According to a recent research study conducted by Charles Schwab, 71% of 23-28 year olds polled said they are extremely concerned about the U.S.’s economic future. More than half, 53%, were very concerned about their personal financial future. Needless to say, the economy is extremely challenged right now and the job market is very, very bad.
For Millennials the severity of the economic downturn has been a discombobulating experience, especially in light of the fact that our generation's identity has been shaped during the height of American consumption and excess. So what is going to happen now? Are there tools out there to help us navigate this new economic reality and help us plan for our increasingly cloudy financial future?
One of CultureLab's Clients, EDS Credit Union, contracted us to develop programming and outreach that would help attract younger members to their Credit Union while helping them to become more aware of the importance of financial planning and financial fitness. As a consequence we came up with TheArrivalGuide.com. It is our hope that this is step one to more companies and financial institutions being more sensitive to the needs of our generation. Check it out, let us know what you think, and please feel free to tell us how we can make it stronger.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
CultureLab has won Honorable Mention for the ADCOLOR Innovator Award
It was announced today that CultureLab's founders, Philip Moore and Kevin Walker won Honorable Mention for the 2009 ADCOLOR Innovator of the Year Award. With more entries than ever before it is indeed an honor to be among the crème de la crème of the ad industry. Philip and Kevin were also the ONLY honorees from a small agency to be recognized. Check out the list of all honorees at: http://bit.ly/LOXdU. Also to know more about the ADCOLOR Awards check out : www.adcolor.org
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Chicago Movements
Recently, our intern and Chicago based blogger, Devin Walker, interviewed a brotha by the name of Krabby who happens to be the manager/proprietor of hot streetwear/sneaker boutique, St. Alfred in Wicker Park. Chicago is coming up in the game in its streetwear and sneaker options and St. Alfred is leading the way.
We learned alot about what's happening in the CHI by talking with Krabby:
Q1: I understand STA is apart of Kicks/HI what is it about Chicago style or just Chicago in general that made Chicago the first place to open a store on the mainland rather than NY or LA?
A1: The city didn't have something like this whereas LA and NY had places like it already. When we opened up in 2005, we weren't the first but there wasn't anything like this here.
Q2: If this boutique had to have a motto what would it be?
A2: Saint's rise above…..
Q3: How has the Chicago Style of dress changed over this decade?
A3: It's become more embracing of skate culture like SB's DC, but what has changed is that there is more acceptance of different styles. Before, if a shoe wasn't a AF1 or Jordan it was called a fake AF1 or Jordan.
Q4: How do you see the state of Chicago fashion moving in the coming years?
A4: It will continue to spread from the old norm thanks to people like Kanye and Lupe. Kanye has the reach in the urban community and the larger mainstream commercial aspect of America to be a influence in both.
Q5: With the economy's current state, what do you think would be the X factor for a store such as this one to get new clientele?
A5: A good product is what's key. Some people are still buying the high end merchandising, but you must have competitive prices and uniqueness.
Q: How has the connection of local artist and local hip hop boutiques helped both industries in their fields here in Chicago?
A6: Promotions for the city, and use anything that cross connects them is a good thing for the city.
Q7: How do you think social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace helped spread the buzz about STA?
A7: Facebook and Myspace are just other forms of communication but word of mouth is the best way to communicate ideas, and Facebook mimics that.
Q8: Chicago neighborhoods are known for having there own unique styles, some industrial, others residential, how do you guys think Wicker Park has influenced this establishment and how do you see the impact that STA has had on Wicker Park?
A8: It hasn't been affected by Wicker Park but we have seen Wicker Park change, it has been another case of gentrification but in a new way. Instead of it being racial it is age based, more young people in their 20's and 30's and married young people as well.
Q:9 So what are the hot styles for this summer
Shoes? Pants? Shirts? Accessories?
A9: Now its a euro style for the shoes, also Vans, Converses and also it is hip to wear new start up companies products, in all parts of your wardrobe.
Mr. TasTees Visual Mix Tape — "A Crazy Trip In Chicago" from Anthony Esquivel on Vimeo.
We learned alot about what's happening in the CHI by talking with Krabby:
Q1: I understand STA is apart of Kicks/HI what is it about Chicago style or just Chicago in general that made Chicago the first place to open a store on the mainland rather than NY or LA?
A1: The city didn't have something like this whereas LA and NY had places like it already. When we opened up in 2005, we weren't the first but there wasn't anything like this here.
Q2: If this boutique had to have a motto what would it be?
A2: Saint's rise above…..
Q3: How has the Chicago Style of dress changed over this decade?
A3: It's become more embracing of skate culture like SB's DC, but what has changed is that there is more acceptance of different styles. Before, if a shoe wasn't a AF1 or Jordan it was called a fake AF1 or Jordan.
