havas worldwide new consumer and the sharing economy
TRANSCRIPT
Who are Prosumers?
For more than a decade, Havas Worldwide has been tracking the roughly 15–20% of consumers who are influencing trends and shaping markets around the globe
Key characteristics:* Embrace innovation * Constantly seek out information and new experiences* Enthusiastic adopters of new media and technologies* “Human media” who transport attitudes and ideas* Marketing savvy and demanding of brand partners* Highly influential and sought-after for opinions and recommendations
In this study, 20% of the sample qualify as Prosumers
As our consumption-
based economy nears the
century mark, it’s showing
signs of strain…
Image credit: Bruno [email protected]
We simply aren’t getting the pleasure hits we once did from shopping
Instead of excitement, we feel anxiety over unpaid bills
Instead of enjoying the instant gratification of a glittery find, we worry about the effects of our consumption choices on the planet
And many of us feel constrained by all the “things” we have amassed—purchases that are physically filling our homes and garages and psychologically weighing us down
“My country’s current economicmodel is not working”
Image credit: Dan [email protected]
Just 1 in 7 consumers worldwide believe their
nation’s economic model is successful
Base: Total respondents
“The economic crisis is only a problem
for Western/developed countries”
And only1 in 4 believe the problem is limited to developed
nations
Base: Total respondents
“Overconsumption is putting our society and the planet at risk”
Image credit: Seattle Municipal [email protected]
THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THAT “HAVING MORE” IS NOW
GIVING US LESS
Less Happiness ● Less Satisfaction, Less Security ● Less Time ● Less
Space ● Less Freedom ● Less Pride
“I could happily live without most of the items I own”
Image credit: Stuart [email protected] Base: Total respondents
“I try to throw out or give away my unneeded possessions at least once a year”
Image credit: Benjamin Stäudinger
vs…
“I respect/admire people who have enough money to buy whatever they want”
“I respect/ admire people who make an
effort to reduce their
consumption”
Image credit: Brave New [email protected]
“If people consume less, it will destroy jobs”
Image credit: Evan [email protected] Base: Total respondents
“A healthy economy requires a high level of consumer spending”
Image credit: [email protected]: Total respondents
“Progress is not about consuming more but consuming better”
Image credit: Vadim [email protected]
But what does it mean to “consume better”?
Consuming only what I truly need
Image credit: Gregory [email protected]
For myself, “consuming better” means…
“When considering buying an item, I often factor in how much money I
could resell it for”“Yesterday, I threw away; today, I
resell or donate”
A shift toward a more circular economy?
Living more sustainably/producing less waste
Image credit: Susanne [email protected]
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Consuming products of
better quality/durability
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Image credit: Geraint [email protected]
Buying products from local producersso as to have a positive effect on my community
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Image credit: Susy [email protected]
Buying things at lower prices
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Image credit: Robert Bruce Murray III
Producing more of the things I use (e.g., growing vegetables, making candles)
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Image credit: [email protected]
Buying as a collective and sharing the use of the item
For myself, “consuming better” means…
Image credit: Toban [email protected]
“I respect/admire people who buy
locally as much as possible”
Image credit: Robert Couse‐[email protected]
I like buying previously owned goods because…
It saves me money
It’s better for the environment than buying new
It makes me feel good to help out the seller
The items come with a history
I would rather purchase from an individual than from a store
I feel less guilty than when I buy something new
I don’t like to buy previously owned goods
“When possible, I prefer to buy directly from an individual producer rather than from a store/shopping
center”
THE NEXT WAVE OF CONSUMERISM: COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION
Hands‐on ● Proactive ● Communal Mindful ● (More) Sustainable
“We would have a better society if people shared more and owned less”
Even in markets with strong histories of capitalism, people are embracing the notion of access over ownership
“I prefer to share things rather than own them”
Base: Total respondents
Image credit: [email protected]
Which comes closer to your point of view?
