Pop Culture can be described in many ways. In these descriptions you will hear terms like people’s culture, common culture, and contemporary culture. The best way describe this phenomenon is the part of our culture that is easily accessed by all levels of economics, class, an education because it is distributed and marketed through mass media outlets.
The inner rebel in me would describe pop culture as what I am told to buy, like, or need. Of course, I say this while typing on my Dell laptop, my Blackberry clipped to my belt, listening to music with I-tunes. So, I guess I would describe pop culture as the culture that is created through marketing.
An understanding of pop culture is important in our day to day interactions with our business associates and customers. Pop culture is the common thread that can possibly help break down communication barriers. Whether it be sports, television shows, or movies, a pop culture subject can be a great conversation starter to break the ice and to begin building business relationships. An understanding of pop culture will also help us relate to those work for us, those we work for, and with our customers.
An understanding is very important in my future career in marketing. Not only will my degree in E-Marketing be important, but so will my understanding and familiarity with pop culture. Marketing is driven by pop culture and pop culture is driven by marketing. Each one strongly depends on the other.
“Dude, get a Dell!”
A few years ago I saw that commercial for the first time. In need of a new system, I bought a Dell shortly after that. They were low priced computers with a “do it yourself” model of tech support that suited my generation that grew up with computers and were comfortable with them. It was a genius marketing campaign that fit the culture of the computer savvy youth and quickly became part of it. Although the term youth probably no longer fits me, I am still a Dell Customer and probably will continue to be. Because of these reasons I have chosen the Dell computer as my pop culture artifact.
