The Death of the Consumer & The Rise of the Citizen

Are “consumers” dead? Is our consumptive society changing. No and not quite, but it’s interesting to see what is being said as we hear more and more the term “citizen” as a replacement for the consumer. In the strict sense of the word “consumer” it is a post-industrialist term for people who buy products and services made by businesses. A business does not see a “person” it sees “consumers” who are simply sliced and diced into various buying categories – demographics and in the late 90′s “psychographics” became a marketing meme.

I started hearing the word “citizen” as a replacement vernacular for “consumer” a year or so ago and decided to put our research engine on it. Researching over 300 prime blog entries where this has been discussed, the “volume” of discussion over the past 12 months has increased by 78% over August of 2008. A significant uptick happened just after the primary market crashes last year.

Based on reading 46 of the 300 blogs I tagged here’s what it seems “citizen” has come to mean. Essentially, the “consumer” is now able to self-define who they are and what they want. Social Media tools like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Ning etc., have given the Post-Industrial defined consumer a voice. This “voice” has caused significant upheaval in the traditional marketing and communications aspect of corporations in the developed world. The Motrin Moms issue, the most recent Honda/Facebook mess and more. CEO’s have lost their jobs, stocks have plummeted or shot skyward.

As the population increasingly engages on the Web, they are drawn to Social Media tools. About 3 years ago some research by PEW Internet showed people went online to browse, buy products (consume) or do research. There’s was little to actively “do” there. Now, with Social Media tools and services, people are finding there voices.

As a result of this, consumers are re-defining the way they have been seen by the Corporation. Yes, we are still in the true sense “consumers” for we buy. This is changing, but it is far too early to truly define “how” and to what degree – we simply lack any historical or empirical evidence. Yet.

The other word that “citizen” is replacing is the old early computing days term “user”; people don’t see themselves as “users” they are (as we’ve called them for years now) participants. Should we perhaps use the term “neo-citizen”? To describe the rise of the New Citizen? Or are we just ignoring reality and we’re still just the same old consumer with a fancy name?

So the concept of “citizen” has become a societal meme; we say citizen because in this wonderful democratic world of developed nations, the concept of “citizen” implies having a voice and rights.

From my anecdotal research and not being a social anthropologist, what the evidence points to is a significant shift in consumer perceptions – the “people” do not want to be voiceless consumers anymore. The general population that is connected and has shared, created, collaborated, has begun to define themselves.

This is perhaps a “tipping point” for corporations and any large organization to be cognizant of. I don’t presume to have any suggestions on exactly how things will turn out…but I’m sure that together, as citizens, we’ll figure it out.

(Author: G. Crouch, Managing Director)