Ethnographic Research: Skateboarders Skateboarding Community - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ethnographic Research: Skateboarders

Skateboarding Community Wienerschnitzel has a some-what established relationship with this community & we wanted to see how we could elevate this relationship between the two • Skateboarders also are heavily infmuenced by social media. • Because it is an individual sport, we wanted to see how they interacted with one another as a community

Methodology: Online To observe this community we used both online and offmine communities. Online: In our online community we studied Ryan Sheckler because he is the face of the skateboarding community online and embodies the audience we are trying to reach. • We used his instagram and twitter . We found these two platforms are most often used by the community because people can post both videos and pictures • We specifjcally gathered data about his personality, interests, and behavior. • For example, Ryan will post pictures of injuries him and his friends got while skateboarding to show their daredevil lifestyle. • We also gathered data on a lot of the community work that Ryan does and the foundation he has created, The Sheckler Foundation which works to provide opportunity for the skating community

Methodology: Offmine Offmine: Mike Korzevinski and Frankie Spears. These two skaters are around the age of 21 and are very experienced skaters. How we conducted the interview: • We made a list of questions that covered their interest, desires and motivations about skateboarding and also asked some personal questions to see if they had other hobbies Both interviewees were asked the same exact questions • We found that skateboarders were also very interested in music & illustration. We also gained insight about how they act as a community “Friends will tell you what you are doing wrong.....change the direction of your shoulders, pop higher… show you what they think is the right way.” “Skateboarders look at the world differently....you don’t just see a handrail and stairs, you see it as a cool place to make a video as a skating prop"

Analysis: Online & Offmine We broke our information up into four categories: Community Work Art & Illustration Music Community Sponsorship & Brand Affjliation • We saw how these categories came about naturally through the information we gathered from all three skaters. • We then color coded each section and highlighted the most important information we felt was presented in each section. • Lastly, we analyzed the highlighted information and extracted insights on how it related back to Wienerschnitzel’s target audience and how it can elevate the image of the hot dog.

Insights: They are not judgmental of others and constantly helping people in their community This relates to elevating the image of the hot dog because these people are constantly lending out a helping hand to others in need. They also won’t get caught up in the negative stigmas surrounding the hot dog. They will be more inclined to eat hot dogs because they are not judgmental and like to give the benefjt of the doubt to others.

Insights: They don't like rules or being told what to do Because skateboarders don’t like rules or be told how to feel or what to do they will likely consume hot dogs because they are risk takers and don’t care what others think of them. They are individuals who like to make their own choices regardless of any possible consequences. Hearing that hot dogs are not healthy is not going to stop them from eating them & satisfying cravings.

Insights: They view the world around them differently and don’t view everyday things in a mainstream way Skateboarders are very open-minded individuals who view the world in a different light than others. They don’t get caught up in the little things in life. They also tend to be easier going and view the world in a more positive way. They don’t view the world as mainstream as others in society do and aren’t going to let things like calories or nutritional values of foods phase them.

Insights: They value brand image and how they brand themselves as skateboarders. Skateboarders care a great deal about their style, skateboard design, and skate-park decor. They are constantly seeking for new ways to improve their image/ branding. They appreciate brands they can relate to. If WS associated themselves with this type of branding, they would gain the respect of the skate community. Without having to change the ingredients of the hot dog, they could change its perception through branding and behavior