Given the recent riots in the UK and the reaction, do we need to re-think the psychology of consumerism and marketing?
What do you believe?
Is consumerism to blame for the recent riots?
21 Aug 11
That is a good question from Anna. There probably wasn't a single cause behind the riots, but it would be very interesting to discover the importance of the role of 'brand-starvation' in stoking-up the level of arousal/motivation; (maybe a worthwhile research project here). I thought it quite significant that in one parade of shops that got trashed, a single business escaped undisturbed; a branch of Waterstone's, a bookshop!
21 Aug 11
Whilst I agree with Nigel, that there was no single cause behind the riots, I fail to see what brand starvation has to do with the question whether consumerism is to blame for the recent riots. As I understand it the best brands create a special relationship with customers, based on values and qualities that evoke strong emotional responses. In order to continue companies must also attract new customers – the opposite of this is brand starvation by customer erosion. Without new customers, brands and companies disappear. With regards to Waterstone’s – it is not surprising that they did not get trashed, they probably did not stock the kind of consumer goods that were in high demand during the riots.
21 Aug 11
Shame on you BBC Interviewer, Darcus Howe was feeling the same pain we all feel over the situation and you accused him of condoning the looting and violence because Darcus said "he wasn't surprised". This is standard BBC take on issues.
22 Aug 11
Greetings all! Given brand create an emotional link with consumers they should take some of the blame for inspiring the vandalism and looting. Even during the Sacking of Rome, the original Vandals did not burn the buildings! Brands require attention and without it they wither and die. And whilst they may prefer love, they'll take any strong emotional attachment. Remember the United Colours of Benetton? But the brands are only partially to blame - for inspiring self-centred covetousness. The clips I saw showed delinquent kids - not political protesters. They were spoiled and if they can't have their toys (brands) they'd throw a tantrum. The blatant disregard for others people's property and welfare is more likely a fault of the education system and media. As an experiment, look at the films playing at your local cinema. How many of them show violence as the primary way to solve ones problems? Of those that don't (are there any?), how many would appeal to a younger audience? Finally, at the risk of sounding political (during these times, who can say anything substantial and avoid it?) when the examples show: These rioters are just behaving as they have been conditioned by the System! Anyone who condones or supports this status quo can reap the harvest. Bon appetite!
09 Sep 11
Postmodern Marketing (e.g. Ben Cova, The postmodern explained to managers: implications for marketing. Business Horizons, November/December 1996, p15-23), may offer a different take on the disturbances. Based on the idea of cultural consumption, the ‘rioters’ can be seen as representing a sub-culture of consumers rebelling against the commodification of their life-style by mainstream business. For instance, the windows of many High Street stores are reflecting back street fashion in the form of ‘bovver boots’ and ‘hoodie-tops’. The people out on the streets could well have been rebelling against this process of homogenisation through commercialisation. It can be seen as a subconscious urge to attempt to become unpredictable again, to subvert the attempts of ‘street’ marketing to understand their sub-culture. The spontaneous ‘uprising’ had all the characteristics of the behaviour associated with the rituals of other ‘tribal-brands’, such as unofficial gigs, where communication is by word of mouth aided by the e-network. By rejecting the mainstream mass-push media, and rebelling against the conforming authority of the commercial, societal and political system, they achieved a short-lived sense of community and the feeling of enhanced self-esteem from their ‘culture-jamming’ rave.
09 Sep 11
This is an interesting idea, Nigel. Except, not all the rioters were a homogeneous group of the sort of people who are attracted to the kind of ‘street’ fashion you mention. There is no simple answer to who the rioters were? The people involved in violence and looting came from a multifaceted mix of social and racial backgrounds and age groups. Some of them may well have been rebelling against conformity but what came across quite strongly in the interviews with rioters right across the board, was the euphoric sense of freedom that people could suddenly do ‘what they wanted’. As Jean Baudrillard, a postmodernist and philosopher of consumerism, in discussing the code of consumer values and social distinction, pointed out “the pleasure obtained from a television or a second home is experienced as ‘real’ freedom.” But Baudrillard aside, at least some Londoners came together in a real sense of community. I refer to the hundreds of people armed with brooms and rubber gloves, who turned out across London in diverse areas such as Hackney and Camden Clapham Junction, Clarence Road, Finsbury Park and London Ealing. They came together to help clean up the damage caused by the rioting, looting and arson. They were brought there by the same social media that helped co-ordinate the rioting. These people said 'we're Londoners, we're resilient and getting on with it.” Let us hope the sense of community prevails when the euphoria has died down. |
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