Understanding Average - The Inertia of Culture: SXSW

@TheMaggiest #ImAverageUnderstandingAverage.com
understanding average
the inertia of culture

“atticus said you never
really knew a man
until you stood in his shoes
and walked around in them”
jem finch, to kill a mockingbird

empathy

is my super power
empathy

“empathy isn’t just listening,
it’s asking the questions
whose answers need
to be listened to”
leslie jamieson

“it ain’t what you don’t know
that gets you into trouble,
it’s what you know for sure
that just ain’t so”
mark twain

the problem isn’t ignorance

it’s preconceived ideas

there’s a difference
between data & insights

data tells us answers

the number of
nicholas cage films
source: spurious correlations

number of swimming
pool drownings
source: spurious correlations
the number of
nicholas cage films

the difference between
data & insights is empathy

empathy asks the right questions

empathetic data

let’s go back to the beginning

taylor swift
#bringbackourgirls
gmos
disney’s frozen
ice bucket challenge
alex from target
isis threats
ferguson
fifa world cup
superfoods
malaysian airlines mh370
donald sterling
winter olympics
cuba
ebola
charlie hebdo

“average”

average is powerful

how do you define average?

source: united nations human development report
high school education

source: us census bureau
$72,641 hhi

source: cia world fact book
1.87 kids

source: us census bureau
2,400 square foot home

source: the wal-mart effect
6.7 miles from walmart

source: world agricultural supply and demand estimates report
668 eggs

source: us earth policy institute
425 pounds of meat

source: international dairy foods association
86 pounds of cheese

is anyone here average?

“only 26 homes remained
on my list and i did
not have any average
american matches”
the average american

shouldn’t average
be more common?

maybe average is relative

what makes average different?

geography matters most

cities are important

cities are important
but counties are
more important

dmas:
organize counties by the
media (and advertising)
content people receive

irony

there’s not one average
there are two

top 10 average middle average

top 10 average
32%
people living in the
top 10 dmas
nyc, los angeles,
chicago, philly,
dallas, san francisco
washington dc,
boston, atlanta,
& houston
middle average
68%
people living
in the other
200 dmas

top 10 average
51% married
38% parents
50% employed full time
middle average
54% married
35% parents
50% employed full time

top 10 average
63% white
14% african american
11% asian
26% hispanic
$86,025 hhi
middle average
79% white
11% african american
3% asian
15% hispanic
$66,440 hhi

top 10 average
n=300
middle average
n=800
online surveys to 1,100 people (300 top 10 and 800 middle)
oversampled and weighted to ensure consistency with
population norms of each average

stories: what & why6

1
culture candy &
the american sweet tooth

what we can learn from
#thedress, alex from target,
frozen, and the kardashians
1
culture candy &

#thedress
did the average person weigh in?

#thedress
yes74%

74%
weighed in
#thedress
74% 56%yes

alex from target
was the average person aware of him?

alex from target
52%
yes
45%
yes
was the average person aware of him?

frozen
did the average person see frozen?

frozen
did the average person see frozen?
70% 63%
yes

top 10 average middle average
+20%

inertia of culture

trickle down, driven by media

only 1-2% difference in
time spent with tv & digital

and no major changes
in spread over time

top 10 average
has a bigger sweet tooth

the kardashians
is the average person a kardashian fan?
58% 28%
yes

the kardashians
58% 28%
yes
BREAK THE INTERNET

the kardashians
58% 28%
yes
BREAK THE INTERNET BEND THE INTERNET

eat candy, crave sugar

top 10 average craves
culture candy because they
get more social currency
from sampling the flavors

what this means:
trends don’t necessarily
transfer from top 10
to middle average

there’s two different averages,
and the things they prioritize
are different - choose wisely

the paradox of
the american dream
2

the paradox of
the american dream
2
what homeownership and
art museums have to do
with views on immigration

the american dream:
2 definitions

does the average person own a home?
the concrete definition of the american dream
56%
65%yes

does the average person think immigration has a positive impact?
the abstract definition of the american dream
yes
68% 61%

what is the average stance on syrian refugees?
the abstract definition of the american dream
trusting
unsure
defensive
67%
8%
24%
51%
12%
37%

67% 44%
is the average person a passport holder?
travel
yes

93%
yes
83%
yes
did the average person read a book last year?
reading

45%
24%
does the average person visit art museums?
museums
yes

openness to experience

where people live
shifts their openness,
fear, and the experiences
they seek out

what this means:
brand experiences &
attributes should reflect
your customers’ lifestyle

how do you get everyone
to join in?

