Information and communication technologies have changed all spheres of our lives, from work to personal relationships or consumption habits. The information society, beyond the consumer society, is characterized by hyperconnectivity, immediacy, virtuality, diversity, collaboration and constant change; and all this translates into the appearance of a new consumer, who breaks with what is established and demands a new approach to 'branding' (or 'brandketing', as 'Mr. branding' Andy Stalman would say).
An approach that takes into account the fluctuating and non-linear behavior of the current consumer who is in transit, who is hybrid, who is hyperconnected and in crisis, but which is more responsible, collaborative and more feminine.
1. In transit. Provisionality has been established among us, the culture that not everything is forever. This premise gives rise to a new way of understanding relationships with brands. The only thing that remains stable is change and this requires branding to have a high capacity to adapt to the needs of customers. customers. They triumph brands who manage to introduce products to the market very quickly. At the same time, companies are betting on sell experiences instead of products. In one shyperconsumption society where we have everything, it is no longer as important to possess as to have lived extraordinary experiences and explain it, share it.
2. Hybrid. In this liquid company, in which everything flows, nothing remains, this new consumer no longer buys products and brands of the same level or positioning but rather combines brands of supposedly high value with those of lower value. It is a consumer who can fly with a low-cost airline and stay in a 5-star hotel when they arrive at their destination; who can wear 'mainstream' brand clothing, while sporting a 'premium' brand bag. Practice the 'high-low consumerism', the combination of the consumption of high-end products with white label products. This enormously changes the rules of the game for branding, which will have to play with these crossed norms.
3. Hyperconnected. A consumer constantly connected to Internet and to the social networks, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The consumer now has more information, can know the opinion of other users, can compare with more offers. He prescriber of the product is no longer the company's commercial that sings the virtues of that object; Now the prescriber is a group of users who post on the Internet their experiences, their satisfaction or their displeasure about a purchased product or lived experience. When we look for a hotel to stay in, we rely on the comments of millions of guests who share their opinion on the grid. Therefore we are faced with a hyperconnected consumer who shares information, who generates opinions, a consumer called 'prosumer'. And he has become the protagonist of the brand communication.
4. In crisis. The outbreak of the global crisis in 2008 has led to a change of values already a return to the beginnings in our purchases. If a private label offers the same quality at a lower price, there is no reason not to buy it. In this framework, price becomes a transversal variable, which concerns all consumers, regardless of their purchasing power. Likewise, the concept of 'Do it yourself' or 'homemade' returns, the desire to create your own objects instead of buying them. Doing DIY, baking cakes or repairing your own car have become common tasks for people who want to save money and at the same time achieve fulfillment and gain satisfaction from their manual work, which they then share with their loved ones.
5. Responsible. grows a new consciousness and concern for the natural, ecological and the sustainable. We have realized that the planet has limited resources and that we cannot devour them as voraciously as we have done until now. The consumer is attentive to whether the brand has a policy of respect for the environment and that can make them decide to purchase. The client demands products that move away from the industrial process, that do not generate so much waste or emit so many harmful gases. He is more sensitive to both the health of the planet and his own health.
The consumer, when making their purchase, wants to connect with the earth, with organic farming products, respectful of the environment and with their own body. The demand for local products increases, Km 0. At the same time, the demand for brands that promote individual well-being: sports, massages, cosmetics, relaxation... and healthy consumption increases.
6. Collaborative. The network has modified the customer's purchasing system and, in turn, the agents involved. Consumers do it all: buy, sell and share any product or service. The best youths are the most likely to consume collaboratively. New brands appear that did not exist 10 years ago. He saving achieved and even gratuity They are the main motivation for half of the users of this consumption. Furthermore, the fact that the offer on the Internet is practically infinite translates into greater availability of products and greater speed and ease of purchase. Most studies indicate that in the coming years there will be an exponential growth in the number of consumers who will opt for this new consumption model to which many brands have not yet adapted.
7. More feminine and independent. Throughout the 20th century, the roles of men and women have evolved, especially with the incorporation of women into the workplace. At the beginning of the 21st century, a new economic model appears, named 'sheconomy', which expresses the importance of women in economic development. In just a few decades we have gone from women's role as housewives to their role as active and independent workers. And man has learned new roles that have led him to shop, cook, iron, etc. Now we see in many families the 'female breadwinner' and the 'male breadbuyer', that is, the woman who earns the money and the man who takes care of the shopping and the home.
As a consequence of this new role of women, new family structures appear: single-parent families, recomposed families, people who live alone, couples without children, etc. that also influence our consumption habits.
Branding must establish a dialogue with this new consumer to understand their needs, tastes, values and influences. Brands must know how to ask but, above all, know hear, and have the ability to react to offer exactly what this consumer requests
Jordi Aymerich
