This document discusses research conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide on changing consumer attitudes and behaviors during the economic downturn. Some key findings include: 1) Consumers are experiencing high levels of anxiety over the economy and have significantly cut back spending. They are seeking out the best deals and value through "hunting" for bargains and carefully "gathering" quality purchases. 2) Consumers now define value as the overall purchase and ownership experience, including quality and customer service, rather than just the price of individual transactions. 3) "Prosumers," who make up 15-25% of consumers and influence trends, place a strong emphasis on innovation, technology, control and demanding

1. EURO RSCG WORLDWIDE
VOL 6 | 2010
the future of value

2. “Legend. Eco-conceived library / Designed
by Christophe Delcourt. Designed for you.”

3. THE FUTURE OF VALUE VOL 6
2 Introduction: Hunkering Down
6 Defining the New Value:
The Hunter-Gatherer Imperative
15 Communicating Value: A Semiotic Analysis

4. 2
“Wolves at the Door” (The Economist, Nov. 6, 2008)
“The New Financial Ice Age” (BusinessWeek, Oct. 13, 2008)
“Holding On for Dear Life: The Economy and You” (TIME, Mar. 9, 2009)
INTRODUCTION: Hunkering Down
For months on end, headlines in leading periodicals have spread
tales of economic gloom and doom. Consumers are waking up
to news of depleted investment accounts and plummeting home
values. Gas prices continue to fluctuate, and each trip to the
grocery store seems to cost more. Major corporations are surviving
only with the help of massive government bailouts, and more than
a few well-known institutions have shuttered their doors.
It’s a scary time for businesses. And it’s a scary constitutes value. As a first step, the agency
time for consumers, who have virtually no control fielded a quantitative study (n=500) in the
over the economic maelstrom that has descended United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
upon them. Yet how much of the consumer Using our Decipher® tool, we then conducted a
anxiety in evidence around the globe is a direct semiotic review of the communication of value,
response to reduced personal circumstances (e.g., analyzed research available online, and conducted
job loss, home foreclosure) and how much is the shop-along ethnographies in supermarkets and
result of a media-created zeitgeist of fear? malls. This research has afforded us a unique
perspective on how consumers are responding to
Beginning in December 2008 and continuing
current economic realities and how these realities
into 2009, Euro RSCG Worldwide has investigated
will likely affect future consumption choices.
the consumer response to the downturn and its
impact on purchase behaviors. Our intent was Note: In the interest of length, only select data tables are
to determine to what extent consumer attitudes included in this issue of Prosumer Report.
and behaviors have changed, with an emphasis
on understanding changing perceptions of what

6. 4
A cheap night in. We’re in.
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Snapshot of Today’s Consumer
Make no mistake, consumers are afraid. As much In addition to rethinking their retail choices,
as we are in the midst of a financial crisis, of even more than nine in 10 respondents are taking steps
greater import is the current crisis of confidence. to curtail household expenses. The most popular
Even those whose incomes have held steady are strategy: clipping (or downloading) coupons, a
worried about what might befall them in the tactic that has been adopted by 55 percent of the
next month or year. As a consequence, they are total sample. In the U.S., coupon redemptions
taking steps today to build a financial defense were up 15 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008
for tomorrow. Nearly three-quarters of survey compared with a year earlier, and online coupon
respondents (73 percent) are experiencing moderate distribution grew 80 percent in 2008, according
to high anxiety over the economy, while only to the Promotion Marketing Association. In the
3 percent indicated a total absence of such. U.K., promotions company Valassis reports almost
Importantly, we found virtually no deviation a third of consumers were more actively seeking
across groups: Men and women of all ages and promotions in the first quarter of 2009 compared
income levels are equally fearful. with a year earlier.
This widespread anxiety is having an effect on Other popular ways to save money include putting
spending: Fully 86 percent of the sample cut back off major purchases (54 percent), staying home
on personal and household spending in the final more (52 percent), and taking steps to lower
few months of 2008, and 91 percent are cutting in-home energy costs (51 percent). It’s worth
back in 2009. Efforts to reduce expenditures are noting that these efforts to scrimp and save are
most prevalent in the U.S., with more than half affecting a broad array of industries, including
the sample indicating they plan to make at least food and beverage, automotive, travel, and
moderate reductions in spending in the coming year. household goods. In some categories, consumers
Consumers are taking a multipronged approach are “trading down,” a trend marketers are taking
to expense reduction. Eight in 10 have made steps to accommodate. In Europe, for instance,
changes in the types of retailers they frequent, Danone has created a line of low-cost yogurts
with the top casualties being sit-down restaurants called “Eco Packs.” In the U.S., Procter & Gamble
(55 percent are reducing visits) and high-end has met success with its lower-cost lines of
boutiques (53 percent). In contrast, online Bounty Basic paper towels and Charmin Basic
bargain sites, eBay, and secondhand stores are toilet paper (“Softness, Strength, and Value Rolled
seeing an uptick in traffic. In the U.S., more than into One”), both of which were launched prior to
half of shoppers surveyed are increasing their the current recession. P&G is now rolling out
visits to mega-discounter Walmart. Tide Basic laundry detergent in select stores.
THE GROWING ALLURE OF PRIVATE LABEL
Mr. T in DC/creativecommons.org
Private label has come a long way from the era of low-cost, unbranded
“generics.” According to the Private Label Manufacturers Association, store
brands now account for one of every five items sold in U.S. supermarkets,
drug chains, and mass merchandisers, with current sales in excess of
$83 billion. In the U.K., seven in 10 shoppers surveyed by Ipsos MORI said
the private label products they buy are as good as, if not better than, their
national brand counterparts (up from five in 10 in 2001).

