Timberland’s cultural clout among hip-hop fans

Since the early 1990’s, the Timberland work boot has been associated with hip-hop culture. From Mobb Deep to the Notorious B.I.G., icons of the culture have worn them in photos and mentioned them in lyrics. The rise to prominence in the hip-hop world also made the brand a fashion staple. Decades later, Timberland is still capitalizing on this association. Last month, the brand released the Christopher Wallace Collection in honour of the 30th anniversary of Ready to Die, Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album. The response to this collection shows Timberland’s cultural clout is still strong, especially among hip-hop fans, as shown below. Demographics of Timberland fans Data from YouGov Profiles, an audience profiling tool, shows that 14.9% of Americans would consider Timberland the next time they’re in the market for shoes, representing a target population of nearly 40 million. But Timberland consideration is not the same across all demographics. For example, Timberland is considered by 17.4% of 35-44-year-olds, more than any other age group. This age cohort were teenagers when Timberland rose to prominence within hip-hop culture. Looking at other demographic splits, men are more likely to consider Timberland than women (19.2% vs. 11.0%), Americans living in the Northeast more than...