Enter the age of organic. Fair trade takes centre stage. Green is the new black. Once the domain of the ‘lunatic fringe' these ideas are now commonly accepted as making good common sense. Consumer pressure has a power never felt before. The merest sniff of a sweat shop accusation can sink a global clothing brand, and a previously failed politician can garner the support and adoration of Hollywood's hottest by pointing out that we need to do something about global warming.
The market spin-off
All of this has a profound effect on how people consume goods. It's something Woolworths has picked up on very smartly, choosing not quality, price, variety or exclusivity to market itself but rather the fact that it was named Responsible Retailer of the Year. The Toyota Prius has a huge celebrity following not because it's the blingest car on the block but because it's environmentally friendly. Actress Natalie Portman openly admits to wearing fake diamonds on the red carpet because of socially unethical mining practices publicised in films like Blood Diamond.
The point is that the price of feeling and/or looking good is no longer limited in the public's mind to the price tag, but rather extends to how much other people have had to sweat to create an item and what effect its production has had on the environment.
Even at a lifestyle level the manifestation of triple bottom-line sustainability is evident. Self-expression through the use of sustainable goods is much cooler than the over-the-top ‘Jones' trend. There is street cred in embracing a less consumer-driven and wasteful culture. I recently came across the term ‘reccesionista' referring to those who embrace the recession by constructing a fashionable wardrobe from very old clothes. Then there's the anti-fashion 'smarties' trend in which people willfully buck conformity to fashion and select their wardrobe from whatever they can find, without being limited to whether the items are coordinated or not.
A new form of brand value
Appealing to this new breed of consumer requires a whole new marketing and brand strategy. Brands now need to endear themselves to consumers by positioning themselves as partners that add real value to people's lives and the world at large. It's not enough to simply add value by upping the price in order to create exclusivity.
Marketers need to understand the very strong emotional connection people feel to social and environmental issues, and then offer value that meets the consumer's need to be socially and environmentally responsible. They need to leverage companies' increased focus and spend on corporate social investment activities to build trust, respect and brand loyalty. New forms of research and trend spotting will have to emerge to uncover a deeper insight into what's important to consumers and to anticipate the next wave of trends.
Balancing the act
Of course there will be those marketers and businesses serving the middle to lower markets who will think they are immune to such developments, and believe that the masses cannot be bothered by issues of sustainability. Fortunately the digital age is quickly bridging the information gap between economic sectors, rendering everyone empowered with knowledge. It's a mistake not to recognise that the have-nots have more to gain from responsible business practices and more to lose when business ignores their needs and gets fat on the profit.
How well business reconciles the seemingly contradictory concepts of profit and sustainability, high output and concern for the individual employee will come down to its ability to respond creatively to the shifting sands of consumer culture. They key lies in understanding that consumers have changed. The buyer is no longer a shallow individual with an open mouth and an open wallet, bent on self-gratification, but an informed, sophisticated, critical and emotional individual who's looking for new meaning and value. Perhaps it's time that they were given a new descriptor that reflects this - maybe we should stop calling them consumers and just refer to them as people.
For more information on Yellowwood Future Architects, or to contact Ivan Moroke, call 011 268 5211.
