Consumers becoming 'brand sluts' as boundaries blur with social change

LONDON - Consumers are becoming 'brand sluts' as people choose to go with whatever brand is making the best offer at the time, according to research from JWT.

In the latest issue of the agency's Work In Progress trend-letter, JWT outlines how consumer loyalty is declining and people's boundaries are becoming blurred due to accelerating technologies and social change.

The study highlighted 10 trends that will "shape people's worlds in 2006", including: brand sluts; sexual faultlines; really unreal; time out; uptime and downtime; the next big one; the Islam question; control freaks; stay home-style; and bird bets.

Marian Salzman, executive vice-president and director of strategic content, said: "The whole notion of people's boundaries is crucial. The blurring of boundaries unleashes a lot of energy and opportunity, but it also makes for a lot of discomfort.

"In less volatile times, the boundaries were clear, and people knew where they stood in terms of business success, personal relationships, and on and on. Now many of us don't feel so clear about where we stand. So many of the issues facing us as we go into 2006 have no clear right/wrong answers because they're simply too complex."

The "control freak" trend focuses on consumers who expect to call all the shots and demand more personal control, although very often finding that it does not give them the satisfaction they seek.

"Really unreal" describes consumers who are expected to be looking for pure realism in 2006 as the boundary between what is real and what is fake in celebrity and reality TV becomes ever more blurred.

With "Uptime and downtime", as mobile phones and wi-fi become increasingly popular, the boundaries between work and home have nearly gone. It will be up to consumers themselves to mark and maintain their "do not disturb" boundaries.

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