Not much more than 10 years ago, marketing was aimed at “the consumer.” I’ve never really liked the anonymity of that term. My mind conjures an image of a nest full of baby birds, eyes closed, beaks and mouths agape, calling out for any scrap of something edible. Passive entities being fed by someone else who decided what would be served.
Today’s consumers, let’s call them humans, aren’t so passive. They are inquisitive, thinking entities who want as much information as possible in order to make good decisions. That’s why a brand’s success depends largely on its appeal to individual humans – not the faceless masses of the past. Just look for a video on YouTube watching someone open the box of a product you’re interested in purchasing. Its quite interesting knowing what’s in the box before you commit to purchasing it.
Humans are capable of engaging, discerning and ultimately deciding for themselves. It’s time to think about them, not for them.
