The Identiti Chronicles
The Evolution of Your Brand’s IdentityArchive for March, 2008
From Brand Manager Control to Consumer Control
In the world of networked communities, the power shift from the brand manager to the consumer is taking place. It’s no longer about product attributes on package labeling; it’s about consumer reviews and opinions. Here’s the excerpt from iMedia.
Jeffrey F. Rayport gives the iMedia Summit keynote presentation
Book: RenGen (Rise of the Cultural Consumer)
In Patricia Martin’s book, rengen, the cultural consumer is defined as a thinking, expressive, and idealistic individual that istransforming and challenging current notions around consumer behavior. The importance of the cultural consumer concept is understanding how the collective identity of the consumer mindset has shifted. Patricia notes that it’s not whether marketers have failed to witness the shift; it is that they are ill equipped to capitalize on the rebirth. “In the RenGen, there is no safe passage for brands that are willing to insult the intelligence of consumer” – Patricia Martin
INTERACTivism – Defining the Culture of Customization
The societal shift is called “Prosumerism.” It is where the Consumer is the Producer, defining and producing the produce. Hence any new go-to-market approach must elicit the participation of the consumer. Think Geico, CurrentTV, or thetruth campaigns. The Prosumer movement is driven by early adopters. The key is to allow this prosumer to co-opt or co-author their brand experience. This is all fueled by the national trend of Mass Customization (or when consumers get to decide the exact specifications of their end product or service) for which the advancement of technology has largely been the culprit. What marketers collectively fail to see is that “customization” is how brands breakthrough the clutter. Now enter “INTERACTivision,” a term coined by a group called GTM out of Atlanta. INTERACTivision is marketing by which consumer empowerment (the impetus for prosumerism) and respect for the culture (that culture being co-creation) come first. It reflects an innate understanding for societal influences.
Status Spheres: The Spheres of Influence
March 7, 2008 at 2:45 pm · Filed under CMO commentary, Trends and tagged: spheres of influence, Trends
STATUS SPHERES can be loosely defined as those variety of lifestyles, activities, and persuasions that shape the outward “identity” of todays consumer. 1. Traditional Sphere is about buying more and/or better stuff than fellow consumers (consumers who do want to consume more, who do covet all things bling, who do crave in-your-face brands). 2. Transient Sphere is driven by entertainment, by discovery, by fighting boredom, living a transient lifestyle, freeing oneselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions. 3. Online Sphere is all about social status 2.0 (who you connect to and who wants to connect to you, tribal-style). 4. In the Giving Sphere, giving is the new taking. 5. For the Participation Sphere, participation is the new consumption. For these creative beings, status comes from finding an appreciative audience.
Comments