7. 5
How much have you cut back
on personal and household How much do you expect to cut
spending in the last few months? spending in 2009?
A lot A lot
t: P: m: t: P: m:
17% 17% 17% 23% 14% 15% 18% 18% 18% 22% 14% 18%
A moderAte Amount A moderAte Amount
t: P: m: t: P: m:
27% 19% 28% 33% 26% 24% 34% 30% 34% 39% 35% 27%
A little A little
t: P: m: t: P: m:
42% 50% 41% 37% 47% 41% 39% 41% 39% 31% 41% 45%
none none
t: P: m: t: P: m:
14% 14% 14% 7% 13% 20% 9% 12% 9% 8% 9% 10%
t: Global Sample—total; P: Global Sample—Prosumers; m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers

8. 6 Defining the New Value:
The Hunter-Gatherer Imperative
The overarching purpose of the study was to determine how, if at all, consumers’
definition of value has been affected by the downturn. What we found is that shoppers’
focus is now less on the price of individual transactions than on the perceived overall
value of the products and the purchase and ownership experience. For some time
now, Euro RSCG has studied the shift toward “experiential retail,” looking at such
phenomena as the theme-restaurant trend of the 1990s, the increase in in-store
diversions, pop-up retail, and multisensory store design. The “value experience”
consumers now seek is different in that it has less to do with sensory stimulation than
with making the very best choices. Done right, the purchase experience satisfies two
need states: hunting (the need for discovery—“Look what I found!”) and gathering
(the need for selectivity and trust—“This is a purchase I feel good about”).
Satisfying the Hunter
More than two-thirds of the sample admit to being
consumed with getting the best deal possible.
I am consumed with getting the
Evidence of that mindset can be seen in the best deal for a service or product
aggressive shopping practices taking hold online and I purchase
in the increased visits to such bargain bastions as
tag sales and secondhand stores. AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
Significantly, the appeal of the “hunt” is not just
t: P: m:
about cost savings. Human psychology tells us
that real value is not found, it is discovered. Active 67% 73% 66% 66% 68% 66%
value hunters don’t want “something for nothing”;
they want to feel they have earned something not
“Knowing something’s available to the average shopper. They enjoy the
process and take pride in the effort they expend to
a good deal requires get the best deal. TIPS FOR CONNECTING WITH THE HUNTER
a transparent price This hunting instinct has important implications for • Continuously offer new news—not
policy.” (France) product promotion. First and foremost, the experience
just new products, but new stories
must offer opportunity for interactivity. This can be as
simple as requiring shoppers to register for promotional and associations.
codes or as complicated as creating an ambassador-type
program that rewards the most active evangelists with • Make the most of the Internet—
prizes and other incentives. Exclusivity also conveys
value: People want to think they are getting a deal
empower consumers (especially
available only to those who have made an effort to prosumers) to evangelize your
pursue it. Marketers are catering to this desire with brand in the digital world.
such promotions as “private” and “members only” sales,
which convey a sense of exclusivity even when all that’s • Invent promotions that offer a sense
required to qualify is an e-mail signup or prior purchase.
of discovery or require a little effort
Earlier this year, a home furnishings company in
Connecticut sent out postcards advertising a holiday
(contests, tell-a-friends).
weekend promotion. During each day of the three-
day sale, discounts deepened, with the best bargains • Let consumers discover your brand.
available on Sunday. The postcards challenged
customers to make the “right” choice: Do they visit
the stores on Day One, when the greatest selection is
available but at the lesser discount, or are they “brave
enough” to wait till Day Three, when discounts are
steeper but the selection might be more limited? It t: Global Sample—total
P: Global Sample—Prosumers
was a great way to actively involve bargain seekers in
m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers
the thrill of the hunt.

