I recently saw a documentary called H2Oil at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto. At the end of the documentary, people seemed so agigated and involved in the message being conveyed in the movie that I began to think – do these people really care about these issues or have we as a society (given today’s conditions) returned to the old model where anything rebellious and anti-mainstream culture is considered cool? I’m tempted to choose the latter, unfortunately. But there is a brighter side to this observation – as long as your product/service has a strong counter-cultural significance (and is authentic), you have a better chance of making that emotional connection with your audience.
Jul 09
15
Rebel culture feeds consumerism
I’ve constantly wondered why brands like Apple manage to maintain a rebellious and anti-establishment image when they’ve actually become very much a part of the mainstream. More importantly, I’ve wondered why loyal fans of these brands continue to support them, even though they (the brands) end up standing for everything their fan’s opposed in the first place. Then, it hit me (well after a many hours of reading and researching)! Rebel culture is a key driver of consumerism (the very thing it starts out opposing). Its the need to stand out in a crowd, the need to be different that drives the rebellious consumer and this creates new trends, new products and new markets. The end result – yet another mass product/service. As I continue to read on these issues, I get more and more convinced.
The more you rebel, the more you succeed – especially true in today’s environment. Marketers notice.
If you’ve thought about what I just said, you can now watch this musical on consumerism and see it in a completely different light.
Posted in Marketing Commentary by Ujwal Arkalgud. 1 Comment