Q4: How do you see the state of Chicago fashion moving in the coming years?
A4: It will continue to spread from the old norm thanks to people like Kanye and Lupe. Kanye has the reach in the urban community and the larger mainstream commercial aspect of America to be a influence in both.
Q5: With the economy's current state, what do you think would be the X factor for a store such as this one to get new clientele?
A5: A good product is what's key. Some people are still buying the high end merchandising, but you must have competitive prices and uniqueness.
Q: How has the connection of local artist and local hip hop boutiques helped both industries in their fields here in Chicago?
A6: Promotions for the city, and use anything that cross connects them is a good thing for the city.
Q7: How do you think social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace helped spread the buzz about STA?
A7: Facebook and Myspace are just other forms of communication but word of mouth is the best way to communicate ideas, and Facebook mimics that.
Q8: Chicago neighborhoods are known for having there own unique styles, some industrial, others residential, how do you guys think Wicker Park has influenced this establishment and how do you see the impact that STA has had on Wicker Park?
A8: It hasn't been affected by Wicker Park but we have seen Wicker Park change, it has been another case of gentrification but in a new way. Instead of it being racial it is age based, more young people in their 20's and 30's and married young people as well.
Q:9 So what are the hot styles for this summer
Shoes? Pants? Shirts? Accessories?
A9: Now its a euro style for the shoes, also Vans, Converses and also it is hip to wear new start up companies products, in all parts of your wardrobe.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
CLab Hot Spot
Check out our latest video blog to find out about the next big trends!
cLab HOT spot 2 from Philip Moore on Vimeo.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Teens and Media
We just came across this article in the Financial Times, and wondered why was this "scribble" such a sensation. At CultureLab we have been knowing this for the last 2 and a half years. We guess it is finally sinking in to mainstream media and to the older generation that yeah, things are changing fundamentally. This is why Clients hire us, because we fully understand how young consumers use media and what is relevant to them.
Read this:
Note by 'teenage scribbler' causes sensation
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York
Published: July 12 2009 23:32 | Last updated: July 12 2009 23:32
A research note written by a 15-year-old, who was not born when former UK chancellor Nigel Lawson dismissed London analysts as “teenage scribblers”, has become the talk of middle-aged media executives and investors.
Morgan Stanley’s European media analysts asked Matthew Robson, one of the bank’s interns from a London school, to describe his friends’ media habits. His report proved to be “one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it,” said Edward Hill-Wood, head of the team.
The response was enormous. “We’ve had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day,” said Mr Hill-Wood, 35, estimating that the note had generated five or six times more feedback than the team’s usual reports.
However, he made no claims for its statistical rigour.
As elderly media moguls gathered at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, to fawn over Twitter and fret over their business models, Mr Robson set out a sobering case that tomorrow’s consumers are using more and more media but are unwilling to pay for it.
“Teenagers do not use Twitter,” he pronounced. Updating the micro-blogging service from mobile phones costs valuable credit, he wrote, and “they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their tweets are pointless”.
His peers find it hard to make time for regular television, and would rather listen to advert-free music on websites such as Last.fm than tune into traditional radio. Even online, teens find advertising “extremely annoying and pointless”.
Their time and money is spent instead on cinema, concerts and video game consoles which, he said, now double as a more attractive vehicle for chatting with friends than the phone.
Mr Robson had little comfort for struggling print publishers, saying no teenager he knew regularly reads a newspaper since most “cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text” rather than see summaries online or on television.
Executives and investors have grown fascinated by the opinions of teenagers. Rupert Murdoch, 78, has described himself as a “digital immigrant” and his young daughters as “digital natives”, while UBS pulled in an 18-year-old three years ago to demonstrate MySpace to portfolio managers.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Read this:
Note by 'teenage scribbler' causes sensation
By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York
Published: July 12 2009 23:32 | Last updated: July 12 2009 23:32
A research note written by a 15-year-old, who was not born when former UK chancellor Nigel Lawson dismissed London analysts as “teenage scribblers”, has become the talk of middle-aged media executives and investors.
Morgan Stanley’s European media analysts asked Matthew Robson, one of the bank’s interns from a London school, to describe his friends’ media habits. His report proved to be “one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it,” said Edward Hill-Wood, head of the team.
The response was enormous. “We’ve had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day,” said Mr Hill-Wood, 35, estimating that the note had generated five or six times more feedback than the team’s usual reports.
However, he made no claims for its statistical rigour.
As elderly media moguls gathered at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, to fawn over Twitter and fret over their business models, Mr Robson set out a sobering case that tomorrow’s consumers are using more and more media but are unwilling to pay for it.
