They’re everywhere, you just don’t know it. Educated and well read, their highly informed levels of social and global concern play key roles in their purchasing decision. They’re called Cultural Creatives and you just might be one of them!

Cultural Creatives are a mélange of all the social movements that have taken place since the 1960s. While they are brand loyal and willing to spend more for environmentally friendly products and organic and natural foods, they are suspect of advertising. They tap into a network of trusted friends for information about the products they buy and represent a distinct shift in cultural consciousness. They have begun to change the world with new ideas and creative solutions to societal problems…and, along the way, they have established themselves as an emerging market segment that challenges companies to reexamine their corporate values, brand identities and marketing strategies.

For the uninitiated, the Cultural Creative movement was discovered and named by sociologist Paul Ray. In 2001, Ray published a book explaining what he had found over the course of 13 years and over 100,000 individual surveys. The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World brings to light an unmistakable trend in our society. Using the same type of information to separate people into groups, The Natural Marketing Institute maps a similar trend in our culture called LOHAS, or Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability, in their publication LOHAS Journal. If you think the whole things sounds almost tribal, well…it does. Read on…

Discovering life beyond demographics

Traditionally, companies focus on demographics to describe their consumers. Things like age, education, income, where they live and, to a degree, what they buy are used to define groups of consumers. That will soon be a thing of the past.

Getting back to the lost tribe of America, more useful models of thinking about consumers incorporate the idea of “lifestyle tribes.” The premise is that belief systems and values are used to identify and understand consumer groups. These tribes are held together by a common way of seeing the world. Looking deeper than demographics, or even psychographics, these models give us new ways to see how people group together and show us a new American market emerging right under our noses. This new way of thinking shows consumers clustering around ideas, beliefs and values, not just age or income.

For the Cultural Creatives, these beliefs and values include globalism, sustainability, altruism and self-actualization. And they’re strongly influencing the business sectors. Within the Cultural Creative tribe, you’ll find an even more dedicated bunch that, as a subset of the larger group, embody the “green” lifestyle. This “Green Cultural Creative” is more apt to gravitate towards products or brands that support their concerns and help them live their lifestyle. Not surprisingly, with Global Sustainability a top priority, more environmentally sensitive corporations, products and ideas thrive among this group.

Describing the new tribe’s universe

So, if you’re saying to yourself, “I never even knew they existed,” that’s not surprising. According to Dr. Ray, the Cultural Creatives THEMSELVES don’t know they exist. The mainstream media simply isn’t covering this trend. Most people falling into this category just assume that there are very few others out there that share their beliefs, values and concern for the environment, social issues and healthy, natural living.

Are there THAT many individuals out there who fit into the Cultural Creative model? You betcha! Depending on whose statistics we use, there are anywhere between 50 and 66 million U.S. adults in this segment. That’s 25% to 30% of adults in the U.S. – a pretty hard group to ignore, huh? Well, for the already burgeoning naturals and organics categories, as well as those in tune with the ecological, environmental and social values aligned with these groups, this is great news!

So what about the other tribes in the good ol' U.S. of A? As you might already suspect, you will find the Traditionalists and the Moderns comprising the rest of the adult population. These two groups are, in some cases, the antithesis of the Cultural Creatives.

Traditionalists, mainly those in the Heartland, represent 29% of the population. Conservative, with a relatively rigid set of beliefs, they embrace a nostalgic view of America, with a small town and/or old-fashioned way of life, and lean towards the religious right.

Modernists, once upon a time called "Yuppies," are the largest group, representing 49% of Americans. They’ve turned a deaf ear to the Traditionalist perspective, are more concerned with badge value and lead a "gotta have the best–and make sure everyone knows I’ve got the best" pseudo-upmarket lifestyle. Technology rules in their world, and they place high values on personal success, consumption and money.

Actions speak louder than words

Businesses that have built their brands around sustainable models, ethical business practices and an understanding of what consumers value have done well with Cultural Creatives. Ben & Jerry’s, which donates a percentage of its profits to environmental causes, is an example.

Automotive companies, such as Toyota, which bring hybrid vehicles to market, is another example of what appeals to, as well as captures the attention of, these consumers. And of course, all of the products in the natural and organic category demonstrate an alignment with Cultural Creatives’ values.

But for each company who understands this tribe, there are many, many more who have yet to spot them on their radar screens. It won’t be long before these companies are falling over each other, trying to co-opt the ideas and values important to Cultural Creatives. However, it’s likely that these firms will fall flat on their faces in their attempts to exploit the market potential of this tribe, unless their missions, values and practices truly come into alignment with this newly discovered group.

For companies who already garner the appreciation of the Cultural Creatives, they need to bolster their brands and fend off invaders tempted by this lucrative market.

Putting your best foot forward

While many companies serving these segments are small, it doesn’t mean that they have small brands. In fact, many of the brands in these categories are quite upmarket and exude all of the values, beliefs and practices that Cultural Creatives and LOHAS consumers want to support. It might be said that these values make up the core of their brand identities and are the reasons that consumers buy their products.

While their products are selling like hotcakes (the organics industry has shown double digit increases in growth for several years) as they expand distribution and gain access to more and more of the core Cultural Creative market, what will happen when they reach a mature level of penetration within that core? Are these brands positioned to step into the rest of the growing Cultural Creative market? Can they find entry into the hearts and minds of the people in the middle – the potential Cultural Creatives who sway back and forth between green products and the other side of the spectrum inhabited by Modernists and Traditionalists?

Their continued success depends on how well they’ve established their full array of brand assets. Having values aligned with these consumers won’t necessarily do the trick if your awareness is low, your identity unclear, the quality of your product (or at least the perception of quality) in the minds of customers is low, preference has not been established and loyalty has not been earned.

Is your brand aligned with the values and beliefs of the Cultural Creatives? Do you have a process to strengthen each of YOUR brand’s assets that will bring them into a more desirable, upmarket position? The answer, my friend, is not blowin’ in the wind, as the great Bob Dylan would say.