The term “consumers” is routinely used in place of “people” and “citizens.” While most people (consumers?) don’t notice or care much about the terms being used interchangeably, there are those who resent being labeled as “consumers,” as if their sole purpose and reason for existence on this planet is to consume—to eat, drink, use, watch, and buy stuff, and keep the economy humming along. Now, a new psychological study indicates that it may be in everyone’s interest if we stop referring to (insulting?) folks as mere consumers.
Could it be that consumers aren’t quite as gullible as marketers, manufacturers, and advertisers have long assumed? Could it be that today’s consumers are smarter and more informed than they have ever been when it comes to deciding whether to buy or pass on a product? Could it be that the age of mindless accumulation [...]
Consumers: Thanks to the web, and the long string of digital data one produces with each click, market researchers know more about your behavior than ever before. And they will soon be able to get inside your brain and get even better at predicting your buying habits.
A new study tries to explain the complicated reasons for how people make decisions to consume everything from Doritos to hybrid cars, Victoria’s Secret lingerie to New Balance sneakers.
CNN’s Consumer Tips blog has a post about how to figure out if someone you’re dating is THE ONE. Wait. What? Yes, this is filed under Consumer Tips, with the tag line “Empowering you to be a savvy consumer.” I guess this is one area in which you really should shop around. I’m not sure [...]