“Teenagers do not use Twitter,” he pronounced. Updating the micro-blogging service from mobile phones costs valuable credit, he wrote, and “they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their tweets are pointless”.
His peers find it hard to make time for regular television, and would rather listen to advert-free music on websites such as Last.fm than tune into traditional radio. Even online, teens find advertising “extremely annoying and pointless”.
Their time and money is spent instead on cinema, concerts and video game consoles which, he said, now double as a more attractive vehicle for chatting with friends than the phone.
Mr Robson had little comfort for struggling print publishers, saying no teenager he knew regularly reads a newspaper since most “cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text” rather than see summaries online or on television.
Executives and investors have grown fascinated by the opinions of teenagers. Rupert Murdoch, 78, has described himself as a “digital immigrant” and his young daughters as “digital natives”, while UBS pulled in an 18-year-old three years ago to demonstrate MySpace to portfolio managers.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
R.I.P. Michael Jackson-A Tribute
It is an understatement to say that the media has been obsessed for the last couple of weeks with the death of MJ, however, today, as we celebrate his life it feels so real, so final and so solemn. More than likely we will never see this level of superstardom again. We are sad about this for sure but there are some lessons that MJ taught us that are relevant to us in the agency world and to those of us who want to succeed in connecting to people across all cultures.
MJ was rooted in the 60's era of struggle and Black upward mobility . He was from the rough, steel town of Gary, Indiana, and his father Joe was determined to make sure that his family had a better life. Self determination and the thirst for a better life is what many people in the world desire, and that is probably one of the reasons why MJ connected on that global level. He was symbolic of how pure talent combined with stellar work ethic can take you to the top.
If not for Joe's determination to insure that his family had a better life, we probably would have never known the Jackson 5 or ultimately the "Off the Wall/Thriller" era Michael Jackson. It is well documented that Joe was not always fair or loving but he did instill in MJ, that drive and discipline. MJ's God given talent combined with his ambition, drive and discipline were a HUGE reason for his global success.
MJ is perhaps the greatest example of someone who connected with humanity on a global level, he was a trailblazer and generated excitement from Moscow, to Dakar, to Anchorage to Sao Paulo. I challenge anyone to name another artist who generated so much excitement on every single continent amongst almost every single ethnicity. It is unprecedented and more than likely will never happen again. His demonstrated compassion for the world and yes, children all over the world was a big reason for his global connection.
The dude broke down barriers. He found a way around barriers and maintained impeccable standards. If you were drafted by MJ to produce something for him, write something for him, choreograph for him,or film something for him, you were automatically put into that exceptional category. His high standards for production in music video, choreography and music production are what helped him break down those barriers. MTV did not play Black artist before MJ's Billie Jean but the production standards on that video made it undeniable!
Finally, MJ brought the electricity! The dance moves, the staging, the precision, on point vocals, etc. Sometimes it seems like many performers forget the performing aspect, and the idea of giving it your all. MJ always gave it his all when on stage. There is something to be said about the hysteria he generated at shows. The world is going to miss that electricity!
The world is going to miss MJJ.
MJ was rooted in the 60's era of struggle and Black upward mobility . He was from the rough, steel town of Gary, Indiana, and his father Joe was determined to make sure that his family had a better life. Self determination and the thirst for a better life is what many people in the world desire, and that is probably one of the reasons why MJ connected on that global level. He was symbolic of how pure talent combined with stellar work ethic can take you to the top.
If not for Joe's determination to insure that his family had a better life, we probably would have never known the Jackson 5 or ultimately the "Off the Wall/Thriller" era Michael Jackson. It is well documented that Joe was not always fair or loving but he did instill in MJ, that drive and discipline. MJ's God given talent combined with his ambition, drive and discipline were a HUGE reason for his global success.
MJ is perhaps the greatest example of someone who connected with humanity on a global level, he was a trailblazer and generated excitement from Moscow, to Dakar, to Anchorage to Sao Paulo. I challenge anyone to name another artist who generated so much excitement on every single continent amongst almost every single ethnicity. It is unprecedented and more than likely will never happen again. His demonstrated compassion for the world and yes, children all over the world was a big reason for his global connection.
The dude broke down barriers. He found a way around barriers and maintained impeccable standards. If you were drafted by MJ to produce something for him, write something for him, choreograph for him,or film something for him, you were automatically put into that exceptional category. His high standards for production in music video, choreography and music production are what helped him break down those barriers. MTV did not play Black artist before MJ's Billie Jean but the production standards on that video made it undeniable!
Finally, MJ brought the electricity! The dance moves, the staging, the precision, on point vocals, etc. Sometimes it seems like many performers forget the performing aspect, and the idea of giving it your all. MJ always gave it his all when on stage. There is something to be said about the hysteria he generated at shows. The world is going to miss that electricity!
