In a traditional consumer society, where consumption is one of the leading indicators of success, those who consume the most, and especially those who consume the rarest and most expensive, will typically also attain the highest status.
Mature consumer societies are changing, though. Though there is no shortage of the old type of status seeking, an increasing number of consumers are no longer solely obsessed with owning or experiencing the most or the most expensive goods.
In a growing number of cases, status is about acquired skills, eco-credentials, generosity, love and connectivity, Trendwatching says.
Not a single status symbol is ever safe from devaluation, as these symbols and stories are mere agreements between groups of people. The moment ‘society’ agrees that a car is just a method to safely move from A to B, or a nuisance that needs to be avoided due to environmental worries and space constraints, and not one of the dominant indicators of one’s financial standing, luxury car manufacturers will have a problem.
Status, in other words, is "social" to a large extent. A large part of the satisfaction any product, capability or experience provides is that most other people do not own a product, do not have a skill or have not been to a place.
Traditional consumption is about buying, enjoying and showing off more stuff or better stuff than other people have. That doesn't mean traditional satisfactions are gone; it is just as alternate satisfactions are growing.
It does explain why "experiences" increasingly are valued. The ‘mass’ that consumers are willing to put up with is either the stuff they don't really care about.
However, when it comes to experiences, status can only be derived from being seen by others, while experiencing the experience or by telling others about the experiences afterwards. In a real way, the status comes from the telling of the story.
Consumers increasingly will have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases. Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell their own status-yielding stories to other consumers, Trendwatching says.
Scotch whiskey brand Laphroaig offers lifetime leases for a square foot of land on the island of Islay (where the distillery is located) to each consumer who buys a bottle, for example.
Owning is no longer the only way for consumers to gain status; the act of giving also confers status.
Generosity is one example. Many consumers not only are disgusted with greed, but also can take advantage of an online-fuelled culture of individuals who share, give, engage, create and collaborate in large numbers.
One example of the "generosity" trend is the collaborative, free, crowdsourced, gift and sharing movement online, that fulfills in entirely new ways the perennial need of individuals to feel part of the greater good, to contribute, to help. But the online world of course also makes it easy to showcase and share one's acts of altruism.
The status-implications for non-profit organizations, and B2C brands big on giving initiatives? Work harder on helping your consumer-donors show and tell others about their donations and contributions.
As entire societies have embraced sustainability in everthing as the way forward, and as millions of consumers are now actively trying to greenify their lives, green credentials are an endless source of status. Just witness a substantial subset of consumers already bestowing recognition and praise on Prius and Insight owners while scorning SUV owners.
Consumers' interest in green credentials will lead to even more eco-friendly goods and services sporting bold, iconic markers and design, that help their eco-conscious owners show off their eco-credentials to their peers.
Also count on a massive increase in green stories (as told by consumers): detailed information on (eco-friendly) sourcing, production, ingredients and distribution all represents a potential benefit to consumers who are keen on sharing their green status stories. And the concept is extra attractive for service providers, who often don't have physical products with which to convey their eco credentials.
What will make green stories even more powerful is the fact that while each individual can ‘do their bit’ on the environmental issues, their actions are going to be wasted unless everybody else does the same. This gives individuals a great excuse to share their stories and to enjoy a status boost from occupying the moral high ground.
For an increasing number of consumers, the mere act of consuming less is the greenest status fix of all.
Needless to say that practitioners of "unconsumption" will heavily depend on the telling of stories to make their "low or no" impact on the environment known to others.
Growing pockets of consumers find pleasure and gain potential status by mastering skills and acquiring knowledge.
To be on the inside, to be in the know, to have access, to be knowledgeable, but also, to be able to lead the way to the unique, the avant-garde, the cool, the latest, the cutting-edge now is an established source of status.
Anything you as a brand can do to assist the pursuit of deep or trivial knowledge will be appreciated.
Nike’s True City is an iPhone app that aims to give consumers ‘insider’ information on six European cities, while also allowing users to share their own tips and delivering exclusive Nike offers and information.
The Adidas Urban Art Guide is a free iPhone travel guide listing Berlin and Hamburg's best graffiti. Users can click on each marked location to retrieve images and information about the piece and the artist.
Beck's Gig Finder app helps users to find local music gigs. The app's map and GPS interface allow users to see where they are in relation to the gigs.
Closely related to status and knowledge are status and skills. Especially for younger (and younger-at-heart) consumers, participation is the new consumption. Brands that help consumers develop skills and create professional-grade output will gain an appreciative audience.
Tesco’s Wine Finder app is capable of recognizing any wine in the retailer’s database from a photo of the bottle. The app also recommends wines based on price, country of origin and accompanying cuisine.
Swedish food brand Santa Maria offers an iPhone app that offers grilling tips and advice. The application features recipes, a BBQ handbook and a grilling timer.
Where it comes to online status, it’s all about who you connect to, and who connects to you, tribal style. It still is about being unique, but it's about belonging, too: belonging to tribes whose membership renders status to its members.
Unlike in the 'offline world', these connections (in numbers and in profiles) are visible. Then there are virtual goods garnered in online games, or gaming skill itself.
So what can consumer marketers do? Develop a better understanding of who (and how) your customers are trying to impress. If you find your brand is still mainly focusing on bigger and better but your customers aren't, then you might have a problem.
If you already actively serve a diverse crowd of status seekers, figure out how you can help them to better show off their new status symbols or better tell their status stories. Showcasing, visibility, and story ingredients are still often overlooked.
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