Capstone: Target Types

Reference

If you haven’t already, I highly suggest reading my first blog about capstone here for context: https://medium.com/@dvorwerk1/what-is-capstone-a1998596c8c

Description

My project is an interactive experience through the history of the internal combustion engine in cars along with the future of the automotive industry. This will be a museum experience that has a few corresponding components.

Target Type 1: New to the Scene

Short Description

This is the group of people that are either just starting to get into cars or have very little knowledge. They have a basic understanding of the automotive industry but would like to know the history of their choice of transportation.

Characteristics/Traits

• They want or need a way to start learning about what is already out there and what peaks their interest.
• They feel maybe a bit confused or lost when thinking about how to get a better baseline understanding of the history.
• They care about finding out more about the automotive industry.
• They are into activities such as driving, learning more about their own cars, and maybe going to the occasional car show.
• They are in different stages of life, it can be anyone just starting out trying to gain additional information.

One item of the research cited

“A lot of what’s coming out about vehicles, in general, comes from media and analysts who live in places like Manhattan and think the whole world is following the trends found there,” he explained. “One example is the idea that college-age kids in highly condensed urban areas aren’t owning cars. But that’s nothing new. If you look back 10 or 20 years, that same demographic also didn’t own cars. And just because someone may fit into that box now doesn’t mean that they’re going to act the same when they’re 30 or 35 and their life is completely changed.” In fact, SEMA research indicates that young drivers actually accessorize at greater rates than the average aftermarket consumer. “When we look at the broad spectrum of people, we find that only a quarter of drivers participate in our industry,” Knapp said. “With this young group, even when we factor in the 16- and 17-year-olds, it’s still a higher percentage that participates in our industry by accessorizing and modifying their vehicles. So this is actually a highly engaged group.” https://www.sema.org/news-media/magazine/2019/22/do-young-people-still-love-cars

Target Type 2: Middle of the Pack

Short Description

This is the type of person that is a young adult to middle-aged. They have a decent understanding of cars and have some sort of personal interest in them and are open to the future but acknowledge the past of the industry. Their knowledge is more than the day-to-day person but they are no experts.

Characteristics/Traits

• They want or need a place to see the advancements of the industry and build off of their own knowledge.
• They feel like they want to know the direction that the industry is going towards and what the options are in the future.
• They care about the future of the automotive industry and whether or not they will have to change what they drive.
• They are into activities such as going to car shows when possible, driving (casually or competitively), and talking about cars with people.
• They are in varying stages of life as young adults or middle-aged people but it is not limited to that age range.

One item of the research cited

“For many car owners, their vehicle is an extension of their personality — and as such, they customize it to reflect their individuality and uniqueness. That’s particularly true for young car enthusiasts ages 16 to 24, who spend $7.2 billion each year customizing their vehicles, according to a recent study by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).“More than 7.9 million young people customize, modify or upgrade their vehicles each year,” says SEMA Director-Market Research Gavin Knapp. “Their vehicles not only help them get from A to B, but they are also an integral part of their social lives.” https://apnews.com/article/305f5bcbef3e4ec688df3a5dd3ceba12

Target Type 3: Old School

Short Description

This is the type of person that is middle-aged or older and has a good understanding of cars to the point where they might even be a collector. These are the people that are going to hold onto gasoline-powered cars as long as they live and want to remember the past of the industry.

Characteristics/Traits

• They want or need a place to see the past achievements of the automotive industry and the different eras to reminisce on those times.
• They feel like they have a small interest in where the industry is headed, but they probably will stick to the old stuff.
• They care about the internal combustion engine and they probably won’t give it up as their main type of car in the future.
• They are into activities such as going to car meets frequently, driving (casually or competitively), and collecting cars.
• They are in different stages of life but might be on the older side of the age spectrum.

One item of the research cited

“The purpose of the company is to save driving and car culture,” Mr. Hagerty said flatly, as we piloted a zippy, Hagerty-insured 1972 BMW 2002 tii toward the tip of Lower Manhattan. “If we’re going to save car culture, we have to make investments outside of the core business, and really help create a whole ecosystem.” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/business/classic-cars-hagerty.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

This Isn’t For

The people that don’t care about cars and their history, may only see their car as only an appliance.