Decoding the New Consumer Mind

Innovation optimism Consumer empowerment Faster ways of thinking Symbol power New ways of connecting

In the last few years, recession-inspired discounting has supercharged the bargain expectations of consumers—and also decreased their ability to decipher the intrinsic value of merchandise. Macy’s multiple promotions are like catnip to Janine. She becomes ultra-focused on the money she’s saving and loses sight of what she’s spending. Janine half-jo

The average American household has six Internet connected devices.a By 2017, the average CMO will spend more on IT than the average CIO.b More than one-third of marriages between 2005 and 2012 began online.c In 2004, YouTube didn’t exist. Today, one hundred hours of video are uploaded every minute of every

Many retailers think that bargain shoppers are singularly focused on saving money. But from the consumer perspective, I’ve found that bargains work because they are an assurance of value, capture consumers’ attention, activate their fear of missing out, and are a way to “win” against other consumers—and against retailers.