The demo of hipsters with more style than cash

Here's a startling revelation: Big brains and big income don't always go together. Daniel Brook's book "The Trap" points to a growing demo of Americans who have high education and low income, and suggests they are a new niche for marketers pitching cheap cool to discerning consumers.

What do these people want? Trader Joe's. iPhones. Target. In 1998, the VW Bug, in 2002, the Mini Cooper, and today, the Volvo C30 ($23,445). They're willing to pay more for products, if the higher margin is offset by cool. Somehow, the transaction utility of the purchase outweighs the financial pain, because the hip products are tied to and reinforce these consumers' identities. The American Dream is still out there -- except now it's at Ikea.