Question

Topic: Branding

What Does The Word "urban" Mean?

Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 3/23/2004 at 11:00 AM ET 500 Points
Aside from the classical definition in Webster's, what does the word "urban" mean?

Specifically, how do you think the world interprets the word? Inner-city youth? Rap-Music? A certain Ethnic group?

What are your thoughts?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 3/23/2004 at 11:47 AM Author
    JB, so basically all of the above...right?
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 3/23/2004 at 10:19 PM Author
    Yeah, I thought everyone would be mixed up on this...I sure am.

    OK, time to give a little disclosure:

    I am designing a site, logo, etc for a client's website. The company name has the word "urban" in it.

    His primary focus is on health and fitness, with other sections for music, books, gear, vitamins, health quiz, disease info, articles and interviews from popular atheletes and body builders, work out tips etc. etc.

    He is trying to break the current mold of the use of the word "urban" by not restricting it to an particular ethnic group or a bunch of "potty mouth" inner city youths by reaching out to people of all colors and creeds who live in the city! Simple, right?

    I am with him on losing the "ebonic/street slang" tag the word urban currently has. However, I feel his target demographic of "anyone who lives in a city" clashes with the word "urban" ONLY because of it's current usage.

    He wants to utilize it by it's tradional definition, and again, I support him...I just don't want to say "OK, whatever you want" and perhaps get a bunch of disappointed visitors who think they are about to go to a site with spray painted brick walls and the word "beotch" used every five seconds, only to discover it is a classy site with a positive message.

    We are teetering on NOT using the word Urban, but by classical defintion, it is exactly who he is trying to reach. Is the classical defintion dead?....Now ruled by rappers and MNM wanna-be's?
  • Posted by tjh on 3/23/2004 at 11:19 PM Member
    "We are teetering on NOT using the word Urban, but by classical defintion, it is exactly who he is trying to reach. Is the classical defintion dead?....Now ruled by rappers and MNM wanna-be's?"

    Can you re-redefine it? Reposition it? Nudge it back...

    Re-citify it?
  • Posted on 3/24/2004 at 8:16 AM Accepted
    good thread ;-)
    tough brief!

    my 2c:

    urban's a mindset, not a place - it's definitely different things to different folk - but they'd all recognise the (leading) edgy, fashion-aware mix of style, culture & interest. 'Urban' is a big enough concept to accomodate all those different activities. The edges between everything that's urban are hard (not soft), universally man-made, and any colour, contrast or shade is possible.

    hth

    Will Rowan
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 3/24/2004 at 9:48 AM Author
    So basically everyone has a different definition/meaning....which is what bothers me about using the word in the first place.

    I like the word, but all this confusion will not lead to good direction for the site.

    Thanks for everyone's comments so far.

    DavidatHaley- "METRO"!!!!!!!!!!!! Much better!!!! Thanks!
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