Paying Attention
There is an outstanding discussion between Vinton Cerf and Esther Dyson at wsj.com that is definitely worth reading.
The fascinating part is their discussion of attention. If there truly is an emerging shift in how individuals value themselves (Adults define themselves by what they own and wear, Kids by who pays attention to them), there are staggering changes to the concept of brands and brand relationships on the horizon.
It’s not difficult to envision a world 20 years from now where individual expression is everything, and conformity is nothing. Functional and performance brands will still thrive, but attitudinal brands will become niche-oriented to survive.
The relationships that brands have with their customers will become even more important, since holding on to core customers will be an absolute requirement for survival.
