Individual Cult

"How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?”

Paul Sweeney

The term ‘mass-consumer’ is marked and rarely used in the context of today’s marketplace.  Sure there still exists a tribal element through sports, automobiles and music where whole sways of individuals seek to affirm their belonging through an associated support for a single team or band, however, they still take their favourite players number and add their own names to the shirt, customise their engines and bodyworks or cover their favourite bands songs and make their own music-videos.

The truest irony in life – a tribal lust to belong set against an innate longing to stand alone - this ‘movement’ is more prevalent with young people illustrated through their embracement of technology, market-trends and internet-use. 

Take the mobile phone as an example: a ubiquitous lifestyle accessory that satisfies the basic human need to communicate and which has now become more popular than the ‘land-line’.  The whole mobile phone industry, from the manufacturers to the service-providers, has shifted its focus to ‘customisation’.  Ring-tones, fascias, shapes, sizes, screensavers, etc. all demonstrate the consumers need to differentiate themselves through the available designs and features.

The market-place exists to make that ‘one-sale’ of millions and even though companies such as Microsoft, Levi’s, Pepsi, Wal-Mart will always cater for the many, more and more companies are offering customisation options: design your own trainers with Nike, piece together your own Mini Cooper car, create your own eyebrow-raising SPAM t-shirt, a range of posters from record label even welcomes customisation of their advertising through graffiti – obviously, in most cases this customisation currently comes at a price.

Young people want more than just purchasing power, they want to influence, shape, dictate and impact through this interface – the leading brands will be the ones who use this need to its advantage.  Young people are getting smarter and more powerful with a higher level of brand and image literacy than ever before.

To be popular with the young consumers of today brands still need to create ‘tribal’ products for the individuals and accompanying services to create their own individual-cult.

*An edited piece that first appeared in the Phatgnat Newsletter 7

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