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THE SOUL OF THE NEW CONSUMER
AUTHENTICITY: WHAT WE BUY AND WHY IN THE NEW ECONOMY
David Lewis & Darren Bridger
THE NEW CONSUMER'S REVOLUTION
- Why buzz beats hype
- Why cheap is chic
- Why brands must be authentic
- Why segmentation is dead
- Why advertising must reinvent itself
- Why New Consumers loathe 'doing the shopping'
- Why individuals' Tastespace will triumph in the marketplace
New Consumers are revolutionizing the world of business, our culture and social expectations. No longer confined by gender, age, ethnicity or income, they are breaking down barriers, shattering stereotypes and redefining the very meaning of consumerism and the marketplace.
From traditional to online retailing, from tracking coolhunters to exploring tastepace, The Soul of the New Consumer unearths the very essence of New Consumer's behavior - their drive for authenticity - and goes far beyond the simple concepts of how we shop or what we buy to answer the most important question of all: why.
WIN THE ATTENTION, TIME AND TRUST OF NEW CONSUMERS BY GIVING THEIR SOULS CONTROL.
Every facet of the new economy, from buzz marketing and new retailing technologies to internet shopping, has dramatically altered not only how we buy but what we buy and why. In an era of 'cheap is chic', wealthy shoppers haggle to win even the smallest discounts ; gray consumers buy more rap and techno music than anyone else and are the fastest growing group of internet users ; and the Web and the power of micro-marketing have revolutionized forever the means of wooing new customers.
New Consumers are taking over the world and redefining the very meaning of consumerism and the marketplace. As likely to be affluent over-fifties as ambitious under-thirties, New Consumers defy traditional marketing concepts and segmentation by age, gender or income. In pursuit of the authentic experience, New Consumers come together in their defining drive for all things 'real', in everything from food to fashion, foreign holidays to furniture, technology to spirituality. Their attention and interest have shifted from commodity to authenticity.
In an affluent world now saturated with affordable products there are three new scarcities - time, attention and trust. This major book shows how these can be won by 'giving the soul control' rather than putting customers on the 'customer is king' pedestal.
Over the past decade, Lewis and Bridger have been at the forefront of researching the New Consumers - studying their lifestyles, observing behavior and watching the steady rise in their numbers, influence and economic power. Here, for the first time and with example from Starbucks to Dyson, they report the results of their work, including Amex's use of computer technology to create intimate protraits of individuals - what the author's call 'tastepace'.
Regardless of product or service, for companies large and small, The Soul of the New Consumer gathers research from marketing, psychology, social trends and economics to present the first ever profile of the independent, individualistic, involved and well-informed consumers who are challenging the way marketing, selling and business are done.
Dr. David Lewis is chairman of The David Lewis Consultancy, an international research firm with clients including Disney, Coca-Cola, Amazon, IKEA, L'Oreal, Toyota, British Airways, British Telecom, ICL and IBM. He lectures in Europe, the USA and Asia on management topics, with a special emphasis on relationships between suppliers and their customers.
A bestselling author and broadcaster for both television and radio - his BBC radio series was the winner of the prestigious Sony Award - his recent books include Information Overload, Ten-Minute Time and Stress Management and How to Get Your Message Across.
A Chartered Psychologist with a doctorate in Psychology from the University of Sussex, he is a fellow of both the International Stress Management Association and the Institute of Directors. He is also a member of the Marketing Society, the Market Research Society and the Institute of Direct Marketing.
Darren Bridger is a researcher at The David Lewis Consultancy.
"The Soul of the New Consumer is likely to shape the marketing messages you see, hear and read in the first years of the new century. The authors offer lucid analyses of a wide range of sales related issues, incorporating and building on the insights of a dazzling array of thinkers. For anyone in the business of sending those messages, it's an enlightening and compelling guide."
BookPage, US - March 2000 issue, on the hardback edition
"This is such an enjoyable book. And an important and timely one, too. David Lewis' and Darren Bridger's book should become required reading."
Tim Waterstone, Management Today, for the March 2000 issue, on the hardback edition