Consumer Lifestyles 2017

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KAIROS FUTURE P.O. BOX 804 SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

Consumers and lifestyles

2017

By Mats Lindgren

October 2007


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CONSUMERS AND LIFESTYLES2017By Dr. Mats Lindgren

Where is the global community heading? Are we all becoming middle-classIndians and Chinese with aspirations of wealth and worldly success? Or willScandinavian soft values reign, emphasizing trust and loyalty that goes beyondfamily and close friends?

Although there are strong tendencies that young people in the West are becoming

more Chindian in terms of values and attitudes, it is hard to tell where we will end upten years form now. There are tendencies and trends pulling in different directionsunfolding several scenarios for the future consumer and values landscape. Toconsider those uncertainties and alternative trajectories is essential for mostcompanies and organizations in todays fast-moving and increasingly consumer drivenworld.

ME OR WE ARTIFACTS OR PEOPLE?

Based on the results from Kairos Futures project Global Youth, the extensive surveyof the values and lifestyles of youth and young adults, we have identified two majoruncertainties for the future, and the scenarios that accompany them. The uncertainties

are based on the two values-dichotomies:

Me-orientation vs. We-orientation. Whether people are emphasizingindividualism and disconnection with traditions and fixed communities or not

Artifact-orientation vs. People-orientation. Whether people focus onmaterial goods and success or relations and people.

Imagine a world where Me- and People-orientation reigns. Such a world would becharacterized by a strong drive for individual freedom and self-expression incombination with a people-orientation where most people do what they can to makethe world a better place.

If we swap individual freedom for economic independence we end up in a scenariowhere people strive more for economic success than unique life-choices.

Similarly we could explore each of the four corners in the matrix below. Interestingly,however, is that the characteristics of each scenario are not developed by pure logic,but are based on a foundation of statistical analysis. On average, people emphasizingindividual freedom also believe creativity and immaterial consumption are important.And people emphasizing economic independence also tend to stress perseverancevalues, such as hard work and endurance, more than others.

All in all, the two uncertainties, based on different life-orientations, give us fourscenarios for the future:

I did it my way a world where individual freedom is in the drivers seat

Next stop Richistan where the ambition to becoming member of the

exclusive global club of Richistanis is running the game


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Its all about style where fame and acceptance are the key characteristics

Home sweet home where nothing of the above can compete with the sweetfeeling of being needed by the near and dear.

Four possible scenarios of the future consumer landscape

Consider the following snap-shots of a future too distant. Where do you believe we areheading, and what does it mean to you?

I DID IT MY WAY 2017

The strive for individual freedom is the strongest driver in society of the second halfof the 2010s and manifested by independent self-expression. The so worshipped

individualism is expressed in lifestyles and immaterial consumption, rather than goodsand gadgets. People are foremost experience shoppers, and individuality reigns. Mostpeople are also eager to be ethical and good citizens and consequently heroes are notonly those following their own path, the unique personalities, but also greatphilanthropists.

NEXT STOP RICHISTAN 2017i

Economic independence is the zeitgeist of the mid-2010s. Most people are willing todo whatever it takes to get the positions where wealth is collected. Society ischaracterized by competition, "drive", hard work and perseverance. The heroes are allthe self-made men and women who express their success on the front pages ofbusiness magazines and in contemporary status symbols such as mansions and


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sophisticated luxury goods. Still, it is not acceptance they are striving for, but the nicefeeling of power, freedom and independence that money brings.

ITS ALL ABOUT STYLE 2017

In a society obsessed with fame and "worldly" success, people, especially young, dowhat it takes to get it. Most elderly people describe society as superficial andreproductive, a karaoke-world where everyone tries to be unique by copyingsuccessful attributes or concepts. And they claim that younger people are scared ofnot being cool enough. Contemporary heroes are the celebrities, famous forsomething or nothing (or just for being famous). Since brands and fashion are soimportant most people sense a strong lack of money, and express their frustration ofnever being able to buy the things they want. There is simply never enough.

HOME SWEET HOMEMost people are fed up with the artificiality and hard-core individualism and are lookingfor the "completeness" experienced in personal relations. The goal in life is not somuch to be rich or famous as to be remembered as a good person, father, mother,friend. Thus, most people spend a lot of time nurturing relations to their near and dear.Loyalty and trust are the virtues of the day. Since most people do not consider"showing off" very important, luxury industries are having hard times and marketersand economists are talking about the new "Minimalist Society" which is slowing downgrowth and expanding hard discount segments in most industries.

THE QUESTION IS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU ANDYOUR BUSINESS?

Which of the four scenarios are the most probable? Will they all exist and prosper asparallel universes? What do the scenarios mean to you? What will be the effect toyour industry? What will happen with values such as loyalty and trust?

The challenge for most consumer-driven companies, whether they are business-to-business or business-to-consumer, is to consider the consequences of thesescenarios in combination with more certain consumer trends. And so should publicadministration and other non-profit organizations do.

In order to succeed in the future, where consumers are increasingly driving themarkets it is crucial not only to understand the consumers of today, but also where

they are heading, not only what they think about our own products and services, butalso what their aspirations and profound values are. We need to be able tocontextualize specific data, step back to see the broader picture and developprocesses to bring consumer insight into innovation and growth.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Mats Lindgren is founder and CEO of Kairos FutureGroup. He is also heading Kairos Futures internationalresearch activities. Mats has been working with valuesand consumer research as part of his futures researchand strategy consultancy for almost 20 years, the firstpiece of values research done in 1990 and presented inthe bestseller Tomorrows Valuesin 1992.

He is the author of more than 20 books, among them,prized The MeWe Generationand Scenario planning the link between future and strategy, by HarvardBusiness School considered the best book in the field.

ABOUT GLOBAL YOUTH AND THE KAIROS

CONSUMERSCAPE SERVICE

Global Youth was the first in a series of international values studies conducted byKairos Future carried out during 2006-2007. It is based on a combination of qualitativeand quantitative research, where the quantitative part covers 400 questions answeredby 1,000 16-29 years olds and 300-500 30-50 years olds in 17 countries throughoutthe world.

The results are accessible through series of reports or tailored services such asreports, analysis of interest or other target groups, as well as company specificpresentations.

The data will be used in the upcoming service Kairos ConsumerScape wheresubscribers receive a combination of general consumer insight in the format of trendbriefs and reports and tailored services such as workshops and expert consulting.

For further information, please contact Ms Elin strm, project coordinator, or MsAnna Kiefer, director Kairos Future International.


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ABOUT KAIROS FUTURE

Kairos Future helps companies and organizations understand andshape the future through:

international surveys and futures analysis

lectures and workshops

courses and training programs

knowledge-based projects and networks

scenario, strategy and improvement projects

change process support

We combine the think tanks and research companys ability to

generate new insights and ideas with the consulting agencys focuson what works in practice. Our work is built on our own skillsdevelopment along with in-house designed and advanced methodsof analysis, strategy development and change processes.

We often work in close collaboration with our clients.

Kairos Future has over thirty employees in Sweden, Denmark,France, Spain and the US with headquarters in Stockholm and aninternational network of partners.

For more information, visit our website: www.kairosfuture.com orcontact us at:

Kairos Future

P.O. Box 804

(Street address: Vasagatan 40)

SE-101 36 Stockholm, Sweden.

Tel: + 46(0)8545 225 00

Fax: +46(0)8545 225 01

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.kairosfuture.com

iFor an entertaining analysis of todays American Richistan, see Robert Frank:

Richistan a journey through the American wealth boom and the lives of the new rich,Crown 2007

Consumer Lifestyles 2017

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