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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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 
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Euro RSCG’s New Consumer study found signs of a populace grown weary of throwaway culture and the constant quest for more. Looking at the U.S. stats:
| Tags: Ali Dibadj, conscious consumption, consumer spending, Euro RSCG, financial crisis, frugality, mindful consumption, New Consumer, Recession, Sanford C. Bernstein, The Citizen, thrift, values, waste Post a Comment | 1 Comment | in Consumerism, New Consumer, Recession, Rightsizing, Shopping, Uncategorized, Values
Have you seen “Extreme Couponing”? OK, we haven’t either. 
It’s a new show on TLC (U.S.) that showcases those obsessive penny-pinchers who make creative use of coupons and promotions to reduce their grocery bills by as much as 90 percent. The show has elicited some strong reactions–pro and con. We thought we’d share with you one comment from a visitor to the Entertainment Weekly website. The response perfectly encapsulates the mindset of the New Consumer and how passionately some are fighting back against our culture of hyperconsumption.
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They’re a modern-day must. Anyone who’s ever forgotten their credit card at home or worse, lost it, knows exactly how crucial that piece of plastic truly is. With rampant fraud and ID theft, though, most cardholders are equally aware of the risks. But what if the account number on your card disappeared when not in use? SmartPlanet correspondent Sumi Das explores payment innovations from Dynamics, Square, and Bling Nation.
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Seven in ten global respondents to Euro RSCG’s New Consumer survey said saving money makes them feel good about themselves, yet a majority (56 percent) have trouble saving as much as they’d like, and 43 percent admit to sometimes feeling bad about themselves for overspending. To the rescue: three prototype high-tech wallets designed by MIT Media Lab’s Information Ecology group. Each wallet automatically connects to the user’s bank account and makes it easier or more difficult to spend money based upon the available balance.
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Across the globe, environmentally friendly fashion is becoming ever more fashionable
Eco fashion got a high-powered boost with the announcement that Harry Potter star Emma Watson is teaming with Alberta Ferretti on an eco-friendly line. Perhaps the popular British actress will help turn her countrymen’s perceptions of green style around (recent research indicates that European consumers view eco-fashion negatively, while North American buyers perceive it as young and trendy). Serendipitously, the Museum at FIT in Manhattan recently housed an exhibit called “Eco-Fashion: Going Green,” while the New York duo Costello Tagliapietra landed a first-place spot in the latest Eco Challenge. Efforts also are being made to bring sustainable fashion practices to India and Singapore, even for luxury goods.
Whoever said it’s not easy being green?
A version of this piece originally ran on Euro RSCG Worldwide’s social media blog.
At TEDxSydney, Rachel Botsman says we’re “wired to share”–and shows how websites such as Zipcar and Swaptree are changing the rules of human behavior.
Rachel Botsman is co-author of What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption.
| Tags: collaborative consumption, conscious consumption, economics, mindful consumption, New Consumer, Rachel Botsman, Recession, recycling, simplicity movement, Sustainability, TED, thrift, waste Post a Comment | in Collaboration, Community, Consumerism, Eco-Consciousness, Growing Up, New Consumer, Prosumers, Responsibility, Rightsizing, Shopping, Social Media, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Values
Unpackaged is a London grocery store opened in 2007 by Catherine Conway. As the name suggests, customers bring their own containers (ranging from reusable bags to scrubbed takeout boxes and bottles) and fill them with goods from the store.
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| Tags: conscious consumption, Euro RSCG, excess, food, green, mindful consumption, New Consumer, organic, packaging, provenance, recycling, Retail, sourcing, Sustainability, thrift, values, waste Post a Comment | 2 Comments | in Community, Consumerism, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate/Brand Leadership, Eco-Consciousness, Growing Up, New Consumer, Prosumers, Responsibility, Rightsizing, Shopping, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Value, Values
Fifty-five percent of Prosumer respondents to Euro RSCG’s Future of the Corporate Brand study said they prefer to do business with companies and brands that have a distinct personality. More than nine in ten agreed that, to be successful, corporations of the future will need to show a more “human” face (meaning they must care about people and take a more active role in community and social causes).
Count me among them.
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| Tags: accountability, Andrew Benett, Ann O'Reilly, Arnold, Bob The Fish, brand engagement, brand pesonality, Bud Groover, Cavas Gobhai, consumption, CSR, culture, customer service, discounts, Euro RSCG, freebies, Future of the Corporate Brand, Greg Welch, holiday shopping, humanized brand, Johnnie Boden, Mark Twain, Mini Boden, New Consumer, Recession, reputation, Retail, values Post a Comment | 3 Comments | in Branding, Corporate/Brand Leadership, Marketing, New Consumer, Prosumers, Purposeful Pleasure, Recession, Shopping, Uncategorized, Value, Values
