Average is a pretty polarizing word.
We’d all be ecstatic if the average person was aware of our creative work, but royally pissed if our work was called "average."
But average doesn’t have to mean mediocre. It can define something far more powerful: mass behavior. The inertia of culture.
I believe a better understanding of this inertia can inspire creativity that pushes boundaries AND achieves scale.
So I created 'Understanding Average,' an empathetic data series that explores how average Americans are impacted by cultural phenomena - from hashtags to superfoods. It asks questions that help us see the world as others see it, and it offers insights that let us stand in others' shoes.
I shared this presentation, with 6 surprising stories of Average, at SXSW on March 13, 2016.
48. @TheMaggiest #ImAverageUnderstandingAverage.com
top 10 average
32%
people living in the
top 10 dmas
nyc, los angeles,
chicago, philly,
dallas, san francisco
washington dc,
boston, atlanta,
& houston
middle average
68%
people living
in the other
200 dmas
51. @TheMaggiest #ImAverageUnderstandingAverage.com
top 10 average
n=300
middle average
n=800
online surveys to 1,100 people (300 top 10 and 800 middle)
oversampled and weighted to ensure consistency with
population norms of each average