clothing) I've been known to blow a large amount of money on big weekend trips (Mohegan Sun for Professional Bull Riding) and on fancy clothes or gadgets.
I also am attracted to the new, the offbeat and the risky, just like the description states. The PBR show was definitely an example, because I really only went because I had never been before. I ended up spending a bunch of money on booze and a hotel room etc. Nonetheless, I had an incredible time and it was quite the "experience" even though I may never do it again.
My secondary group was innovator, which also describes me rather well. I think a lot of this may be a result of my household income, which supports both styles of consumption, but this one rings true as well in spite of that fact. I am as excited by being unique, cutting edge and interesting as I am by new experiences. I would like to think that someday I will fully fulfill this category (enough income to buy new and interesting things, emerging leader in business) in which case my types may shift and put innovator first, experiencer second.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
PRIZM Cluster
Watching how my parents progressed through the PRIZM cluster is rather interesting, because it very accurately describes not only my family but my entire town's buying habits. North Kingstown, Rhode Island is inhabited mainly by upper middle class families in the Country Comfort section. I would say that in this point in their lives, my parents fit into the Big Fish Small Pond Category. Both of my parents have graduates degrees, my father a PhD. Our household income is just above the median, and once my brother and cousin move out (in the next year) my parents will be full on empty nesters.
My dad spends most of his money on household improvements, technology, and outdoor sporting equipment (canoeing/kayaking/fishing) and camping equipment. My mother enjoys reading, travelling, and watching tv and movies.
Earlier in my life however, they were closer to the New Homesteaders category, which is another large segment of NK's population. These buyers spend most of their money on their kids and paying off their first homes, and have lower (but comparable) incomes.
My dad spends most of his money on household improvements, technology, and outdoor sporting equipment (canoeing/kayaking/fishing) and camping equipment. My mother enjoys reading, travelling, and watching tv and movies.
Earlier in my life however, they were closer to the New Homesteaders category, which is another large segment of NK's population. These buyers spend most of their money on their kids and paying off their first homes, and have lower (but comparable) incomes.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Possetion and Identity
After reading about a woman who lost her house and all her possessions in a fire, I was prompted to think about what possessions I have in my home that I would be as devastated if I lost them. She focused a lot on her piano, which makes me think of the many instruments that my brother and I have stored in the basement. While the loss of my guitars or my brothers drum set would be a traumatic experience, I don't think I would be as devastated as when I found out that my Jetta had been totaled and that I wasn't getting it back.
My senior year in high school was marked by a large number of ups and a few downs, but one of the major downs was when I lost my car. The accident came after school one day, I was driving my friend Nichole and her sister and my brother home in the rain. Traffic stopped short in front of me at a light that had just turned green, so I through open the clutch and coasted into it then hit the brake. The girl behind me (who was also driving a Jetta) wasn't paying close attention and slammed into my car and pushed me into the vehicle in front. At first I laughed, thinking of how absurd it was, and assumed it was a minor accident. Upon surveying the damage, I noticed that it was mostly only body damage to my front and rear bumpers, and that there didn't appear to be any major damage to the vitals of my car. The car in front of me was undamaged, but the girl who slammed me was in a wreck. Naturally my friend Nichole was crying and saying "Matty this sucks, this is the worst thing ever etc etc etc" which I naturally ignored. My brother was off smirking somewhere, trying to figure out how he was going to rig the police report in my favor most likely.
It was a few nights later that it hit me that my Jetta wasn't leaving the body shop. The girls insurance company had gotten the estimate from out body shop and decided that the cost was too high; the sandwiching of my car between the two others had crunched the entire frame by a fraction and it was not safe to drive. Now my devastation set in. My dad presented me with the after market radio which I had installed in the car, saying the body shop was nice enough to recover it for me. I sat on the couch holding the radio I was so proud of and though about how it was part of a whole car which had become so "me" over time.
The car had a black interior and red paint job, both my favorite in cars. It was fast and handled well, with a sunroof and good sound system. All of these things exemplified not only what I loved in cars but said something about myself, especially its manual transmission. I didn't realize how important my car was to me until it was ripped from my person, and I was forced to fill the void which had arisen from my loss. Even today, my current car is an important part of who I am, but when I think of my "favorite car" or even my first car (it was actually my second) I remember my Jetta.
My senior year in high school was marked by a large number of ups and a few downs, but one of the major downs was when I lost my car. The accident came after school one day, I was driving my friend Nichole and her sister and my brother home in the rain. Traffic stopped short in front of me at a light that had just turned green, so I through open the clutch and coasted into it then hit the brake. The girl behind me (who was also driving a Jetta) wasn't paying close attention and slammed into my car and pushed me into the vehicle in front. At first I laughed, thinking of how absurd it was, and assumed it was a minor accident. Upon surveying the damage, I noticed that it was mostly only body damage to my front and rear bumpers, and that there didn't appear to be any major damage to the vitals of my car. The car in front of me was undamaged, but the girl who slammed me was in a wreck. Naturally my friend Nichole was crying and saying "Matty this sucks, this is the worst thing ever etc etc etc" which I naturally ignored. My brother was off smirking somewhere, trying to figure out how he was going to rig the police report in my favor most likely.
It was a few nights later that it hit me that my Jetta wasn't leaving the body shop. The girls insurance company had gotten the estimate from out body shop and decided that the cost was too high; the sandwiching of my car between the two others had crunched the entire frame by a fraction and it was not safe to drive. Now my devastation set in. My dad presented me with the after market radio which I had installed in the car, saying the body shop was nice enough to recover it for me. I sat on the couch holding the radio I was so proud of and though about how it was part of a whole car which had become so "me" over time.
The car had a black interior and red paint job, both my favorite in cars. It was fast and handled well, with a sunroof and good sound system. All of these things exemplified not only what I loved in cars but said something about myself, especially its manual transmission. I didn't realize how important my car was to me until it was ripped from my person, and I was forced to fill the void which had arisen from my loss. Even today, my current car is an important part of who I am, but when I think of my "favorite car" or even my first car (it was actually my second) I remember my Jetta.
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