“Hipster - One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool. Note: it is no longer recommended that one use the term “cool”; a Hipster would instead say, “deck.” Did you get it? If not, take a look at the Hipster Handbook.

Honestly, first time I saw someone dressed like these Hipsters do, I didn’t have a clue what was it all about; or probably for the first hundred times. Sitting in a car or cafeteria while those people passed me and I was more between the thoughts like “that’s strange” and “maybe there’s a carnival or something somewhere”. Post moderns, yeah. Did they read their Pierre Bourdieu’s too closely or what? Step by step I have found myself facing that trend pretty much everywhere in the western world. It’s recognized in media, marketing, shops, and restaurants. I know it’s nothing new anymore but for people like me, forty and something, it’s still pretty unknown - to use a polite word.

Last weekend I got a link to an old magazine article about WASPs. WASP was one the #1 definitions in late 1980’s, in addition to yuppies, and still recognized word in the US politics, for example. As I was reading that old story on “M” -magazine – gone years ago – I thought about the whole concept of definitions, putting people in classes, and using classifications. What’s that all about? Is that something we need to understand ourselves better? Or is it something we need to understand our neighbors better or worse? Valuable for academic research or is it just so powerful tool to sell more stuff?

Obviously those definitions are just so perfect to put people into certain classes. I guess we all do that with our friends, friends of our spouses, coworkers, and neighbors. In late 1980 it was all about yuppies, even that most of the people never really fitted in that “young, urban and professional” category. Maybe young, maybe urban but not really professional. Young, urban and broke was probably the case pretty often. But they were trying to look like a one, and basically that’s what it is all about. That made them recognized by pretty much everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, the word “yuppie” was launched effectively and still exists. You are what you want to look like, I guess. And for that look you are ready to spend some money; your own, your bank’s or your parents’. And that is what makes those trends and definitions so valuable. Hipster had their single-speed bikes, now it is mass business and most probably summer 2010 will bring us such a bikes from every manufacturer in the world, top of the line and budget versions. A niche trend became as a mass business. And take a look on the fashion this fall; it is about traditional English fashion and so close to traditional WASPs in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Are WASPs back in fashion?

And that’s why people like me, professionals working inside and close to marketing communication business should definitely get the wasps, yuppies, hipsters and whatever is coming behind the next corner. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t – no difficulties to say that in loud. I am not perfect! But after all the years in business I still get confused where all these stories begin. Who are those secret guys somewhere with their amazing frameworks and matrixes for the next cool group, that becomes universal on the worldwide stage? Hey, Mr. or Mrs. Next Trend; if you are reading this please drop me an email. I would have a few questions for you.

I do find one commercial challenge in the Hipster class. By the handbook, hipster “ideally possesses no more than 2% body fat.” That’s a hard challenge for restaurant and food business but obviously nutrition business booms.

Take a look at WASP’s nightmares and Clues to be hipster. There is a pretty interesting link, right? Almost 20 years and an upside-down-model works. And this is not the first time in marketing communication business – or sales – and definitely not the last time.

For all of us forty-and-something guys one more quote from the Hipster handbook; “You are not a hipster if you work in an office building that has a man-made pond and a fountain in its front lot.” Friends; take a look outside. I am sure you can see why you are not a hipster, right? Not cool, I believe. Or was it deck?

Cheers for fountains! Cheers for WASPs and Hipsters and everyone between! Cheers for interesting people!