Poor Collegiate Outdoorsman

“So, tell me about yourself” – One of the toughest questions to answer candidly (without sounding cheesy, of course), unless you are lucky enough to have created a self-persona for a marketing class you took junior year of college… Oh, wait.

ATTENTION MARKETERS! Potential buyer!

Meet Bobby Lish. He is your typical 18-21 year old, male student. Except, “typical” doesn’t effectively convey any meaning to a marketer. If “typical” doesn’t suffice, what describes Bobby? (If I may revert to first person now…) Given the amount of time spent doing so, I am best described as a student. Many experienced marketers would assume this means I am likely dependent financially. In most areas, this is true. Tuition, rent, utilities, insurance… all a phone call away from being paid. Unfortunately, I am not fully dependent, leaving me to work two part-time jobs to fund my life. Most importantly, this means that time and money are two things that I have in limited quantity. I strongly dislike shopping for anything because I loathe spending money when it feels superfluous. I’ll buy almost anything though if I can be convinced I “need” it. Take a moment to reminisce…

Senior year of high school. Time to buy a college car. I could get a car, because it is more gas efficient, and probably cheaper than a truck, but what if I need to haul something? I “need” a truck. A single cab would be cheaper than an extended cab, but what if multiple people need a ride? I “need” the extended cab. The Z71 package makes the truck look awesome, but I don’t really need it, do I? Well, there’s the possibility of getting stuck in the mud (happens all the time, I hear…) and the 4-wheel drive would help in that situation. I “need” the Z71. I can be convinced I “need” almost anything that I want to have in the first place.

A perfect segue into what it is that I want. I would describe myself as an outdoorsman. Camping is my activity of choice. Adventure tickles my fancy. My summer job is always camp counselor. Always. I want my life to be a story that would sell millions of copies in the bookstores. A white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a golden retriever makes my skin crawl. “Into The Wild” is my favorite book, and my favorite movie (no immediate plans to abandon society for a bus in the Alaskan wilderness as of yet). I absolutely adore music. I firmly believe relationships are of paramount importance in life. Financial success means very little to me (aren’t I in McCombs?). My dream job is to be a big game hunting guide. Some of my most prized possessions are: a kayak, an old pipe, a travel hammock, a guitar, and a 12-gauge shotgun. I don’t always shop, but when I do, I shop in Whole Earth Provisions.

To summarize, you could call me a marketer’s nightmare: An outdoorsy college student, who doesn’t have much spending money, and when he does, hates spending it. But I, like many others, have my weak spot. I love the idea of being “manly.” Did I buy my truck because I needed a truck with an extended cab and 4-wheel drive, or did it simply appeal to my desire of manliness? Do I drink Dos Equis because of the taste or because “The Most Interesting Man In the World” also drinks it? I will defend the taste, but it doesn’t hurt that he drinks it too (have you heard that sharks have a week dedicated to him?). In the end, take a product, prove its’ use to a man (a real burly, man’s man), and prove its’ necessity, then it will be irresistible to me. Unless, of course, I’ve already started selling all my possessions in hopes of setting off into the wilderness to live an epic life of adventure… In which case, I’m a hopeless consumer, but do you know anyone in the market for a 4-wheel drive truck?