Among the traits that define today’s consumer are that they are more educated and better informed. However, we cannot generalize by saying that the modern consumer is more cultured. On the contrary, a significant portion of the new generations are not more cultured than their predecessors, despite living in a more open, cosmopolitan environment with greater access to education.
Disregard for the past due to ignorance, the absence of values, and a lack of commitment are giving rise to a kind of citizen who is childish, fickle, and lacking strong foundations to hold on to. Consumption, more than ever, is a symbolic act: perceived value is what matters most, and the personality of brands replaces personal identities. On the other hand, the consumer may be better informed, but also more confused due to the overwhelming amount of information available. For example, over two and a half million commercials air each year across the various television channels in our country. Through the internet, we have access to trillions of bits of information instantly. Social media bombards us with one message and its opposite. Very little of this information actually stays in the mind. This overload turns into noise, redundancy, and triviality. More and more, people focus only on sources that confirm what they already believe, enclosing themselves within their own convictions.
With such a level of message saturation, it becomes extremely difficult to highlight the distinctive values of a brand or product unless it possesses a unique personality that makes it stand out. The confusion between brand images of products within the same consumer segment is increasingly evident, and consumers’ perceptions of product attributes are becoming more superficial. Cultured and informed? Let’s avoid generalizations and instead work with a deep understanding of our target audience.