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.
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New data out from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that more than 1,000 farmers markets have opened in the past year, up 17 percent from 2010.
The newly released 2011 National Farmers Market Directory shows a total of 7,175 farmers markets in the U.S. this summer, up from last year’s 6,132.
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Avital Binshtock, lifestyle editor at Sierra magazine, asked dessert experts to recommend their favorite eco-friendly ice cream. Check out her findings in the Huffington Post to find out the best way to cool your palate and the planet at the same time.
Earlier today, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Design published a post on her thoughts and experiences as an increasingly mindful consumer. In it she shares a wonderful definition of the “slow home” movement, which is tightly connected to the mindful consumption movement we’ve described in our book, studies, and on this site. In her words:
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Happiness is much on people’s minds these days, what with governments talking about Gross National Happiness and “happiness economics” increasingly a subject of study. Our global study of the New Consumer found that a majority of people surveyed–including nearly two-thirds in China and three-quarters in Brazil–are actively trying to figure out what really makes them happy. In a TED Talk last year, Austrian designer Stefan Sagmeister shares his thoughts on the topic–along with some very cool designs.
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An interesting piece by Terry Slavin in The Guardian, reporting on last month’s Guardian Sustainable Business Quarterly event. In it he discusses how leading companies such as Marks & Spencer in the U.K. are committed to pushing consumers toward a more sustainable lifestyle. An excerpt:
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| Tags: conscious consumption, CSR, green, Guardian Sustainable Business Quarterly, Marks & Spencer, Mike Barry, mindful consumption, New Consumer, packaging, provenance, recycling, reputation, Retail, Sustainability, waste 
Post a Comment | 2 Comments | in Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate/Brand Leadership, Eco-Consciousness, Growing Up, New Consumer, Purposeful Pleasure, Shopping, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Values
All indicators point to yes!
Wedding ring made with repurposed Welsh gold? Check.
A call for charitable contributions rather than gifts? Check.
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| Tags: conscious consumption, green, Kate Middleton, mindful consumption, New Consumer, Prince William, provenance, recycling, royal wedding, sourcing, Sustainability Post a Comment | in Consumerism, Eco-Consciousness, New Consumer, Purposeful Pleasure, Responsibility, Rightsizing, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Values, Youth
As our world becomes increasingly artificial, people have begun to feel less “real.” Nearly six in ten respondents to Euro RSCG’s New Consumer study worry that we have become too disconnected from the natural world. Nature is seen as an embodiment of our ties to a more “authentic” past–and it has become a place of escape, somewhere to rejuvenate and relax. This longing for the real is one reason we’ve seen a surge in home vegetable and fruit gardens, in home cheesemaking and the revival of other hands-on crafts. It’s about eco-consciousness, but also a desire for self-sufficiency and connectedness to something inherently real.
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Washington State’s Woodinville Whiskey Company sure knows how to appeal to the New Consumer. They’ve come out with a DIY kit that allows the purchaser to enjoy the hands-on experience
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Are you ready for April 12?
Get out your spade and seeds, it’s Home Farming Day!
Since 2010, Kraft’s Triscuit brand has been on a mission to get Americans to discover “the simple joy of growing and sharing their own herbs and vegetables.” It’s healthier for people and the planet–and it’s a great way to save money in tough economic times.
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| Tags: conscious consumption, CSR, Euro RSCG, food, green, Kraft, mindful consumption, New Consumer, Sustainability, thrift, Triscuit Home Farming, Triscuits Post a Comment | 1 Comment | in Branding, Community, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate/Brand Leadership, Eco-Consciousness, Marketing, New Consumer, Purposeful Pleasure, Recession, Rightsizing, Social Media, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Value, Values
