What's YOUR public?!

A public is a place that is not your home... OK, I’m just being silly. Publics are considered a demographic region that you belong to – controllable or uncontrollable. In the sense that there are things that you were born to be a part of, and others that you chose to join. It doesn’t necessarily define who you are as a person; however, it does define how society views you and how marketers target you.

Let me see if I can do my best to clarify it for you. I am a member of Red-Neck country, small southern hick town, population... We never really knew?! Regardless, because I was born in a small town, I will always be a part of that demographic. Just like the saying goes: You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. Country people are different than city folk in that they buy bigger toys like snowmobiles, quads, and pickup trucks. They can survive on less, and hunting is a pastime. We enjoy the simple things in life.

Obviously, by moving to, as we say in the country, the BIG city, I became a part of a different demographic. The fast-paced, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of demographic, where pizza places are open till 2 am, delivery is an option, and there are drive-thru vendors. By leaving the country and moving to the city, I chose to be a part of this demographic. My taste in clothing, food, and housing were changed as well, and I learned to adapt to a faster paced environment yet I am able to go back if I need to slow it down.

Being that I was born in the early 1980s, this automatically made me a part of Generation Y, known as the Millennial Generation. It’s the generation most known for its communications and quick adaptations to rapidly changing technologies. Through and through, that is me. The fast paced environment of social media is important in business today, and I thrive on it. I can't imagine a day without checking Facebook, and I would not dare leave my house without my BlackBerry. I would be lost without it.

Being a woman, I am part of the female demographic. I realize women have different tastes when it comes to fashion, television, and activities, the assumption is that women are placed in the same demographic that marketers will target in general. I didn’t choose to be a part of this market, like Lady Gaga would say: I was born this way.

Whether we like it or not, we are all placed in categories; gay, straight, married, or single, among many others. We live in a world of business my friends, don’t fight it or take offence to it... Adapt to it J