204) The Empowered Consumer

(Photo from Shallow Nation.)

There has been renewed attention to the word "consumer" in the ad media as of late, thanks to one Alex Bogusky. The former CP+B helmsman and MCD Partners Chief Insurgent Officer now hopes to lead a revolution of civic consumerism. In other words, power to the people through informed choices on where and what to spend our powerful collective dollars, thereby increasing demand and production of products that align with our values.

I think people do underestimate the power that we as consumers have, and by the basic laws of economics, this goal makes sense. But I can't help feeling that this is what is fondly referred to on Twitter as a #firstworldproblem.

In an article reposted on PFSK, Bogusky writes:

"You are a consumer. And if it means buying without a thought in your head, then indeed it might be a weak and dirty word. But if it means harnessing the power of the largest segment of the global economy to become a force of good for all humanity, then that starts to sound like a pretty good word to me."

I don't think many people are buying without a thought in their heads. More likely, I think a huge segment of this "largest segment of the global economy" has one thought in mind while buying - how can I spend the least while getting the most? (Let's assume, for this exercise, that we're talking about small, everyday purchases like groceries, and not another luxury car for the collection.) The consumer on welfare or just on a tight budget may not have the presumed consumer prowess (read: moolah) to choose organic or fair trade products.

Yes, sustainability, fair trade, and all-natural, healthy products are the noble and necessary goal. And maybe it's the upper-middle class who should be leading the charge for civic consumerism. If their dollars are powerful enough to not only affect the types of products on the market, but also the price of said products, then all the better for all consumers. My argument is simply that one must define (or perhaps, redefine) this "empowered consumer" taking all socio-economic levels into consideration. We may be the largest segment of the economy, but that doesn't mean we're all the same.