Pop Culture is a part of our everyday lives. It shapes our society and determines the possible trajectory of our future. It shapes our thoughts, emotions, and to some extent our physical being. With the rise of the digital era, the very identity of popular culture changes and morphs. Apps go in and out of favor, clothing style changes from one second to another, celebrities rise and fall with the sun in fame, and film and television are consumed more now than ever before.
What is popular culture or pop culture?
It is acknowledged by members of a community as a consolidation of practices, opinions, and beliefs existing in the society in a given area. These are prevalent and have a heavy influence. It also includes the actions and subcultures created as a result of interaction with these dominant beliefs and opinions. In modern times it is heavily influenced by mass media. It becomes the collection of thoughts that influences the daily lives of the people in a given society or culture.
Pop culture has an almost systematic way of influencing an individual’s attitude towards specific issues and ideas.
There are several ways and means to determine what can be categorized as Pop Culture.
However, it is important to understand that none of these methods are concrete. Due to its ambiguity, popular culture is considered an abstract classification, or something that can be set in a variety of conflicting ways by different people across various circumstances. The term pop culture refers to the consumable media (art, music, literature, and collective thoughts) that drives the society of a particular era.
What does this mean for researchers and consumers?
Researchers and consumers alike now have the task of understanding and implementing their knowledge of the pop culture market. With its ever-changing landscape, this can seem like an impossible task. Here are a few expert tips to help you understand the pop culture market better.
Social Media Applications
Social media has taken the world by storm. Information is shared 24/7 on a never-ending cycle. The ability to connect to anyone or anything instantaneously allows for rapid growth and change in any given market or niche. To understand the market, more specifically that of the pop culture market, you not only need to be an active social media user but also need to understand the analytics of these apps. Ads and the overall algorithm of these platforms are based on the usage of the consumer.
Active Research
This means taking a more hands-on true to life approach. Going to open forum events has a coordinator or participant to help you to get a feel for the market. It also gives you a look into how panels are designed by other companies or identities in the field and how they gather the information needed to dominate the world of pop culture. As a researcher, you can offer paid focus groups which will be sure to garner a large crowd. Focus groups are designed to give an unbiased honest opinion and as such is an opportunity to understand what motivates the landscape in the pop culture market.
Attend Summits
Summits are designed to impart as much knowledge as possible in a short amount of time. They are engaging and draw people from all walks of life. You will find that everyone from experts to beginners is amongst the summit crowd. This is because it has been noted that information constantly changes and with so must we. You can find presentations on things such as what is pop culture, who contributes to it, why is it important to understand, etc. Do your research before choosing a summit to attend. Make sure that it is related to what you’re looking into. Also, make sure that the presenters are well-recognized experts in the field as there is only so much information you can take in at a time. You want to ensure that you’re getting the most value for your time.
We are all in some way, shape, or form about Pop Culture. It shapes our society from the food we eat to the gadgets permanently affixed to our palms. Having a working understanding of this intrinsic part of life is vital to anyone looking to advance in their career, business, or social intelligence. The creativity industry benefits the most from having this understanding and implementing strategic plans on how to infiltrate the market and stand out in a crowd of increasingly savvy individuals. It’s not just a market to be researched for gain but rather a way of life to be understood and used in a collaborative manner.
Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.