Investable Assets Are National, People are Regional

Oldtimers remember when television was expected to homogenize the nation. (The oldtimers' parents had thought radio would do the trick.) Regional accents, customs and preferences were supposed to disappear, blending into a coast-to-coast "Americanism."

In reality, of course, regional differences are alive and well. Elizabeth Currid-Halkett of USC shows the significant variations in conspicuous consumption in this NY Times op ed.

For marketers of wealth management, the striking aspirational differences in  cities across the country deserve attention.

For instance, a New Yorker making a sales call in Minneapolis should not expect
his prospective client to be impressed with his Rolex. And a Dallas wealth manager wooing a Bostonian should not suggest that sending the kids to private school is a waste of money.