In popular culture, the term ‘hipsters’ is used to describe a group of people who deny cultural mainstream and embrace personal preferences. They see things differently. In a broader sense, hipsters mean people who act differently from the majority of people in society. They seem to be very independent, but ironically, hipsters have their own trends to follow. They crave for acceptance and attention.
Some academics suggest that the ‘hipster effect’ might be an effect of the marketing boom in the digital age. When someone’s lifestyle can become a personal brand, people tend to show off their ‘hipster’ lifestyles through social media, from Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram to Facebook. Catchy words and photos can lead to more followers and more pride. Thanks to these tools, a person can become a ‘net idol’ revered by netizens.
In general, hipsters share some common traits: they are progressive, love nature and object to any activities that damage the environment. They are also health-conscious, interested in art and embrace freedom. The subcategories vary, but most of them still share similar preferences. This is why green marketing might work for people in this subculture. Ironically again, hipsters are obsessed with spending money. They have fun with purchases. For them, good products don’t have to be expensive, they just need to be interesting and uncommon enough. Hipsters are always ready to pay a huge amount of money for something they want.
So, how to attract green hipsters (hipsters that live in big cities but long for wilderness)? The rule of thumb is that you need to make your products unique and to die for. Also, the more exclusive, the better. Hipsters love limited edition products and the products you cannot find anywhere. But since they still need somewhere to belong in the society, the products have some kind of subtle links that relate them with other people.
The green hipster marketing might be a niche one, but it is another window of opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to expand the business. Although small in size, this group of people is so ready to spend money like water (Forbes magazine called them ‘Walking ATMs’). Thanks to ecocentrism, the urge to be different, the desire to be trendsetters and the need for acceptance, these hipsters are going to spend on and on. This is why the hipster market remains an interesting market for smaller brands that focus on loyalty programs.
Reference:
https://www.thetrendspotter.net/