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NEWSLETTER --
INTERVIEW WITH MARVIN WILKINSON, ANTERIOR:INSIGHT, UK
Issue no. 2. 31 Aug-4 Sept 2006
The second in a series
of nine interviews with speakers at kjaer global / CIFS International
Trends Conference 3rd October 2006 in Basecamp, Copenhagen.
This week we interview
Marvin Wilkinson on the
theme Meaningful Consumption
and Time to
Think
PROFILE – MARVIN
WILKINSON, New
Business Director
Anterior:Insight UK
Marvin helps win over
new clients to the range of
forecasting, trends
analysis and product
development services
offered by the consumerfocused
agency Anterior
Insight. Formerly with
The Future Laboratory,
his clients have included
Nike and the BBC. www.anterior-insight.co.uk
'In the future companies
face a balancing
act…upholding their
social and ethical
responsibilities…and
still delivering a profit'
Marvin Wilkinson
Questions on: Meaningful Consumption
Q: How would you define
Meaningful Consumption?
Wilkinson: This is an interesting
question. Consumption was traditionally about consuming but
meaningful consumption
is more of an emotional transaction. It is something that makes you
consider what you are
buying into.
Q: Why is Meaningful
Consumption so much in focus at the moment?
Wilkinson: There are several
issues globally that are combining to give this a new focus. In the
west the most
important is the ecological one - worries about the ozone layer and the polar
ice
cap make us think
about what it is we are buying and assess the ecological impact of our
purchase.
Then there is the move
back to 'authentic living'. People want to know what it is they are
consuming and look for
traditional manufacturing methods, local tradespeople and traceability in
products such as food.
This trend is emerging across Western Europe - even in markets
such as
France, which never had the UK's love of this type
of heritage.
Q: In what ways do you
think consumption is driven by consumer experience?
Wilkinson: We all lived through
conspicuous consumption - and this trend is still very much in
evidence in China and India - but in Western Europe and the US the stage beyond that
has
emerged. I think of it
as selective extravagance. This means being very considered about every
purchase and only
choosing luxuries that fit your lifestyle and passions - be they barefoot
tourism
or collecting unusual
objects. And people even further up the consumer chain are making a
conscious decision to
see how little they can consume. So for companies and brands the buzz
word is
'experiential'. Their challenge is to build an experience into the brand.
Q: Why do you think we
have moved from product-focused consumption towards cultural
consumption - and what
are the key social drivers behind this shift?
Wilkinson: More widespread access
to new technology is key. People have an ability to learn
and gain access to
cultural experiences - these are no longer just for the privileged. The example
I would cite is Rapid
Prototyping. Originally developed for architects, it is a fax machine that
enables you to send
through 3D material. Imagine the influence this will have when schoolrooms
can access a perfect
model of work by Picasso.
It's also important to
note the influence of Millenials, people born after 1984 who are far more
attuned to new
technology and are setting up their own communities via the internet. In
contrast
to what people say
about the isolation caused by spending too much time on a computer,
Millenials are truly
collaborative. They use technology to access new friends around the globe
and share cultural
experiences.
Q: Who would you single
out as leaders (both people and companies) in Meaningful
Consumption?
Wilkinson: I'd say most leaders
are coming out of the travel industry. For instance Journeys By
Design, Ethiopia's first community
managed ethical travel group. This style of doing business is
starting to influence
mainstream brands. I'd also mention the anti-logo company Black Spot -
ironically this non
logo trainer is now a great logo! However, the fair trade message is still the
same.
Q: What will the future
impact of Meaningful Consumption be for brands, services and
products?
Wilkinson: The brand mantra of
the next decade will be assuring manufacturing standards and
practices to ensure
human rights. This is no longer a concern for the green elite but a global
issue. The other big
shift is towards empowerment - products and services need to impart
knowledge, pass on
education and enable self-actualisation.
Q: What lifestyle changes
do you think will be the most important in years to come?
Wilkinson: Without a doubt the
biggest impact will come from carbon trading. The first issue is
how this is going to
work. What are the tax implications and how will people react? I can also see
a secondary
'levelling' impact. For instance, if a businessman who travels a lot has the
same
carbon points as a
person on a Liverpool council estate who doesn't
travel, then they might do
business. Carbon
trading could be fascinating, both in the trading and in the equalising
influences
it fosters.
Q: What is the biggest
challenge companies face in the future?
Wilkinson: They have a balancing
act: upholding their social and ethical responsibilities in
manufacturing/producing,
educating their customers to act responsibly - and, of course, still
delivering a profit.
Questions on: Time and Meaning…
Q: How has modern society
changed your notions of time?
Wilkinson: Time is the same as it
ever was. But it's downtime that has changed our notions of
time. We have less of
it and that's why we feel time to be at a premium.
Q: What is your
definition of 'quality time'?
Wilkinson: For me it's getting
away from pre-constructed information or anything designed to
influence my mood.
Even a short Tube journey is packed with messages or information. That's
why it feels so
special to have a personal conversation with someone over dinner, or share a
family meal.
Q: Why do people today
feel they have less time?
Wilkinson: The Henley Centre's
research showed that people actually had more free time than
ever before. What has
changed is our ability to get to a relaxed state. Doing things - consuming
media, writing or
reading emails - is addictive. That is why true downtime is really hard to
achieve
- especially in urban
environments.
Q: How do you feel the
24/7 culture has impacted on brands, products and services?
Wilkinson: I don't think it has
had a great impact as yet. Patterns are emerging in banking and
other online service
industries but we are not there yet. Other areas are showing more interesting
developments. For
instance, sleep culture is something we at Anterior:Insight have highlighted. A
company called Nap is
planning to put pods into airports so travellers can check in for a quick
sleep. There's also a
prototype sleep drug called CX717 - the world's first pill designed to
replicate the
refreshing effects of sleep on the brain while you're wide awake.
Q: Convergence technology
is supposed to save us time. Is this your perception?
Wilkinson: In general yes,
technology has speeded up our lives. But in some respects I'm not
sure the saving is
always there. Something that might take ten minutes to write down on paper
takes half an hour or
longer if the computer crashes.
Q: Has technology
improved our quality of life or made achieving work/leisure balance
more stressful?
Wilkinson: It has undoubtedly
made life better. For instance cross shifting has allowed people to
get away from the city
and still stay connected to their office. That
has to be a life-enhancing
development.
Q: Can you give us a
speed conclusion on Time and Meaningful Consumption?
Wilkinson: Time to consider your
actions and needs and to do the right thing for you and for
those around you.
Key notes on Anterior
Insight
• Core team of six (with many more specialists on tap) help brands evolve
and define new
business opportunities.
• Trends Feed service specialises in tracking 'next big thing' phenomena
around the globe -
from legal highs to
extreme saunas.
• Contribute to publications such as Guardian Travel and Brand Strategy
Magazine.
www.anterior-insight.co.uk
Coming next week:
Kate Ancketill,
Managing Director of GDR Creative Intelligence, discusses TIME TO THINK.
Download the
conference programme on www.kjaer-global.com
Register on www.time2think.net
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