Aspirant Mainstream

About

Rahs and Trendies upset members of other Tribes with their, by turns, privilege and pulling power – but they are open-minded and willing to socialise and interact with anybody from Goths to DIYers. They are genuinely friendly and discerning, though Rahs tend to revert within their Tribe as they reach maturity.

This combination of discernment, wide ranging tastes and fashion sense makes the Aspirant Mainstream lifestyle very attractive to girls, with a significant proportion of Rah and Trendy Tribes made up by girls who spend every available penny keeping up with the beautiful people. The only consolation for Alternative and Urban kids forced to party side-by-side with glossy Aspirant kids, is how much money they’re spending on themselves and others. Rahs in particular are free with their money.

Aspirant Mainstream kids are major consumers. They’ll browse the rails at Topshop or American Apparel, but accessorise with genuine designer boots. In terms of music and fashion, Aspirant Mainstream kids can be marketed to through magazines and billboards but by far the biggest drivers are friends within their own and bordering Tribes. Social media plays a part in picking up the next trend, but celebrities are even more important. Tribe members also spend big on the basics like jeans, bags and makeup and will often follow an established brand for durability.

Rahs are a Marmite tribe, loathed or loved in equal measure by people outside their clan, with similarly divisive icons like Peaches Geldoff. While upper class roots have consistently been downplayed since the birth of cool, at the moment they are something to brag about – and even exaggerate. Rahs are easy to spot with their showy fashion and shouty, braying voices, and they tend to move in big clans, dipping into urban and indie scenes en masse.

Generally from (slightly) less affluent backgrounds, Trendies stand out just as clearly, and elicit an equally sharp reaction because they are self-consciously fashionable. You either buy into their relatively-ahead-of-the-curve clothing and music taste, or scorn it. But rejecting Trendy choices is fraught with risk – they are overwhelmingly on the money. Embracing the Aspirant Mainstream lifestyle requires serious spending power and free time to match their well-researched taste and vintage clothing.

Stats

19% definitely agreed that they go to ‘one music festival every year,’ which was slightly more than the average among 16 to 24s (15%)

In addition, they were the most likely to definitely agree that “I talk about TV programmes with my friends” (41%), compared to an average of 34%

This planning segment felt they had the most opportunities ahead of them (Index = 123 vs. all 16-24 year olds)