The
Battle For Coca-Cola
Rages On.
Ain't
Nothing Like
The Real Thing, Maybe.
I
Don't Mean To Say
I Told You So, But...
Are
Consumers Smarter
Then We Are?.
The
Four Great Myths
Of Global Branding.
Mr
Bevis Butts Heads
At Mitsubishi
The
Best Laid Plans
Of Mice And Men.
Dare
to Be Great:
The Mad Genius of "The Matrix"
Mitsubishi's
New Marketing Boss
Out Of The Frying Pan.
Concept Is Stronger Than Fact.
Value
Perception In A World
Gone Mad With "Cool"
The
Future of Advertising
The Brand
The
Future of Advertising
The Targets
The
Future of Advertising
The Grid
The
Future of Advertising
The Swarm
Technology
Making The Message
Meaningful
The Only Business That Matters Is The One You're In.
What
Ever Happened To The
Big Idea?
The Post-Advertising Era Is Here
Confessions Of A" Liar For Hire"
Good, Bad and Ugly At the Moment of Truth
A Post-Advertising "Big Idea".
The Value Of A Paying Pustomer.
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The Post-Advertising Era 1.8. Emergence of the "Empire of One". Something very strange has happened over the past few weeks. More and more Americans are losing confidence in the ability of their government to come in and save the day in time of emergency. In some communities people feel that the Government just doesn't give a damn about them. In other parts of the country people are beginning to believe that the Government is so busy playing to popular support that they are willing to make stupid decisions that risks the country's fiscal solvency for generations to come. Added to their concerns about the Government are their concerns about rapacious multinationals on one hand and ruthless street gangs on the other. The bottom line of this litany of fears is, "You're on your own.". |
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So what does this crisis in confidence mean to the marketplace of the Post-Advertising Era? How will these fears play out in the arena of consumer confidence? Consumer confidence, that is currently at an all-time low because of big oil prices and little disposable income. White house approval ratings have never been so low, so chances are there will be no "Come to Jesus" messages from the Oval Office that makes everything better. |
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"Your column today reminded me of my first job in Atlanta with a bank (now part of Bankamerica.) It was very customer-service oriented. They gave neckties to the employees with cursive writing scrolling down the middle with the letters ycdbsoya. It meant "you can't do business sitting on your ass". - Atlanta Jack But you can count money sitting on your ass.-HW |
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What there will be is a growing distrust in institutions and organizations that once made up the very backbone of our nation. The thread of our national fiber. What is it that will replace our socioeconomic infrastructure? I would venture to say, self-interest. We are on the bleeding edge of the emergence of the "Empire of One." Simply stated, this means that more and more Americans are becoming skeptical of phrases like, "Common wisdom indicates..." or concepts like "Common Interests." They are starting to focus on looking out for Number One. Even national tragedy/travesties like Katrina have not served to bring the country back together. One group calls them unfortunate victims. Another says they are acting like they are "entitled" to be helped. Meanwhile the bottom is falling out of shows like "Three Wishes" and the big second chance for Martha Stewart. A return to the "Me generation" may definitely be at hand. This is going to change the way that people perceive their unmet wants, needs and desires. They may no longer be driven by wanting what the guy next door has. They may be more attuned to arming themselves against the guy next door
I have a neighbor that wears a tee shirt under his shirt and tie
that reads "I Hate People." He truly is an island unto him self.
A lawyer, spelled R.U.T.H.L.E.S.S. This guy is both judge, jury and executioner in the society of ideas that populate the inside of his head. He is the master of his "Empire of One."."Don't distract me with your opinion, it has nothing to do with my own," is how he put it to me one day. This growing mindset is going to dictate that marketers pay much more attention to the traits that make individuals, well...individual. Mass marketing has long been dead, but the emergence of the "Empire of One," will sound the death knell for market segmentation as well. Affinity groups may no longer be identified by common interests such as ski sailing or quarter horse racing. Not once the walls start going up. The thing that amazes me about my neighbor the lawyer is that he is brilliantly insightful when it comes to creating things that resonate with a jury. His convictions are made up of their convictions. His values support their values. He is compelled by exactly what compels them. In defending his own point of view, he is defining theirs. I am surprised how many of the truly unique thinkers I run across these days share this trait of being an "Empire of One"; Architects, film directors, music producers, surgeons. People who make a living selling their opinions to the rest of us. This way of thinking is not so new to them. In some way their stubborn iconoclasm is a byproduct of the Post-Advertising Era. ,
Stay tuned.
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