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neilperkin

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Consumers Are People

I'm banning the word 'consumer' from this blog. Not that it crops up that often here – I've been making a conscious effort to avoid using it ever since Adam launched his 'Stop Calling Me a Consumer' Facebook group (and even wrote a piece of Firefox script that automatically replaced the word 'consumer' with 'people') almost two years ago. No, it's more that I still see and hear it used so often as a lazy, default, catch-all marketing phrase and as I've said before, I believe that the language we use in this industry compounds viewpoints and behaviours that we need to move on from. Consumers are people and people do more than consume.
Consumer 1

There are reasons why I think it's timely to raise this:

Because marketing and communications, now more than ever, are about being human. There is real, tangible value in this. In his IPA President's inaugral speech, Rory Sutherland talked about how at its heart, our industry is about creating ideas that turn human understanding into value, and how it will be through improved human understanding that we will improve the breadth and value of those ideas, and how we need to demonstrate social value as well as commercial value, and how customers and employees can no longer be treated as what Muahmmad Yunus calls "one dimensional beings". And changing the language is a good place to start.

And because this recession has changed things for good. Because there's never been a better time to hit reset, do business differently. Call it constructive capitalism. Call it post-consumerism. Call it Generation M. Changing the language is a good place to start.

40 responses to “Consumers Are People”

  1. David cushman Avatar
    David cushman

    Yep. Treat me as a producer a vendor a buyer a marketer a designer etc. Mostly stop seeing a silo wall around the brand. 🙂
    cluetrain and communities dominate brands helped me kick the consumer habit 😉

    Reply
  2. David cushman Avatar
    David cushman

    Yep. Treat me as a producer a vendor a buyer a marketer a designer etc. Mostly stop seeing a silo wall around the brand. 🙂
    cluetrain and communities dominate brands helped me kick the consumer habit 😉

    Reply
  3. Michael Gross Avatar
    Michael Gross

    Consumption is a complex thing and it has become a dominant factor in our social landscape. And in order to live a meaningful life most people have to interact on a daily basis with products/services/brands/experiences, which are all mediated through markets. Even experiences “outside” of the market are now in it (like education, health, finding a partner, sex, babies). So, do we really do more than consume?
    Anyway, there is nothing wrong with the word consumer, it is even a word which is used in law (consumer rights etc). So when companies talk about consumers they talk about people, when they are in the process of consuming goods/services etc. So instead of using it in a degrading way, they use it to refer to aspects of a person they don’t fully understand. To me that seems quite respectful somehow.

    Reply
  4. Michael Gross Avatar
    Michael Gross

    Consumption is a complex thing and it has become a dominant factor in our social landscape. And in order to live a meaningful life most people have to interact on a daily basis with products/services/brands/experiences, which are all mediated through markets. Even experiences “outside” of the market are now in it (like education, health, finding a partner, sex, babies). So, do we really do more than consume?
    Anyway, there is nothing wrong with the word consumer, it is even a word which is used in law (consumer rights etc). So when companies talk about consumers they talk about people, when they are in the process of consuming goods/services etc. So instead of using it in a degrading way, they use it to refer to aspects of a person they don’t fully understand. To me that seems quite respectful somehow.

    Reply
  5. John V Willshire Avatar
    John V Willshire

    Hooray for people!!!! People, people, people, people, people, people.
    As you say, it’s been something some folk have been saying for a few years, but never concertedly, never as an effort, never with enough force to tip into common thinking.
    Is now the time? Maybe, just maybe… it’s a call to arms from the Perkulator, I tell thee!
    It’s up to YOU, fine readers of Dead Fish… if you believe, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT:
    i) Tell people by Twitter. Use the #StopUsingConsumer hashtag, and add your reason after (like the pic above)
    ii) Write something longer. If you have a blog, do it there. Or comment here. Or just rant about it at your office. Or with your clients. Or over a pint tonight.
    Come on, people! #StopUsingConsumer – Because me and me mum and me dad and me gran are NOT ‘consumers’
    SMALLPRINT: Other ranting is available… http://bit.ly/PEOPLE …your home may be at risk if you fail to shift perspective… 😉
    (Oh, and apologies to Neil for, err, ranting at length)