10. 8
“A good value means the company listens to me, especially
when I’ve got a problem, and helps me fix it.” (France)
Satisfying the Gatherer
Recession-era shoppers aren’t hunting haphazardly, I buy based on quality, not price
scooping up anything offered at a discount. Rather,
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
they are shopping more deliberately than in the
past, pondering each purchase and avoiding
impulse buys. We call this careful and methodical t: P: m:
approach to shopping “gathering.” What gatherers 61% 76% 59% 60% 55% 66%
seek to capture is not necessarily the lowest price,
but the best value.
How is that value being defined in the downturn?
According to a majority of respondents (and Price isn’t the most important
more than three-quarters of prosumers), quality factor—it is getting exactly what
trumps price, even in the midst of a recession. In I want
fact, as consumers become savvier shoppers, there
is a growing conviction that low price may be AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
antithetical to value. In 2008, the International
Council of Shopping Centers cited heavy t: P: m:
discounting as one of the primary causes of the
worst holiday shopping season since 1970. While 59% 69% 57% 60% 58% 58%
low price can be a trigger for sale, leading with
the deal may actually make shoppers suspicious.
“I do not think that up until this year I had given the concept
of ‘good value’ a great deal of thought. It is, of course, always
pleasing to buy something for less than you thought it would
cost, but now the idea of durability and a guarantee are t: Global Sample—total
P: Global Sample—Prosumers
extremely important to me.” (U.K.) m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers
Have a hoot.
Without a lotta loot.
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11. 9
What’s a Prosumer?
Prosumers are the most influential men and women within any
market. Empowered by new technologies and improved access
to information, they have tipped the scales of power away from
manufacturers and retailers, and toward themselves. They are
highly knowledgeable and demanding consumers who expect
their brand partners to acknowledge their value and treat them
accordingly. Prosumers typically make up 15 to 25 percent of any
market. Euro RSCG Worldwide has made them an ongoing focus,
because, beyond their own economic impact, prosumers influence
the brand choices of others. Simply put, what prosumers are
doing today, mainstream consumers are likely to be doing six
to 18 months from now.
KEY PROSUMER TRAITS:
>> Embrace innovation—curious >> Are marketing-savvy and plugged in to
to try new things, challenges, multiple media sources
and experiences
>> Demand top-notch customer service
>> Keen on new technology and gadgets and access to information
>> Transport new attitudes, ideas, and >> Proactively seek to maximize control
behavior—they are “human media” over their lives through information,
>> Pursue timeless value communication, and technology
>> Recognize their value as consumers and >> Constantly seek information and
opinions; are eager to share their
expect brand partners to do likewise views and experiences with others

12. 10
“A good value has to take into account sustainability, protection of the
environment. It has to not be misleading anymore. Good value is linked to
fairness, to sharing, even to gifting.” (France)
This is not to say price is unimportant, but simply traditional value brands are pushing quality of
that it is but one factor in a broader consideration product and experience over price. McDonald’s has
set. When asked how satisfying various “added perfected the art of “food porn” photography,
values” are when making a purchase decision, “cost giving every menu item enormous visual appeal.
savings” came in at number one among mainstream JetBlue is a discount airline, but its communications
consumers; leading-edge prosumers, in contrast, center not on price but on the quality of the
placed “top-notch customer service” first. That’s a experience—from the blue leather seats to the
clear indication that service is set to become a name-brand snack selections. Zappos.com
more important criterion among the mainstream. differentiates itself from other e-retailers not by
offering lower prices or a better selection but by
The shift in focus from low price to high value can continually searching for ways to “wow” its
be seen throughout the marketing community. Even customers through service.
IN GENERAL, HOW MUCH SATISFACTION DO YOU GET FROM EACH OF THE
FOLLOWING “ADDED VALUES” WHEN YOU MAKE A PURCHASE?
Cost savings (e.g., sale price, discount Freebies (e.g., gift with purchase,
coupon, three for the price of two) free samples)
eXtreme/Quite A Bit eXtreme/Quite A Bit
t: P: m: t: P: m:
68% 72% 67% 71% 71% 60% 54% 62% 53% 58% 59% 44%
Top-notch customer service Item is made by a company I admire
eXtreme/Quite A Bit
eXtreme/Quite A Bit
t: P: m: t: P: m:
62% 76% 61% 67% 60% 60%
37% 48% 36% 45% 33% 33%
Item is made by a company I trust Feeling conscientious/making
eXtreme/Quite A Bit a difference (e.g., eco-friendly
product/packaging, % of purchase
t: P: m:
price goes to a good cause)
48% 59% 46% 57% 42% 44%
eXtreme/Quite A Bit
Item is scarce/hard to find t: P: m:
eXtreme/Quite A Bit 36% 46% 34% 37% 29% 40%
t: P: m:
t: Global Sample—total
42% 63% 39% 47% 43% 36% P: Global Sample—Prosumers
m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers

14. 12 “A good value now depends on whether I NEED it,
not just want it for the given price.” (U.S.)
The Added Value of Trust in
Anxious Times
Significantly, nearly half of the total sample As we have seen in its returns over the last few
(48 percent) and around six in 10 prosumers consider quarters, Walmart has emerged as a hero in these
purchasing a product from a company they trust as recessionary times. We would argue this is due, at
an added value. At a time when so many leaders least in part, to the fact that the massive discount
and institutions have proved unreliable, consumers retailer has come to understand that low prices are
are looking to brand partners they can count on not enough. With its new logo—“Save money. Live
today and over the long term. In the same vein, better.”—the company is highlighting the positive
sizable minorities in each market (and just less than role it plays in people’s lives. Importantly, the
half of prosumers) derive satisfaction from brand is not offering some sort of aspirational
purchasing the goods of companies they admire fantasyland, but, rather, “real” products sold by
and from buying items that make them feel “real” people who live in the “real” world. Through
socially or environmentally responsible. its $4 prescriptions and home-centered advertising,
Walmart speaks to the sense of interconnectedness
These latter findings speak to what Euro RSCG has and interdependency people craved even before
termed the humanization of business. It is no the downturn. Hyundai has done much the same
longer enough for companies to produce goods thing with its Hyundai Assurance guarantee, a
that are useful and defect-free. Consumers are tactic that has been broadly imitated in recent
demanding that the companies behind the months. More recently, discount retailer Kmart has
products act in a more conscientious way. More expressed its solidarity with the down-and-out by
than eight in 10 respondents agree that, to be offering a Smart Assist Savings Card to unemployed
successful, corporations of the future will need to residents of hard-hit Michigan. The cards give
show a more “human face”—meaning they must be the unemployed a 20-percent price reduction on
more caring toward people and take a more active Kmart’s private label goods for six months.
role in supporting community and social causes.
A near majority (46 percent) prefer to buy from More and more, consumers are seeking the added
companies that share their personal values. In value of brand partners that treat them in a way
every country surveyed, this is a trend led by that is distinctly human. For companies, this
prosumers. means building a relationship of trust based on
consistently good product and service quality, and
It’s easy to spot companies that have built their interacting with customers on a personal level.
brands on humanized values; they include such
icons as Whole Foods Market (“Whole Foods. Whole Today’s most successful brands are taking steps
People. Whole Planet.”), Starbucks (Fair Trade, to satisfy both sides of the modern-day value
profit sharing), and Google (“Don’t be evil”). In shopper: the hunter and the gatherer. They make
speaking with U.S. consumers during the current shopping an experience of personal discovery,
recession, however, it was a different sort of while also reassuring consumers that they are on
company whose name kept coming up: Walmart. a shared life journey.
tiPS for ConneCtinG with the GAtherer
• Promise a better real life; avoid the untrustworthy fantasyland of aspiration.
• Celebrate time-tested values; be nostalgic without being old-fashioned.
• Demonstrate a commitment to all; be a brand for the interdependent “us.”
• Embrace corporate transparency; admit to your objectives; don’t pretend you’re
not hurting as well.
• Customer service! It’s never mattered more.
• Build a genuine bond of trust.