making a difference
in a world of slacktivists
3

making a difference
#bringbackourgirls,
black lives matter, and
the ice bucket challenge
3

yes
60%
41%
#bringbackourgirls
was the average person aware?

is awareness enough?

how can we create change:
in beliefs and behavior

black lives matter
did the average person engage?

digitally
physically
26%
38%
14%
20%
black lives matter
(2014)

digitally
physically
26%
38%
14%
20%
black lives matter
(2015)
18%
43%
12%
34%

physical participation
decreases; digital
participation increases

how can we make social
action make a difference?

did the average person take the challenge?

yes
26%

yes
26% 30%

awareness must be tied
to meaningful action, but
people will default to
simple & social actions

what this means:
don’t ask people to do
hard things; make simple
things work harder

badge value &
the illusion of healthy
4

badge value &
4
what we can learn from
superfoods, fast food,
and exercise habits

juice cleanses
has the average person tried a juice cleanse?

6%
57%
37%
wtf?
yes
no
juice cleanses

10%
72%
18%
wtf?
yes
no
6%
57%
37%
juice cleanses

eat
quinoa
eat
quinoa
48%
24%
quinoa
does the average person eat quinoa?

eat
kale
65%
47%
kale
does the average person eat kale?

who’s surprised?

i was surprised

fast food
how often does the average person eat fast food?

twice
a week
fast food
how often does the average person eat fast food?
46%
48%

8% 10%
meat
does the average person eat meat every day?

20% 18%
meat

20% 21%
meat

exercise
how often does the average person exercise?

exercise
how often does the average person exercise?
65% 63%
a few times
a week+

a health craze has more
to do with what it says
about you than what it
does for you

what this means:
if you want to matter to
top 10 average, give
badge value, not rtbs

what this means:
if you want to matter to
middle average, talk about
what makes you better

brands
does the average person prefer apple or samsung?
54% 55%

what really makes top 10 and
middle average so different?

gun violence &
climate change
5

gun violence &
climate change
5
how incentives of place
impact collective behavior

30,000 gun deaths
source: centers for disease control and prevention

70,000 gun injuries
source: centers for disease control and prevention

355 mass shootings
source: washington post, mass shooting tracker

gun violence
75%
81%
very concerned
how concerned is the average person?

gun violence
78% fewer guns 58%
22% more guns 42%
which does the average person think will prevent gun violence?

gun ownership
20%
41%
have a firearm
at home
does the average person have a gun at home?

“they must be crazy or
just stupid”

what’s causing drastically
different opinions?

it’s more social than legal

size = management

climate change
yes44%
35%
is the average person taking steps to prevent it?

it’s easier

environmentally friendly transportation
33% 23%
is the average person using it?
yes

people do what’s best for
themselves, but
incentives can shift
collective behavior

what this means:
understand the incentives
that drive behavior, and
find ways to change them

is this all just
political in nature?

why hillary will struggle to
win in a nation of democrats
6

what party affiliations and top
issues can teach us about
our next president
76

is top 10 average
democrat or republican?

75%
what is the average person’s affiliation?
political parties

“we’re greater together
than we are on our own”
democrats.org

is middle average
democrat or republican?

75%
54%
what is the average person’s affiliation?
political parties

“each person is responsible
for their place within society”
republicanviews.org

source: pew research center
48%
39%
what is the overall leaning in the country?
political parties

are we as divided as
pundits make us feel?

what does the average person think is most the important issue?
america’s biggest issues

31%
government 46%

16%
19%
31%
government
& the economy
46%

a proven record
in washington

a proven record
in washington
is like an emphysemic
tobacco lobbyist

hillary’s track record
and years in politics
are more likely to hurt
than help her with voters

what this means:
be in the progress business
while remaining true to
your heritage and values

stories6

culture candy &
trends don’t always transfer
from top 10 to middle average
1

the paradox
of the american dream
the right average to target is
different for different brands
2

making a difference
mass action comes from
making easy things work harder
3

badge value &
emotional and rational brands
have different average audiences
4

gun violence &
climate change
understanding incentives
creates mass behavior change
5

history doesn’t mean
credibility, progress does
6

they’re all related

no assumption is sacred

data alone is dangerous

data alone is dangerous
data + empathy is powerful

stop just listening

what makes average people
act or think the way they do?

how might geography,
marketing, and media
shape their reality?

how might openness to
experience impact the way
they act in their community?

what incentives make their
decisions make sense?

what incentives can you offer
to change their behavior?

push boundaries &
appeal to average

keep asking questions

(thanks)
keep asking questions

Understanding Average - The Inertia of Culture: SXSW

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