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CONTEXT CONSUMER INSIGHTS:
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| Living Under the Threat of Joy |
Reality of the Great Recession |
You, Happier |
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| The most important question facing today's marketer is "What does the new consumer -- or as Context frames it -- the new Grounded Consumer, want"? A year out from the economic meltdown, we believe the answer comes down to one word ...Joy. And that the need for Joy goes well beyond our consumer behavior and into our cultural roots. Living Under the Threat of Joy: Coming out of this Great Recession we're seeing people struggle to make Joy the centerpiece of our culture and their lives. Ukuleles are full of joy and the sound of a ukulele can put a smile on anyone's face. Interestingly, the sales of ukuleles have skyrocketed nationally since last year, Mike Upton, president of Kala Ukulele in California, says he's selling ukuleles faster than he can make them. He says his sales of ukuleles are up 76 percent from 2007 to 2008 and he expects that trend to continue this year. Watch this little video clip , of Warren Buffet suggesting that ukes might just be the solution to our economic woes, and you may just find yourself thinking "hey, maybe Warren is right?" If we all just got in touch with our "inner uke player" then maybe we could tackle this tough situation in front of us. Maybe, just maybe, the solutions we've put in place will work only when we have the faith, strength and confidence to really dig in and move forward with them - in whatever version. As marketers we can encourage this confidence and faith by providing joy. |
During recession times, fantasy shows/movies typically get the largest audiences; people looking for a way to escape. But in today's world with Grounded Consumers looking for joy and looking to share that joy as part of a community, it can be found in both fantasy and reality-based shows. Think of the emotion around the performance of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent and the fact that it has gotten 29,630,033 views on youtube since it aired 5 months ago. Another great example is the prevalence of vampire shows. Something about the value of community among the "undead" is attractive. In addition, the main characters in these shows illustrate how to embrace living under the threat of joy by accepting the risks and trying to connect deeply with one another. The key message we should focus on regardless of the medium is moments of joy. So be it a bit of escapism or real joy rooted in a sense of community - wherever they occur we should celebrate moments of joy and the hard work it often takes to get there. |
Consuming under the threat of joy, means consumers want to find the joy in their lives through their purchases. They don’t want to be reminded about how tough it is or the way it used to be—they are ready to move forward with an altered reality. They are discovering joy after the age of consumption. We need to help them find the joy in everyday things and show them how our products are part of that. One retailer capitalizing on Living Under the Threat of Joy is Best Buy. Best Buy realized that instead of talking about products and performance and price like everyone in consumer electronics had always done, they had to completely change their approach. Having the latest/coolest stuff wasn’t going to motivate. Instead, their “You, Happier” campaign focuses on the joy of helping, the joy of giving—what the electronics do for customers, not the products themselves. And, the theme line is spot on —not about price (although good prices are assumed), but about You, happier. |
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