Smart consumers double as brand advertisers

Brands are fighting harder than ever for customers cash and even more importantly, their loyalty. They do this by offering club memberships and various other loyalty card schemes. But if customers have to be hooked, they need to fall in love with the brand, so that they can rave about it to others.

There is a category of customers who do that really well these days, over social media platforms and they are called by different names - like mavens (by Malcolm Gladwell in his book 'Tipping Point') and prosumers (an amalgam of proactive consumers) in a report done by Euro RSCG.

In an earlier report 'The Empowered Consumer in the Age of Globalization' that was published in 2002, they highlighted the following points:

– Prosumers pass it on. The urge to pass on information and opinions to others is the absolute defining core of Prosumerism. No wonder Prosumers become hubs of information and opinions.

– People consult Prosumers. They are much more likely than average consumers to be
consulted for tips and recommendations.

– Prosumers don’t forgive and forget. Nobody likes a poor product or service
experience, but Prosumers dislike them more than most.

– Prosumers consult widely, then make up their own mind. They typically gather information widely for the material they need to decide on their own; they experiment even if they sometimes make mainstream conclusions.

PS: Graphics are from the 'Prosumer Report - The Second Decade of Prosumerism'