Thriving In The Age Of The Unreasonable Consumer

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Today, hardly any device, gadget or service is seen as ‘magic’ by consumers. It’s really sad when you stop to think about it. We have been spoilt for so long by technological innovation and, more importantly, by brands that teach us to always want more that we have, in essence, become unreasonable.

Do you remember how we used to react to something that is supposed to make our lives simpler and easier? When the TV remote control first hit the mainstream in the 1980s it was, well, magic. “What? I’ll be able to change channels on my TV without having to stand up and reach for the set’s rotary switch?” Back then, it was the convenience that was appreciated.

Now the age of the ‘unreasonable consumer’ is in full swing. We are in an era of free Wi-Fi, free video calls, video-on-demand, next-day delivery, smartphones, and effortless oneclick apps. A world where any sign of the slightest inconvenience will lead consumers to ignore your brand altogether. And who can blame them when Amazon taught us that sameday delivery is within the realms of possibility, Tesla proved that sacrificing gasoline doesn’t mean sacrificing performance, and Uber showed us the way to an affordable ‘personal chauffeur’ service.