idle gaze 031: selling future aspiration.
Along with intangibles like access, experiences, and knowledge, the modern aspiration economy also created a cultural class unto its own. Oriented towards wellness and self-perfecting, this class of self-proclaimed “creatives” (regardless of what they actually do) defies the hierarchy that socially bound the previous generations to their economic s
... See moreAna Andjelic • The Business of Aspiration: How Social, Cultural, and Environmental Capital Changes Brands
Modern aspiration economy is anchored not in accumulation and display of possessions or even experiences, but of social capital, environmental credits, and cultural savviness (Currid-Halkett, 2017; Eckhardt, 2020).
Ana Andjelic • The Business of Aspiration: How Social, Cultural, and Environmental Capital Changes Brands
Any aspiration is a narrative: it’s the stories we buy into and the products and experiences we buy to be part of these stories.
Ana Andjelic • The Business of Aspiration: How Social, Cultural, and Environmental Capital Changes Brands
Merchants have played a role in societies since ancient times, and in so many ways, acted as de facto ambassadors across continents and cultures. The ‘merchant class’ represented the one of the earliest versions of the middle class; people with little or no inherited wealth who managed to cultivate status through their adventurous personas, access ... See more
Amanda Greeley • Retail Romanticism Revivalism
Modern aspiration is not about having money to buy things, but having taste to know what to buy.