Grounding the American Dream: A Cultural Study on the Future of Consumerism in a Changing Economy -- Context Research and Carton Donofrio Partners

In the Fall of 2008, we conducted a cultural study on the impact of the economic crisis and what it might bring for the future of consumerism. As consumer anthropologists and marketers we set out to document this critical juncture for our culture and to identify how businesses can best respond to this cultural shift in consumer behavior.

What we saw was a culture swept up in the early stages of a traumatic event. Clearly the American Dream was crumbling, but just as clearly, we saw a new dream beginning to take shape. In our analysis we uncovered a five-stage process that people were going through to come to terms with the changing economy—people saying goodbye to one way of life and introducing themselves to another. We believe a majority of consumers will go through these 5-stages and that businesses that strategize to these stages are more likely to succeed.

To learn more download the full study report or visit our study website at http://www.groundedconsumer.com where you will find an executive summary, a brief on the business implications as well as a video that explains the findings.

For more information you can email Robbie Blinkoff or call him at (410) 223-3589.

A New Model for News: Context Research and the Associated Press

The Associated Press and Context-Based Research Group collaborated on a report that unveiled key findings from their global anthropological study at the annual World Editors Forum in Sweden on June 2, 2008. The ethnography examines news consumption patterns of young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 in Britain, the United States and India. Among the key findings was the fact that the subjects were experiencing news fatigue, meaning they were overloaded with facts and updates and had trouble connecting to more in-depth stories. Participants yearned for quality and in-depth reporting, but had difficulty immediately accessing such content. This experience was common across participants' race, gender and geographic location. "Ultimately, this deep-dive helped reshape our thinking about journalism in the digital age. We believe the findings and proposed model will help news organizations better meet the needs of today's media consumers."

To learn more download the complete report entitled, "A New Model for News: Studying the Deep Structure of Young-Adult News Consumption".

For more information you can email Robbie Blinkoff or call him at (410) 223-3589.

The Mobiles: Social Evolution in a Wireless Society

A growing and vibrant international subculture has seamlessly integrated wireless products into their daily existence: The Mobiles. Context-Based Research Group's latest global study reveals a shift in human consciousness as wireless integration alters behavior, attitudes and etiquette around the world ­ as well as how business should adapt to this evolution.

Click below to download a copy of the "The Mobiles" report.