What Does Conscious Consumerism Mean Now?
I think I did it too. Like a naïve puppy getting its first real scolding, 2021 has hit like a tonne of emotional bricks. See, I knew that it would not be any different aside from the dates changing over, but I think I wanted it to. Pretty natural considering our collective dire situation.
Since last spring, I keep overhearing folks waiting in the grocery line; parents lamenting to other parents at playgrounds; influencers reaching out to their audience all parroting silly notions like, “I can’t wait for life to go back to normal.” As I smother my laughter out of ear shot, I collect myself, and want to – but don’t (even I know there are boundaries to observe, especially with strangers) – ask questions.
Question 1: What was normal for you? For your neighbour? How about a few neighbourhoods away?
Question 2: What IS normal, though? Like is it even a thing?
Question 3: Do we each get to pick our version of utopian normal and have all of those time periods co-exist in harmony moving forward? Like, I’m thinking second year university was pretty fun, personally.
While I’m less than a fan of this pandemic, I’m also not rushing back to whatever it was before this hit. Our eyes – especially the privileged – have never been more jammed open. No matter what you personally feel, we can’t go back. There is no “back.”
Let’s all move forward as best we can, shall we? The desire to move forward got me thinking about shifts in culture – especially retail - that are sure to outlive this pandemic. At the end of last year while stuffing shortbread cookies into my face incessantly scrolling to occupy time, I tried to dodge the basic, “Best of 2020” lists. Instead I tried to focus my attention on trend lists with data points beyond click rates. I came across an article in American Vogue. Multiple retail leaders throughout the industry weighed in on what sold in the past year, what didn’t sell, and what brands and leaders are predicting moving forward.
Two passages stood out to me. The first was sustained trends that will lead to a new standard in the retail industry. More specifically, the continued rise of resale and what factors into something being considered a “good buy.”
“We will be thinking about the resale value but also sustainability; there’s going to be the emergence of a conscious consumer. Value-driven elements will meet societal or sustainability goals; we will join both together.”
-Charles Gorra, Founder and CEO, Rebag
Brands that focus on the triple bottom line: people, profits, and the planet will eventually be rewarded. Consumers are simply too smart to not notice what brands are and aren’t up to. We can all smell bullshit through our screens.
And no huge mystery, digital is not going anywhere. 2020 crushed a lot of brands. While I am bummed out for some, I remind myself of token, yet on point expressions from my marketing days:
“Don’t be a dinosaur.”
“Change is constant.”
“Pivot or die.”
The future of retail will shift how brands provide for the customer. The brands assets or more simply put, the touch points where the customer can access the brand, may stay the same – online, physical stores, social media, distribution, point of sale, loyalty programs, email, department stores, etc – but the percentage of what effort is placed on each touch point should be where the big wigs strategy effort is focused. That’s what I think anyway. Turns out I’m not alone. From that same American Vogue article:
“In the future, I believe brick-and-mortar stores will take on more of a showroom role, whereas the bulk of transactions will take place digitally. For that reason, retail needs to find a way to dovetail into a consumer’s daily life at every touch point, not the reverse. For that reason, I think 2021 will see a seismic shift in the relationship between consumer and retailer, and those who can layer a human touch onto an intuitive digital experience will win.”
- Kate Davidson Hudson, Founder, Editorialist YX
It’s really now or never for a lot of brands. I hope that brands show us how great they are and how well they know and care for their consumer. As restrictions continue to fluctuate, based on what’s going on it our communities, brands will have to keep on their toes.
I propose this theory: we all are playing a real-life game of hot hot lava and those most nimble and sensitive will win? Except for those selling plane tickets.
* RANT WARNING * /// * CLICK AWAY NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ A BUZZ KILL.*
I think airlines and travel companies need an intervention. The thing that vacation destination airlines and COVID-19 have in common is thriving on people clustering together, mouth breathing, and moving about to their own detriment. While I understand that it’s not illegal to advertise for hot getaways at incredible prices in February 2021 (or for the holiday that has just passed, out-of-touch-politician-idiots everywhere in our great country, with a strong Alberta doof contingent) it’s just not cool.
There is a difference between legality and social responsibility and the need to highlight that is exhaustingly infuriating. In Alberta there are both provincial and federal advisories that state, “avoid non-essential travel” especially out of Canada. So no, West Jet, as much as I would like to, I will not be going to Mexico for frolics on the beach and margaritas just yet. This headline in the Toronto Star sums it up the situation nicely:
“ ‘Our airlines clearly just don’t care about public health’: Experts say airlines shouldn’t be allowed to promote flying while the government begs people to stay home”
-Toronto Star
Can you see how that’s super shitty to tempt folx to go? Airlines are not alone; many businesses are hurting. I understand that empty seats in airlines planes is bad for business but so are dead customers.