15. 13 To be successful, corporations of
the future will need to show a more
“human” face (meaning they must care Compared with a few years ago, it’s
about people—employees, suppliers, more important for me to feel good
customers, etc.—and take a more active about the companies with which I
role in community and social causes) do business
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
82% 90% 81% 82% 78% 86% 46% 53% 45% 47% 41% 50%
I am more likely to buy a certain
Ethical conduct is a key factor for brand if I admire its parent
good business company
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
56% 72% 54% 79% 50% 41% 45% 64% 42% 51% 42% 41%
The most successful and profitable I prefer to buy from companies with
businesses in the future will be those a reputation for having a purpose
that practice sustainability other than just profits
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
53% 71% 50% 63% 54% 40% 38% 46% 37% 47% 38% 31%
I am willing to pay a bit more for a
I avoid shopping at stores that don’t product if a portion of the proceeds
treat their employees fairly goes to a good cause
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
50% 58% 49% 50% 47% 53% 43% 50% 42% 48% 34% 46%
I prefer to buy from companies with
I prefer to buy from companies that a reputation for being active in
share my personal values social causes
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
46% 60% 44% 48% 44% 47% 35% 48% 33% 34% 35% 35%
t: Global Sample—total; P: Global Sample—Prosumers; m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers

16. 14 the APPeAl of fruGAlity in An erA of mindful ConSumPtion
The Future of Value confirms findings from two earlier studies by Euro RSCG: The Future of the
Corporate Brand (2008) and The Future of Shopping (2009). Once again, we see evidence that
consumers are moving away from mindless spending and toward a more measured, sustainable
approach to consumption.
More than a quarter of respondents (26 percent) believe their lives would be better if they owned
fewer things. This feeling is most prevalent in the U.S., where 31 percent agreed with the statement.
The extent of American “overownership” can be seen in the boom in self-storage facilities over the
past quarter century. Of the approximately 58,000 such facilities worldwide, 52,000 are in the U.S.,
totaling 2.35 billion square feet of storage space. The Self-Storage Association reports that one in
eight U.S. households now rents a self-storage space—an increase of 75 percent since 1995. This is
despite the fact that the average U.S. home increased from 1,660 square feet in 1973 to 2,400
square feet in 2004 (National Association of Homebuilders). That’s a lot of “stuff.”
After decades of accumulation, many consumers are finding satisfaction in downsizing—whether
that means minimizing day-to-day expenditures; replacing a gas-guzzler with a hybrid car; moving
into a smaller, more sustainable home; or growing vegetables in the backyard. These changes are
not just about saving money; they are also about feeling good. Excess consumption has left a lot of
people feeling worn out. They are sick of playing the accumulation game.
In this context, it is easy to see why a majority of Americans (55 percent) are deriving a sense
of satisfaction from reducing their purchases during the downturn. Near majorities in the U.K.
and France said the same. This satisfaction is tied, in part, to the overall move toward conscious
consumption and greener living: 80 percent of prosumers in the total sample and 69 percent of
others are feeling good about reducing the amount of waste they’re creating. Significantly, four
in 10 respondents don’t plan to go back to their old shopping patterns even when the economy
rebounds, and six in 10 are committed to reducing their credit card use over the long term.
Whether they will stick to these resolutions in flusher times remains to be seen, but the draw of a
more measured approach to consumption is unmistakable.
TO WHAT ExTENT DO YOU AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS?
My life would be better if I owned I am committed to reducing my use
fewer things of credit cards over the long term
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
26% 23% 27% 31% 25% 23% 60% 73% 58% 67% 57% 55%
I’m getting a sense of satisfaction I feel good about reducing the
from reducing my purchases amount of waste I create
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m: t: P: m:
48% 50% 48% 55% 46% 43% 70% 80% 69% 73% 72% 65%
I won’t go back to my old shopping
patterns even when the economy rebounds
AGreeinG StronGly/SomewhAt
t: P: m:
41% 41% 41% 47% 38% 38%
t: Global Sample—total; P: Global Sample—Prosumers; m: Global Sample—mainstream Consumers

