Wandering the Stale Plains of Consumer Markets
Let us imagine living in a world devoid of meaning, one in which our only purpose is to produce an output that functions as an input for a system; the byproduct being our very existence. I am not the first to envision this dystopian scenario; many authors, scientists and philosophers have questioned life and its purpose. Theories varying from insignificance to the functional even up to the divine and transcendental; the purpose of life apparently continues to evade consensus.
The cinematographic piece, The Matrix Trilogy written and directed by The Wachowskis over two decades ago, is one of the works who’s dialogues still perplex my mind as I eat my cereal. Central to the trilogy’s plot, the struggle to free humans trapped in the machine world, is surrounded by a dialogue about free choice and human nature. I can imagine that many of us felt a cold chill run down our spine as Morpheus explained to Thomas Anderson the current state of the world in which they live in; fields of dormant humans creating energy for the machine world.
Modern markets are observed through the lens of micro-economics; decisions about prices, product availability and lifetime, and even the decision about what R&D to pursue are based on rational, mostly linear assumptions about human nature and choice. As someone with a background in theoretical mathematics, the romance of finding a simplified equation that can predict the complexities of an observed phenomenon is fascinating; the idea of unexplainable behavior or inconsistencies cause a great deal of discomfort in the data community. Yet the reality is that consumers are only human: irrational, evolving, and complex.
As we observe the markets over the passage of time, we can identify changes in the way brands have communicated with their consumers; using different triggers, calls to action and highlighting different features or benefits. Can we assume that humans today are fundamentally different from their predecessors two, three or five generations ago? Are we not able to recognize the needs of tomorrow’s consumers because they will be fundamentally different? One of the characteristics that has perdured through human history is our search for a purpose of our existence. Exercising free choice has long been our way of seeking an answer to this question; we do the things that make us feel fulfilled, we surround ourselves with like minded people, we accumulate objects that facilitate our quest, we share our views on life with others and give our journey a name.
As brands we have the opportunity to offer consumers the freedom of choice; a choice that facilitates their quest. Once that we are able to see that our brand’s core offer is a cobble on the road that our consumers walk on in their search for their purpose, we are able to view the true interaction between our products or services and our consumers. We either find that our features and benefits are being overhyped and stealing the spotlight from our consumers’ journey or that our brand is under-serving our consumer by not taking a position of leadership and authority that they desire and need.
No matter what walk of life we come from, we are all on our own journey: seeking our own definition of fulfillment, purpose, happiness. The challenge that we face is being able to articulate to the markets that our choice is the one that helps them move one step closer towards fulfilling their purpose in life.
Our brands liberate the world of a mundane and stale life devoid of purpose; presenting consumers the freedom of choice; a better choice for a life filled with purpose.
