Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nowhere to hide- Role reversal in consumerism



What we as consumers know and what we want has changed.
We are labelled by what we consume and what we consume is stamped with our own identity trial. There are new expectations in the world of consumerism. Consumers are becoming producers in their own ‘brand’ new world.

Consumers are in search of a branded identity; and therefore consumption choices are dictated by what we stand for, or maybe it is what we want to stand for. There is no room for deception or disguise. Consumers are increasingly savvy. We are smart and will therefore make a choice lead by authenticity and trust. This behaviour applies in the real world as much as it does in the virtual world.

We are living in the age of corporate transparency, harnessed by the rapid development of the virtual world and online social networking. In this world of social networking there is no room for error, or mistake, because the spread of communication is instantaneous. Word of mouth is a powerful force. We don’t just look at brands, we look into them and we judge them. We consume them and assume their identity in doing so. Simultaneously, our identity is transferred to the brand. 

The role of consumerism has been reversed from the heady days of mass marketing to the smarter way of mass customisation, appealing to the individual as a single profitable resource. Selling one product to everyone on a mass scale has disappeared to the development of the individual market campaign. Where we collaborate with the corporation to produce a customised offer tailored to suit our own needs.

Through consumption, we as consumers construct an open curtain. This revealing habit established through consumption, allows technology to track our habits, motives and record and store information for various continuous analysis. In this way, we too are more transparent in our behaviours and motives than ever. This relationship dynamic between the consumer and the corporation is very much based on trust and delivered through the interface of brands.

Corporations have a new power, which is stronger than ever to develop products and services that nurtures loyalty and meets our specific requirements. This power is found by observing and being close to the consumer, understanding the consumer at a new depth and monitoring their behaviour in order to allow mass customisation.

Brands are the gateway between the consumer world and the corporate world and they hold a bold responsibility not to let us down. Corporations have the ability to make a positive impact on society with strengthened ethical and moral standards. Technology can take this message throughout the consumer world and similarly throughout the virtual world in an instant. Brands therefore have to be genuine to the core as there is no room for disguise or deceit.