Around 4 in 10 would rather borrow or rent most things rather than own them
“I think I could go online and find someone willing to lend/
rent me just about anything”
The Economist values the peer‐to‐peer rental market at $26BN
The advent of social media has made a sharing economy a practical option for the first time
Image credit: [email protected]
“I belong to a sharing service or expect to join
one within the next year”
“In the future, I expect to belong to a number of
sharing services”
On New Year’s Eve 2013, 141,000 people worldwide stayed in an Airbnb accommodations share
“If I owned a home, I would be willing to
contribute to the purchase of communal tools that my neighbors
and I would share”
Base: Total respondents
Which aspects of the sharing economy appeal to you?Saving money
Feeling active and useful
Reducing my consumption/carbon footprint
Supporting individuals and/or small/independent companies
Meeting new people
Contributing to a broader move away from hyperconsumption
Having an interesting experience/doing something most people haven’t tried yet
I have no interest in the sharing economy
It’s not just about money
How likely are you to try each of these sharing services? (very/somewhat likely)
Equipment sharing (e.g., lawn mower, electric drill)
Car sharing
Media sharing (e.g., books, computer/video games, DVDs) Accommodations sharing
On 3/3/14, Kickstarterpassed $1BN in pledges
“I have contributed to a crowdfunding project or expect to do so within the next year”
Image credit: [email protected]
By the year 2050…
“People in cities will be more likely to share a car (through a sharing service or joint purchases) than to
own one outright”
Image credit: Andreas [email protected]
“Most energy won’t be produced by big businesses but by individuals who will
sell/exchange it with other individuals”
By the year 2050…
Image credit: Johannes [email protected]
“Communities will create their own healthcare marketplaces rather than rely on outside providers and insurance companies”
By the year 2050…
Image credit: [email protected]
“None of the above”
By the year 2050…
Just 1 in 4 respondents expect the status quo to remain in each of these areas
Image credit: [email protected]
8 ROLES BRANDS CAN AND SHOULD PLAY WITHIN THIS NEW ECONOMIC MODEL
Guarantors ● Facilitators ●Sustainability Partners ● “Lending Libraries” ● Connectors ● Curators
Employers ● Champions
“I would like brands to guarantee the quality/ authenticity of products people resell on the Internet”
1. Brands will serve as facilitators and guarantors in the peer-to-peer economy
“When doing business with another individual, I would feel more
protected if a company/website served as an intermediary”
Image credit: [email protected]
Don’t want to pay for parking at the airport? FlightCar will rent out your car while you’re away—and even throw a free car wash into the deal
“Brand warranties should
extend to everyone who buys a
product, not just the first person
who buys it”
China’s Lenovo now ties most of its warranties to the actual machine rather than to the original owner
“I admire companies thatare finding ways to help
consumers waste less”
2. Brands will help people consume more sustainably
Image credit: Sam [email protected]
Taxi2Virgin Atlantic helps travelers save money and reduce carbon footprints by sharing cabs from the airport
The Soap Dispensary and in.gredients
Vancouver’s The Soap Dispensary is among a number of retailers helping consumers cut back on excess packaging
With locations worldwide, Repair Café brings together handy volunteers and people who would like to fix rather than replace their small
appliances and other items
ITC Hotels seeks to provide a luxury experience made “guilt free” through the use of sustainable materials and processes
3. Brands will help create secondary markets
“Companies/retailers should help customers resell their goods”
“I admire brands that encourage their customers
to recycle/resell the products they buy from the
company”
Through its Garment Recycling Program, H&M collected 7.7MM lbs of used clothing worldwide in 2013, which was then resold as is or
converted into other products
UK retailer Argos offers a £5 voucher to customers who donate an old toy, with proceeds going to a children’s charity
Sweden’s IKEA turned its Facebook page into a digital flea market, letting customers resell their IKEA furniture
Subscribers to RocksBox receive designer jewelry they can keep for as long as 60 days or buy at a discount
Subscribers to Bag Borrow or Steal have access to high-end designer handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, and watches
Image credit: StyleCartel.com
Launched by home improvement retailer B&Q, Streetclub helps neighbors come together to improve their communities
DogVacay connects dog owners with sitters—and includes free pet insurance, 24/7 support, and daily photo updates
Available in 12 countries, BlaBlaCar uses social profiles to connect people who want to share a longer-distance car ride
Friendsurance uses social networking to join people together in order to qualify for lower group premiums from insurance companies
Birchbox (“Discover your next everything”) introduces users to new products through a monthly sampling program
Fenumbra connects buyers to “gallery quality” art and donates a portion of the purchase price to charity
Naked Wines—a crowdfunding e-retailer—provides a fun and social way for a new generation of wine drinkers to learn, explore, and connect
This past winter, Walgreens partnered with TaskRabbit to home-deliver OTC cold and flu meds
Image credit: All News Retail
To better compete with Amazon, Walmart is said to be considering hiring its own customers to make same-day deliveries of online orders
Target is collaborating with three top Pinterest users on party-themed collections to be sold in its stores and online
U-Haul Investors Club invites individuals to invest in a vehicle via crowdfunding and receive a share of income when the truck is rented
8. Brands will champion individual creators and small businesses
Image credit: Pedro Ribeiro Simõ[email protected]
Through its Makers Project, Levi’s works with international artisans to create and sell unique, handcrafted items
TOMS Marketplace, an offshoot of TOMS shoes, is an online platform through which 30 carefully selected “companies with a social mission”
sell their goods
Through its Lincoln Makers program, Lincoln offers car buyers access to exclusive offers from the “masters of American craft, design and service”
GE has opened up GE Garages, free workspaces equipped with 3-D printers, laser cutters, and other tools in which maker groups can
collaborate and invent
Department store Nordstrom has teamed with online retailer Etsy to sell handmade and vintage goods from emerging artists and designers
CLOSING THOUGHTS
For many people, consumption has become a chore and an emotional burden—but something they still must do.
As marketers, it is our role to re‐inject joy into the equation by…• Ensuring that people have reason to feel good about what
they buy—including the social and environment impact• Finding sensible solutions to problems of waste and
excess• Working with consumers rather than dazzling them with
meaningless gimmicks and fleeting feelings of gratification
• Helping people consume in a way that is better for us all
For more insights from Havas Worldwide research—and to download the “New Consumer and the Sharing Economy” white paper or
infographic—visit http://www.prosumer-report.com/blog/
And follow us on Twitter (@prosumer_report)