persona 2: Jimmy Hattricks

Jimmy Hattricks lives in Minneapolis zip code 55407. His neighborhood is an immigrant community, a lower income urban mosaic with a mixed populace of younger Hispanic, Asian, and African-American singles and families.

Jimmy was born May 11, 1981, the day of Bob Marley's death. At age 25, Jimmy has lived in Minneapolis for four years. Jimmy got his GED last year, he dropped out of high school and fled South Philly, playing backup guitar for several bands until he got into hip-hop music marketing. Jimmy's income is derived solely from being the leader of a street team, being paid by record labels, bands, night clubs, record stores, and performance venues to paste up broadsides publicizing albums, bands, and live peformances. He spends his time stapling or glueing them on utility poles, vacant buildings, and storefronts.

Jimmy lives in an urban row house, renting from an absentee landlord who lived in the neighborhood when it was all Italian immigrants. Jimmy is working class, with a household income of $34,070, including that from his live-in partner by civil union. Jimmy is very artistic, and is a practicing Rastafarian. He is an abstract thinker, and keeps up online with many cultural issues and music issues, especially the hip-hop culture. He is an advanced computer user, downloading both cutting edge and well established music of the hip-hop culture. He has a high-end Windows Media Center PC and a laptop with 2 Gig of RAM that he stashes in his car when on the road.

Jimmy has no brand loyalty, he will buy whatever is cheapest or castoff. He and his partner want to be recognized within the hip-hop culture. Jimmy is thinking of dropping the hip-hop record label street team and hooking up with the threadless Street Team.


Jimmy also enjoys reading about sports online, and is a big Minnesota Wild hockey fan. The arena is just a few blocks from his house. His birth surname was Wales, but he uses the surname "Hattricks" in his professional life to show his obsession with hockey. Jimmy is dyslexic, and sometimes has trouble reading information on the computer screen.

=========


Jimmy is a useful case study for the newspaper website. This is a region with a substantial minority population that has not been heavy newspaper readers. Jimmy has not read the print edition of the Pioneer Press or its online TwinCities.com for six months. With an accessibility issue, Jimmy represents that important user group as well. If Jimmy signs up with the threadless Street Team, he might be a potential advertiser on Pioneer Press/twincities.com as well.