    Reply
  6. John V Willshire Avatar
    John V Willshire

    Hooray for people!!!! People, people, people, people, people, people.
    As you say, it’s been something some folk have been saying for a few years, but never concertedly, never as an effort, never with enough force to tip into common thinking.
    Is now the time? Maybe, just maybe… it’s a call to arms from the Perkulator, I tell thee!
    It’s up to YOU, fine readers of Dead Fish… if you believe, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT:
    i) Tell people by Twitter. Use the #StopUsingConsumer hashtag, and add your reason after (like the pic above)
    ii) Write something longer. If you have a blog, do it there. Or comment here. Or just rant about it at your office. Or with your clients. Or over a pint tonight.
    Come on, people! #StopUsingConsumer – Because me and me mum and me dad and me gran are NOT ‘consumers’
    SMALLPRINT: Other ranting is available… http://bit.ly/PEOPLE …your home may be at risk if you fail to shift perspective… 😉
    (Oh, and apologies to Neil for, err, ranting at length)

    Reply
  7. yuki Avatar
    yuki

    http://www.edhardy-shops.com is one of the best online edhardy shops,what includes:ed hardy purses,cheap ed hardy,ed hardy on sale,ed hardy handbag sale,ed hardy cap,ed hardy hat,ed hardy handbags,ed hardy ,ed hardy caps,ed hardy bikini,ed hardy bags,ed hardy clothing,ed hardy hats,ed hardy ,you can enjoy free shipping 7 days delivery .

    Reply
  8. yuki Avatar
    yuki

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    Reply
  9. charles Avatar
    charles

    I’ve not used the word for years but I shall join you in refreshing people how I feel about this word.

    Reply
  10. charles Avatar
    charles

    I’ve not used the word for years but I shall join you in refreshing people how I feel about this word.

    Reply
  11. tim harrap Avatar
    tim harrap

    Equally I would suggest the word “corporation” often obscures the fact that people are involved there too.

    Reply
  12. tim harrap Avatar
    tim harrap

    Equally I would suggest the word “corporation” often obscures the fact that people are involved there too.

    Reply
  13. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Thanks for the comments all.
    Michael – I think thought that the danger is that it is used in a lazy, amorphous way that encourages us to assume people are the same when they’re not.
    John – brilliant
    Tim – true

    Reply
  14. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Thanks for the comments all.
    Michael – I think thought that the danger is that it is used in a lazy, amorphous way that encourages us to assume people are the same when they’re not.
    John – brilliant
    Tim – true

    Reply
  15. Paul Graham Avatar
    Paul Graham

    Getting all anomalous for a second… what does ‘people’ mean then? And, if swapped in at the expense of ‘consumers’, is it not (or will it not become) equally amorphous?
    I’m genuinely not being negative, as I agree with all of this to the extent that it’s essentially a plea to do away with lazy jargon, and is born of a wish for all of us to better define the groups we seek to interact with, and in so doing increase the value and meaning of what we all do as an industry, but if we deconstruct the whole meaning of many words used in marketing we end up in tatters – for instance, even the word ‘marketing’ used above (and beyond) bundles within it similar ‘sales’ and ‘buyer’ assumptions of how we interact with people that ‘consumer’ does. If people are more than consumers, what right do we have as marketeers to be marketing to them when they are not consuming? And are we not perhaps still wishing to eventually encourage them to consume what we have to offer (the thing we are bringing to market) when we interact with people in their very rich, important non-consuming modes? And, when or if we get it right, are they not willing to consume the things we have successfully connected them with?
    In other words, whatever terms we use, let’s also make sure our actual behaviour is in line with (and encourages) a better, more enlightened form of useful/mutually benefitial interaction (both commercial and non-commercial)
    Blimey, I’m now even hating some of the words I’ve used. ‘Interaction’ seems vague all of a sudden…

