August « 2011 « The New Consumer

Archive for August, 2011

| Tags: Agathe Bousquet, consumer engagement, Euro RSCG C&O, social responsibility
Post a Comment | 1 Comment | in New Consumer

Sighting: The Cardboard Bottle from Ecologic Brands

August 24th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

Did you know plastic accounts for 12 percent of total waste in the United States? That’s around 30 tons of waste a year. Until now, there were no good packaging alternatives for certain products, but that’s beginning to change. After four years of work, Ecologic Brands has come up with a bottle made entirely of recycled cardboard. And, though it’s lined with a plastic pouch, it uses 70 percent less plastic than a traditional plastic jug and is fully recyclable. You may see it on shelves soon, holding Seventh Generation laundry detergent.

You can learn more about this packaging innovation at FastCoDesign.

| Tags: Ecologic Brands, packaging, plastic, Seventh Generation
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

Infographic: Where to Get a Green Job

August 24th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

Drawing on information from the Brookings Institution and Pew Charitable Trust, One Block Off the Grid has created this infographic detailing where green jobs are and showing that clean job growth is outpacing traditional jobs. Between 1998 and 2007, job growth in the green economy was nearly triple that of all U.S. jobs. Take a look:
Click to read more…

| Tags: green economy, green jobs, One Block Off the Grid, renewable energy, solar energy
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

Introducing the New Monastics

August 23rd, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

One of the most striking findings that came out of our New Consumer study is how many people were seeing an upside to the economic downturn. A majority of consumers surveyed around the world (and nearly two-thirds of leading-edge Prosumers) said the economic recession served to remind people of what is really important in life and that that’s a good thing. Around a third of Prosumers felt that the economic downturn would actually end up being a good thing for themselves and their families.

Now we see the emergence of a new group of people who are taking the lessons of mindful consumption and the move away from hyperaccumulation to heart–living in a way that emphasizes simplicity and values over trips to the mall. Writing in USA Today, Bob Smietana describes these “new monastics” thusly:
Click to read more…

| Tags: Bob Smietana, frugality, millennials, new monastics
Post a Comment | 2 Comments | in New Consumer

Mindfulness Sighting: Meeting Bowls

August 22nd, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

Half of respondents to Euro RSCG’s New Consumer global study said they worry that digital communication is weakening human bonds, and more than four in ten sometimes worry they don’t have enough friends. A year ago, we wrote about one socialization experiment in Brooklyn, New York, and now we see one has cropped up downtown, in Times Square.
Click to read more…

| Tags: Meeting Bowls, mmmm, socialization, The Commons, Times Square Alliance
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

Quote of the Day: Matt Fanshawe

August 19th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

“The new consumers expect two-way, open, and engaging conversations. For that reason, they pose a challenge to big brands that have a formulaic way of pushing messages to customers. Brands that can engage and be transparent and not obsess about being in control will prosper.” —Matt Fanshawe, Managing Director, Euro RSCG Asia Pacific

Source: The Creative Business Idea Book: Ten Years of Breakthrough Thinking. For more information, visit CreativeBusinessIdea.com. Click here to order the book on Amazon.

| Tags: Euro RSCG, Matt Fanshawe, New Consumer, transparency
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

New Consumer Sighting: Kickstarter

August 17th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

Launched in 2009, Kickstarter is the largest and arguably best known of the fundraising platforms dubbed “crowdfunding.” It’s a concept that’s entirely in keeping with New Consumerism, allowing tens of thousands of people to pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing, and other creative fields, while the project creators retain 100 percent ownership and control over their work. For contributors, it’s not about a financial investment, but about gaining access to unique products and experiences.
Click to read more…

| Tags: crowdfunding, Euro RSCG NY Emerging Technologies Lab, Kickstarter, Mike Knuepfel
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

Creating Connections Through Gardening

August 16th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

From rooftops and back yards to community plots and small farms, individuals are taking food production into their own hands. Euro RSCG’s New Consumer study found, for instance, that more than four in ten Prosumers had started or were thinking about starting their own vegetable or fruit garden. As part of its Thrive video series, Whole Foods looks into some of these individuals’ lives and living spaces as they nourish themselves and others, along with their gardens. In this episode, a Mexican-American reconnects with her personal heritage in her Oakland, California backyard garden.
Click to read more…

| Tags: Euro RSCG, food, gardening, heritage, mindful consumption, roots
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

The New Luxury: Mindset Over Money

August 10th, 2011 | by Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange,

The following is an excerpt from Euro RSCG Worldwide’s The Creative Business Idea Book.

French fashion designer Coco Chanel described luxury as the “absence of vulgarity,” while American author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau decried it as a “hindrance to the elevation of mankind.” Laud it or loathe it, the luxury market has been around almost as long as goods have been traded.
Click to read more…

| Tags: Euro RSCG, luxury, new luxury, provenance, simplicity, The Creative Business Idea Book
Post a Comment | in New Consumer

Archive for August, 2011

Sighting: The Cardboard Bottle from Ecologic Brands

Infographic: Where to Get a Green Job

Introducing the New Monastics

Mindfulness Sighting: Meeting Bowls

Quote of the Day: Matt Fanshawe

New Consumer Sighting: Kickstarter

Creating Connections Through Gardening

The New Luxury: Mindset Over Money

Prosumer Report

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Sites Speaking to the Four Paradigms

More From Havas Worldwide