The world is going to miss MJJ.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The wonders of Technology
We all know the wonders of the iPhone and its constant revolutionizing of not only phone and technology, but also the world, But it still astounds and excites us here at CultureLab all the amazing things it can do, especially the fact that people are now able to videotape and produce music videos on it in a very high tech way!
Check out the music video that someone created!
Check out the music video that someone created!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
CLab Hot Spot
CultureLab is now producing video blogs about the latest trends.
Check out our first one!
Check out our first one!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Social Media as a Direct Democracy: What political theory can teach us about Web 2.0?
by Devin Walker
There are two forms of democracy, indirect and direct. The difference between a direct democracy and an indirect democracy is that in an indirect democracy you have people that you elect to represent you and a number of other people who will have somewhat similar interest because of your geographical proximity, and therefore you will have some of the same problems on the local level. Examples of indirect democracy would be alderman, state representatives and your member of the House of Representative. But in a direct democracy every person who is able to vote (because of their vested interest) will vote on every issue that the government deals with, so everyone will be a representative: a representative of themselves. This is an idealistic way of governing in a democracy, but then we consider reality and its truths, a more pragmatic approach emerges. This is to have an indirect democracy due to the fact that the average farmer is not an expert on urban affairs, and has a bias for the agriculture policy. So we must ask ourselves how is social media a direct democracy?
Social media allows everyone who has access to the internet to express their opinions; it is analogous to how when radio first started. There were hundreds of independent local stations in our free market. The ones that were reflective of the ideas of a majority of people within their areas of broadcast, stayed on and got a larger following. Those that reflected the viewpoint of a radical portion of the population went underground or died out. The same is true with websites, RSS Feeds, and blogs. The good ones with time grow and become very popular and those that are poorly designed or have less than common views are ignored. These days instead of changing the dial, you change the web address. But difference is that people have more of a chance to interact and express their opinion than ever before.
There are two forms of democracy, indirect and direct. The difference between a direct democracy and an indirect democracy is that in an indirect democracy you have people that you elect to represent you and a number of other people who will have somewhat similar interest because of your geographical proximity, and therefore you will have some of the same problems on the local level. Examples of indirect democracy would be alderman, state representatives and your member of the House of Representative. But in a direct democracy every person who is able to vote (because of their vested interest) will vote on every issue that the government deals with, so everyone will be a representative: a representative of themselves. This is an idealistic way of governing in a democracy, but then we consider reality and its truths, a more pragmatic approach emerges. This is to have an indirect democracy due to the fact that the average farmer is not an expert on urban affairs, and has a bias for the agriculture policy. So we must ask ourselves how is social media a direct democracy?
Social media allows everyone who has access to the internet to express their opinions; it is analogous to how when radio first started. There were hundreds of independent local stations in our free market. The ones that were reflective of the ideas of a majority of people within their areas of broadcast, stayed on and got a larger following. Those that reflected the viewpoint of a radical portion of the population went underground or died out. The same is true with websites, RSS Feeds, and blogs. The good ones with time grow and become very popular and those that are poorly designed or have less than common views are ignored. These days instead of changing the dial, you change the web address. But difference is that people have more of a chance to interact and express their opinion than ever before.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The civil side of Blogging
by Devin Walker
Often times we see blogging as a local, regional, or national device of communicating opinions on work, current events, and niche topics. But there is an issue that is of great importance that blogging is taking on: human rights.
Whenever a conflict, populous uprising, or political shake-up occurs in a nation that has internet capabilities in it, the bloggers use their outlet to the world to update the rest of us on the conditions from their point of view, the most recent case being the election in Iran. The good people at UC Berkeley are at the forefront of chronicling and encouraging this.
2048 Project homepage:
http://draftinghumanrights.berkeley.edu/home
Blogging human rights: http://fora.tv/2009/05/05/Blogging_Human_Rights
Often times we see blogging as a local, regional, or national device of communicating opinions on work, current events, and niche topics. But there is an issue that is of great importance that blogging is taking on: human rights.
Whenever a conflict, populous uprising, or political shake-up occurs in a nation that has internet capabilities in it, the bloggers use their outlet to the world to update the rest of us on the conditions from their point of view, the most recent case being the election in Iran. The good people at UC Berkeley are at the forefront of chronicling and encouraging this.
2048 Project homepage:
http://draftinghumanrights.berkeley.edu/home
Blogging human rights: http://fora.tv/2009/05/05/Blogging_Human_Rights
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Funny Take on The Ubiquity of the Auto-Tune
Since Jay-Z has been in the news with "DOA-Death of Auto-Tune" we thought we would post this hilarious video.
Auto Tuning from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.
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