    Reply
  16. Paul Graham Avatar
    Paul Graham

    Getting all anomalous for a second… what does ‘people’ mean then? And, if swapped in at the expense of ‘consumers’, is it not (or will it not become) equally amorphous?
    I’m genuinely not being negative, as I agree with all of this to the extent that it’s essentially a plea to do away with lazy jargon, and is born of a wish for all of us to better define the groups we seek to interact with, and in so doing increase the value and meaning of what we all do as an industry, but if we deconstruct the whole meaning of many words used in marketing we end up in tatters – for instance, even the word ‘marketing’ used above (and beyond) bundles within it similar ‘sales’ and ‘buyer’ assumptions of how we interact with people that ‘consumer’ does. If people are more than consumers, what right do we have as marketeers to be marketing to them when they are not consuming? And are we not perhaps still wishing to eventually encourage them to consume what we have to offer (the thing we are bringing to market) when we interact with people in their very rich, important non-consuming modes? And, when or if we get it right, are they not willing to consume the things we have successfully connected them with?
    In other words, whatever terms we use, let’s also make sure our actual behaviour is in line with (and encourages) a better, more enlightened form of useful/mutually benefitial interaction (both commercial and non-commercial)
    Blimey, I’m now even hating some of the words I’ve used. ‘Interaction’ seems vague all of a sudden…

    Reply
  17. John V Willshire Avatar
    John V Willshire

    That second last para from Paul I think nails it… it’s a behaviour thing.
    There’s not point changing the language we use to describe something without changing behaviour to make it meaningful, otherwise we might as well be in Orwell’s 1984 where what we say and what we do is hopelessly divided…
    …but we must change our language under the proviso that by doing so, we change how we think about the relationships we help form between companies and people, which in turn affects our actions.
    Talking of action… I made a #StopUsingConsumer widget over the weekend, just to try and gauge the feeling and reasoning out there…
    It’s up here; http://feedingthepuppy.typepad.com/feeding_the_puppy/2009/07/stopusingconsumer.html
    If you think it’s a good idea, then nick the code to grab the widget, or just join in on twitter,

    Reply
  18. John V Willshire Avatar
    John V Willshire

    That second last para from Paul I think nails it… it’s a behaviour thing.
    There’s not point changing the language we use to describe something without changing behaviour to make it meaningful, otherwise we might as well be in Orwell’s 1984 where what we say and what we do is hopelessly divided…
    …but we must change our language under the proviso that by doing so, we change how we think about the relationships we help form between companies and people, which in turn affects our actions.
    Talking of action… I made a #StopUsingConsumer widget over the weekend, just to try and gauge the feeling and reasoning out there…
    It’s up here; http://feedingthepuppy.typepad.com/feeding_the_puppy/2009/07/stopusingconsumer.html
    If you think it’s a good idea, then nick the code to grab the widget, or just join in on twitter,

    Reply
  19. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Yes calling people consumers is bad – but it doesn’t matter if you call them individuals who are in possesion of their own needs, wants and agendas – if you regard them as ‘walking wallets’ you’re going to be screwed.

    Reply
  20. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Yes calling people consumers is bad – but it doesn’t matter if you call them individuals who are in possesion of their own needs, wants and agendas – if you regard them as ‘walking wallets’ you’re going to be screwed.

    Reply
  21. Bill Free Avatar
    Bill Free

    I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest for some time. Now I don’t have to.
    Like it or not, our economic paradigm is shifting. Call it post-consumer or whatever you want, but you’re right: we won’t grasp the significance or realize the opportunities until we stop defining people as consumption machines. Great post!

    Reply
  22. Bill Free Avatar
    Bill Free

    I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest for some time. Now I don’t have to.
    Like it or not, our economic paradigm is shifting. Call it post-consumer or whatever you want, but you’re right: we won’t grasp the significance or realize the opportunities until we stop defining people as consumption machines. Great post!