17. 15 Communicating Value:
A Semiotic Analysis
Decipher® is a methodology Euro RSCG has refined from semiotics, the study of
visual and verbal signs and cultural codes. It allows us to decode how category
communications are changing and to anticipate future shifts. As part of the
study, we applied this tool to the subject of “value.” Here’s what we discovered:
In the past, communications of value were all Dolce & Gabbana. Celebrities assure us it is both
about the price game. Advertisers focused on smart and stylish to shop at Target, JCPenney,
cost savings—offering generic products, three for and other discount venues. Communications are
the price of two, and other forms of discounting. centered on shoppers being smart and discerning.
Underlying the communications was a sense of Us Every one of us deserves the best.
vs. Them: “We know you’ve been clobbered by the
big guys; we’re going to give you the low price Now our Decipher research has uncovered signs
you deserve.” More was definitely better. of another shift, this time toward getting the
right bang for one’s buck. Buying Brand A isn’t
More recently, value communications have focused just the smart thing to do; it’s the wise thing to
less on more bang for the buck than on a better do. Being wise means buying exactly what we
bang for the buck. The masstige movement has need—no more and no less. It is about a return
pushed quality over quantity (“Now you can have to such traditional values as frugality, temperance,
what used to be available only to the exclusive and common sense. Excess consumption is
few”). And value brands have taken on the codes out, replaced by a more values-infused way of
and cues of premium brands: Ads for economy cars considering goods: “Do I truly need it? Will I
are now virtually indistinguishable from luxury get good use of it? Do I trust the company that
car advertising, and H&M print ads have the look makes and sells it? Is the purchase ethically
and feel of advertising for high-end design house supportable?”
reSiduAl: dominAnt: emerGinG:
More Bang Better Bang Right Bang
for Your Buck for Your Buck for Your Buck
• Quantity; bigger is better • Quality; masstige; • Better experiences
smart/savvy
• Cheap is good; generics • Traditional values
• The way to a great life rebooted
• Save because you have to
• Stylish and playful • Save because it’s the
• Pile on “extras”—even
wise thing to do
if most of the bells and • Save because you’re
whistles will go unused smart
“Good value now has a lot more to do with getting good customer service
and having a minimal-to-positive impact on the environment. It is no
longer just getting the biggest bang for my buck.” (U.S.)

18. 16 emerGent vAlue CodeS
Experience Good Enough Revivalist Wisdom
(vs. consumption)
• brand as resource • voluntary simplicity, • concern for • less about getting
or tool for richer conscious consumerism responsible choices, one over on the big
experience relationships, brands than about
• transparent brand
community getting to what’s
• forgoing ownership personality, real
important
and accumulation product story, simple • can be about looking
packaging to future instead of • project a more plural,
• eBay, auction
past, taking the old inclusive, humble,
culture, Craigslist • magazines celebrating
and making it new well-adjusted outlook
cool self-reliance,
• rent a car, not an
pragmatism, DIY • Obama’s Inaugural; • YAWN (Young and
RV; charming hotel,
Anne Hathaway, Wealthy but Normal);
not a resort • Craftster.org, Make, Craft
Norah Jones Obama
“The most important thing a Brands of all types and sizes are tapping in to this new
dynamic: Etsy.com, the popular website for handcrafted
company can do to make me goods, offers consumers an appealing alternative to
feel I have gotten a good deal mass-produced, impersonal items. American Apparel
and other clothing retailers are rediscovering the basic
is to provide customer service T-shirt and pair of khakis. DeBeers is telling
women they don’t really need to splurge; a nice
that’s free and efficient, fair pair of diamond stud earrings will do. It’s not about
prices, and products of perfect doing without; on the contrary, it is about finding
satisfaction from getting just enough and no more.
quality, and to show respect
Smart marketers in every consumer-facing industry
for the environment and will find a way to communicate value messages—and
human values.” (France) values messages—just right for these times. That
means emphasizing such essentials as quality and
durability, while also promoting a backstory that
speaks to traditional values that were all but lost
in the conspicuous consumption of recent decades.
It also means actively engaging consumers in the
hunt for value, giving them the satisfaction of
finding or even earning something better than the
average person is able to attain. And it means
letting consumers know how the brand is making a
positive contribution to the broader world—whether
that involves surprising and delighting consumers,
tackling a hot-button global issue, or something
in between.

20. Prosumer Reports is a series of thought leadership publications by Euro RSCG Worldwide – part of a
global initiative to share information and insights, including our own proprietary research, across the
Euro RSCG network of agencies and client companies.
Euro RSCG Worldwide is a leading integrated marketing communications agency and was the first
agency to be named Global Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Campaign in the same year.
Euro RSCG is made up of 233 offices in 75 countries and provides advertising,marketing, corporate
communications, and digital and social media solutions to clients, including, Air France, BNP Paribas,
Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Danone Group, Heineken USA, IBM, Kraft Foods, Lacoste, L’Oréal, Merck,
PSA Peugeot Citroën, Pernod Ricard, Reckitt Benckiser, sanofi-aventis, and Volvo. Headquartered
in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications
(Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA).
For more information about Prosumer Reports, please visit www.prosumer-report.com or contact
Naomi Troni, global chief marketing officer, at naomi.troni@eurorscg.com.
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