This is what my mate Gunther does for fun on the weekend…

Gunther Pfrengle - free ride jet skiier...my next interview target

Check this out, Gunther (Butch) Pfrengle playing around on his jetski…he used to take me out on his waverunner as a kid. Since then  he’s  moved on to some serious moves and is a pioneer of free style jet skiing. I’m going to be interviewing him soon on the world of free style  jetskiing culture  here in OZ…but if you want to check out more of his work, ozfreeride.com ..will blow you away

Youth marketing is all about creating CULTURAL CAPITAL

I’ve been kicking around this idea for a while now. We all know that the key to youth marketing is to get youth talking to each other about your brand. Well, i think it has to go one step further, brands need to give youth ‘cultural capital’. It’s beyond just ’stuff to talk about’, it’s far more about the CONTEXT of that conversation as to whether youth really swarm around your idea. One of the most fundamental youth needs is that of ‘belonging’, however now with web 2.0 and the new speed of which cool diffuses into popular culture, ‘being in the know’ is extremely important for youth. Being the first to discover something and being able to give your friends that info, gives you cultural capital and relevance within your tribe. You just have to look at how competitive youth are now on social networks, it’s almost a competition as to who is going to the best part, is going on the best holiday etc. Not being a part of that, sometimes means you’re an outcast within your tribe. So, marketers need to think about what cultural capital they are providing youth which gives them social status within their tribe. Start with the evergreen 6 key pillars of youth culture; MUSIC, GAMING, FASHION, TRAVEL, SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT and how you can create utility within these areas..or better yet, create new cultural phenom that gives youth cultural capital…Easy….

It’s cool to be a CHAMELEON

Young people today no longer identify themselves as belonging to one subculture. They’re no longer just an emo or surfer or skater or gamer. They can be all of the above, depending on their mood. They have SPLINTERED PERSONAS and see themselves as chameleons, constantly changing their colour and adapting. Rather than belong to one individual tribe, it’s now cool to belong to five or six, and it’s all about having different personas within those tribes. So on any one weekend, you could be hanging out with your gamer buddies, then jamming at a mates house listening to indy rock. The worst thing label for a 20 something is to be called ‘one dimensional’. Cool has always been about being authentic to your beliefs and having a clear point of view on the world. Now, cool is also defined by your CHAMELEON like behaviour, the ability to change your colour depending on the environment you’re in. Just look at Johnn Depp, the ultimate chameleon. According to Andy who owns ‘Playground Weekender’ in Australia, the most successful bands at youth festivals are the ones who constantly reinvent themselves and change their colour. Brands targeting young people must forget about the one size fits all model with youth, it’s all about how you can let them weave in and out of their different personas, as that is the ultimate form of self expression.

Coldplay, the coolest band in the world

Coldplay do 'Yellow' with big balls

Went to Coldplay last night, as expected it rocked. They brought a serious amount of energy to the crowd for over 2 hours. Loved it. If only I could be as cool as Chris Martin…He is charismatic yet completely controlled. He never takes himself too seriously, yet he is super confident. He even made a joke about the ‘apparent’ rivalry they have with U2 for title of the world’s biggest band. Even a bit of talent thrown in for good measure. Forget Jude Law, Clive Owen, Daniel Craig. Chris Martin is the modern day British Knight. Rock on