    Reply
  23. Mediation Avatar
    Mediation

    consider Mediation signed up to the campaign to ban the word consumer. have added my twopenneth in the link below. brilliant post Neil (and brilliant HTML coding Willsh!)
    http://chrisstephenson.typepad.com/chrisstephenson/2009/07/consumer-i-hate-the-word-why-mediation-is-adding-its-voice-to-the-call-for-a-banning-of-the-word-con.html

    Reply
  24. Mediation Avatar
    Mediation

    consider Mediation signed up to the campaign to ban the word consumer. have added my twopenneth in the link below. brilliant post Neil (and brilliant HTML coding Willsh!)
    http://chrisstephenson.typepad.com/chrisstephenson/2009/07/consumer-i-hate-the-word-why-mediation-is-adding-its-voice-to-the-call-for-a-banning-of-the-word-con.html

    Reply
  25. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Good debate – thanks for the comments.
    Paul, John, Rob – I agree it’s a behaviour thing. I think language is a powerful perpetuator of behaviour though. If we really think it’s worth changing behaviour, then the language we use isn’t a bad place to start.
    Chris – nice one fella

    Reply
  26. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Good debate – thanks for the comments.
    Paul, John, Rob – I agree it’s a behaviour thing. I think language is a powerful perpetuator of behaviour though. If we really think it’s worth changing behaviour, then the language we use isn’t a bad place to start.
    Chris – nice one fella

    Reply
  27. Michael Gross Avatar
    Michael Gross

    It’s not that I don’t get your point, but in my mind calling somebody a consumer just describes somebody’s role or behaviour in a certain situation. If I called anyone here a blogger, everyone would be fine with that (probably even proud of). But calling someone a blogger is the same kind of labelling as calling someone a consumer – you’re putting individual personalities into a box.
    The only difference is that blogger fits into your subcultural influenced value system and consumer somehow does not.
    BTW: I’m not using the word as well, I just want to bring in a different point of view.

    Reply
  28. Michael Gross Avatar
    Michael Gross

    It’s not that I don’t get your point, but in my mind calling somebody a consumer just describes somebody’s role or behaviour in a certain situation. If I called anyone here a blogger, everyone would be fine with that (probably even proud of). But calling someone a blogger is the same kind of labelling as calling someone a consumer – you’re putting individual personalities into a box.
    The only difference is that blogger fits into your subcultural influenced value system and consumer somehow does not.
    BTW: I’m not using the word as well, I just want to bring in a different point of view.

    Reply
  29. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Erm, from a planetary/ecological perspective, “consumer” captures what we’re doing pretty well. “People” feels euphemistic to be honest.
    I dunno whether I’m a hippie or a cynic saying that!

    Reply
  30. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Erm, from a planetary/ecological perspective, “consumer” captures what we’re doing pretty well. “People” feels euphemistic to be honest.
    I dunno whether I’m a hippie or a cynic saying that!

    Reply
  31. Holycow Avatar
    Holycow

    It’s all about context not the word itself IMHO. Language is contextual and everything is language ultimately. Try not using language to describe something.
    Censorship of language is not the way to go but I do agree with the sense that language in marketing has a few image issues. But mainly only for those in the industry.
    Long live the word consumer I say – its a great word 😉

    Reply
  32. Holycow Avatar
    Holycow

    It’s all about context not the word itself IMHO. Language is contextual and everything is language ultimately. Try not using language to describe something.
    Censorship of language is not the way to go but I do agree with the sense that language in marketing has a few image issues. But mainly only for those in the industry.
    Long live the word consumer I say – its a great word 😉

    Reply
  33. Nick Avatar
    Nick

    Thanks Neil. At the risk of sounding petulant and pointing out your own bio description of working for a consumer magazine publisher – are we not all consumers at a particular point in time and at particular points in our lives?
    Hypothetically, if I were running a sports company, trying to expand the customer base and attempting to serve my existing customers needs why would I need to understand what my mother has for breakfast? My mother is in her late 60’s and hasn’t done sport for a very long time and nor is she likely to do so. I would rather understand the people who play sport or who have aspirations of doing so. They are consumers or potential consumers yet everyone is an individual and a person.
    That said I completely agree with your analysis that people should not be viewed as one-dimensional beings. The use of the word consumer can be lazy. It is crucial to investigate and understand how people who consume a particular product in one part of their lives, interact and live in other parts of their lives. Only by doing this will you drive real understanding of people / consumers (delete as applicable).

