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Sonoma County: Why It's Becoming "Jaguar As Sonoma County continues growing in wealth and population, it’s becoming a classic “edge city.” “Edge city” is a phrase Washington Post reporter Joel Garreau coined in 1991. It refers to any suburb at the edge of a big metro area that has become a major economic and cultural center in its own right. In Sonoma County’s case, lots of new job formation, a housing boom, and cultural amenities like the Burbank Center and world-class wine and food industries have given the region its own distinctive identity. Compare that to 30 years ago when Sonoma County was far more dependent on Marin and San Francisco for its economy and identity. Now, with 400,000 people and an $8 billion economy, the area has reached a critical mass. Marketers now have to look at Sonoma County as a standalone market with its own needs and characteristics.
Why we saw this coming We knew Sonoma was growing in numbers and sophistication long before the experts reported it was doing so. How did we know? We used British Jaguar and Rover car owners as our indicator. We’ve always figured that a thriving community of British auto aficionados is one sign of growing affluence in an area. We don’t mean new car sales – we mean people with the means and leisure to acquire and maintain older cars that require a financial and emotional commitment. British motor car owners tend to be self-made people – the kind that are attracted to life in an up-and-coming area. They lavish a lot of personal time and attention on the things they love – their businesses, their hobbies and the things they’ve worked hard to acquire, such as their Jaguars, Land Rovers, Triumphs and MGs. And they expect the people who help look after their things to be just as passionate and intense about them.
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ISSN 1538 - 8913
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