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03.22.2006
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StumbleUponSimplicity: it Ain't As Easy As It Sounds
We've all witnessed the recent explosive interest in design in all aspects of consumer culture, everything from housewares and furnishings to personal electronics and clothing. No single topic has dominated the auto industry over the past several years as that of design. Increasingly consumers demand not just affordable stuff but affordable stuff that looks and feels good. As it happens, "good design" often focuses on the sleek and elegant (i.e., simple).
Likewise, consumers increasingly prefer their goods to be real; to appear "unpretentious, unadorned, or natural," - in a word, authentic. As a general rule of thumb, the less decorated or decked out an object is, the more real or authentic it seems - hence a push toward simplicity.
How does this play out: In food circles we find a trend toward "simple" preparations made from one or two local ingredients. In fashion, we find an authentic, well-designed cashmere sweater serves as a "simple" stylish statement. In electronics, the iPod's understated elegance (i.e. simplicity) is a testament to good design practice. And so forth.
Moving away from consumer goods, one might wonder if people are going to be pursuing "simpler lives." Our short answer is "yes," but ironically the pursuit of simplicity is actually a complex social practice requiring not insignificant effort. Many people actually enroll in classes that purport to teach them how to live more simply. Others spend much time consulting magazines such as Real Simple as they work towards a "quieter way of life." Talk to those folks who've decided to trade their hectic careers for the "simpler life," of, say, a wine-maker or specialty cheese producer and you'll find out that the simple life is anything but. Don't believe us? Go ask Paris Hilton.
Bottom line, we'll continue to see an evolving trend toward simplicity that will (ironically) require much dedication, effort and practice.
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Soul Logic & the Art of Keeping it Real
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Soul Work: Lessons from baseball and...Wal-Mart
Americans endure a lasting imperative to imbue our culture and institutions with a sense of meaning and legitimacy, what we have described as "soul." And the chief means of crafting that meaning is what we call "soul work." So, what can steroid use, Major League Baseball and, yes, Wal-Mart teach us about soul? Find out what implications soul work has for marketers...
Is 'Buying Local' the Real Deal?
The question for "buy local" is not whether it will be as big as organics. Rather, and more importantly from a consumer perspective, the question really becomes if "buy local" holds any relevant significance. Does "buy local" really make a difference... <
