Customer Reviews

The Soul of the New Consumer : Authenticity - What We Buy and Why in the New Economy

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According to Lewis and Bridger the educated post-modern consumer is evolving. We are moving away from the compulsion to buy what our neigbors are buying ("keeping up with the Joneses" as they used to say) and no longer like to waste money. The "New Consumer" is concerned with "authenticity." We want our consumer choices to express a unique personal style and an ethic of critical thought, social and ecological responsibility and a connection with the past.

Too many "business" books are heavy on war stories, light on principles or organizing theory. They are fun to read, but light on "so what?" Lewis and Bridger meld theory and observations from their consulting practice to offer an actionable framework for understanding the forces driving consumer preferences.

Anyone in consumer marketing will cull valuable insights from this enjoyable to read book. This book would also make an excellent supplement for an undergraduate or MBA Consumer Behavior course.

This book was a really fascinating insight into why we buy things in the age of the Internet. It answers questions like: what do people really look for when making a buying decsion? What methods of selling work best with today's sophisticated consumers? and: Does market segmentation REALLY work? The photos weren't all that great, but otherwise its a pretty excellent book.

Fundamentally, people don't change rapidly. Wants and needs, both material and emotional remain much the same over time. A rapidly changing workplace and technological innovation that result in tried and true human wants and desires manifesting themselves in different ways. Much as air pumped into a tire simply forms the shape of the tire, needs and wants of people are conforming to technological and social change.

"The Soul Of The New Consumer" discusses this phenomena based on extensive and impressive research by the authors. In the evolving marketplace, people seek timesavings, trust, and authenticity - things people have always sought but were previously more easily obtainable. Could it be that as people strive to fill the relentless demands of these "new" consumers, they themselves become short-changed on time, trust and a feeling authenticity in what they do and who they are; then add to the cycle of depravation as they themselves begin evolve into the "new" consumer model?

As the marketplace evolves; businesses that speak honestly, listen intently, and save people time will flourish. That, in essence is the focus of this book. There is nothing new about this; it's going to take a while to figure out how to apply technology to reclaim what we had.

This book is intersesting thanks to the "scientific" method used by the author to do his experiments on real new consumer. Interesting to give you a good overall view but is sometimes too much of a mess, and the message is hard to deliver. Though it's a good buy.

Enjoyed this, also enjoyed "E-Customer" and "Why They Don't Buy" by Max Mckeown. ...

Shame that more from the USA have not yet discovered this pair. The first is passionate and multi-colored, the second is comprehensive and practical. Read together they give you a superb framework for delivering the kind of CRM and Experience that customers really buy.

If you sell things, market things or are in e-commerce you HAVE to buy this book. Its message about the importance of authentic products/services is going to be the driving force in marketing for the next decade. BUY IT NOW!