    Reply
  34. Nick Avatar
    Nick

    Thanks Neil. At the risk of sounding petulant and pointing out your own bio description of working for a consumer magazine publisher – are we not all consumers at a particular point in time and at particular points in our lives?
    Hypothetically, if I were running a sports company, trying to expand the customer base and attempting to serve my existing customers needs why would I need to understand what my mother has for breakfast? My mother is in her late 60’s and hasn’t done sport for a very long time and nor is she likely to do so. I would rather understand the people who play sport or who have aspirations of doing so. They are consumers or potential consumers yet everyone is an individual and a person.
    That said I completely agree with your analysis that people should not be viewed as one-dimensional beings. The use of the word consumer can be lazy. It is crucial to investigate and understand how people who consume a particular product in one part of their lives, interact and live in other parts of their lives. Only by doing this will you drive real understanding of people / consumers (delete as applicable).

    Reply
  35. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Good comments – thanks.
    Michael, Mark, Nick – appreciate you putting an opposing view. I guess my beef is with how automatically the word is used when to me, it is such a one-dimensional and blunt description, and doesn’t take account of how the world is changing, and needs to change.

    Reply
  36. neilperkin Avatar
    neilperkin

    Good comments – thanks.
    Michael, Mark, Nick – appreciate you putting an opposing view. I guess my beef is with how automatically the word is used when to me, it is such a one-dimensional and blunt description, and doesn’t take account of how the world is changing, and needs to change.

    Reply
  37. Brett T. T. Macfarlane Avatar
    Brett T. T. Macfarlane

    In a way there is nothing wrong with saying consumer, it’s just lazy. While I personally prefer the term people, it is better, but that too is lazy. Who are these people? It doesn’t tell you anything about them.
    The biggest failure of “consumer” is the next step to better understanding them is demographics. A blunt tool, necessary to buy media, useless when seeking insight or understanding a community.
    “People” may too lead to demographics, but also intuitively leads to a more human understanding like psychographics. Better. But what matters is how you go about making that expression/articulation.
    Does it matter whether you call them people or consumers? Isn’t what matters more how you then go about defining/expressing who you want to engage, or strategically don’t want to engage?
    Maybe community is a better term, as inherently by using that term you have to have an idea of exactly who these people are. It holds us accountable to not using a lazy blanket term like consumer or people.
    Or something like that.
    Good though provoking material as always Neil.

    Reply
  38. Brett T. T. Macfarlane Avatar
    Brett T. T. Macfarlane

    In a way there is nothing wrong with saying consumer, it’s just lazy. While I personally prefer the term people, it is better, but that too is lazy. Who are these people? It doesn’t tell you anything about them.
    The biggest failure of “consumer” is the next step to better understanding them is demographics. A blunt tool, necessary to buy media, useless when seeking insight or understanding a community.
    “People” may too lead to demographics, but also intuitively leads to a more human understanding like psychographics. Better. But what matters is how you go about making that expression/articulation.
    Does it matter whether you call them people or consumers? Isn’t what matters more how you then go about defining/expressing who you want to engage, or strategically don’t want to engage?
    Maybe community is a better term, as inherently by using that term you have to have an idea of exactly who these people are. It holds us accountable to not using a lazy blanket term like consumer or people.
    Or something like that.
    Good though provoking material as always Neil.

    Reply
  39. Promotional Products Avatar
    Promotional Products

    This a great idea to start doing, many times business just look at consumers/people as a number. I think this has made clients angry and they are looking for more humanizing aspect to companies and to be treated as the people they are.

    Reply
  40. Promotional Products Avatar
    Promotional Products

    This a great idea to start doing, many times business just look at consumers/people as a number. I think this has made clients angry and they are looking for more humanizing aspect to companies and to be treated as the people they are.

    Reply

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