Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, author of The Sum of Small Things<\/em>, has identified a rising new class in America that is tied to a shared set of cultural practices and social norms who are conscientious consumers. She says this new cultural elite consumer, the aspirational class<\/em>, is on the rise. They\u2019re people who aren\u2019t defined by their incomes, but rather by their higher education and cultural capital. Currid-Halkett sees these consumers as driven primarily by an aspiration to acquire knowledge and to then demonstrate that knowledge by socially and environmentally conscientious values and behaviorsThey share a set of beliefs on the most socially conscientious ways to spend money that becomes a significant part of their identity and social capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aspirational class consumerism is rooted in the value of \u201cconspicuous production\u201d \u2013 transparency in the production and processes that create socially and environmentally responsible offerings that is inherent to the value of most of the consumer offerings they purchase. To them, the sourcing, the production, the creation of the offering is the value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In marketing, it used to be about the four Ps\u2014price, product, promotion and place. Now with conscientious consumers it needs to include a fifth P\u2014purpose<\/em>. Just having a great product, service, or leisure or entertainment experience is no longer sufficient to succeed today. What a company stands for, its purpose and its social, ethnical and environment actions, its social accountability, has now become integral to its offerings\u2019 benefits. There is now a blurring of the lines \u2013 people are blending their consumer choices and their beliefs and values into one. This blending of consumerism and social conscientiousness has created expectations about how products are grown and made, how employees are treated and how the environment is impacted. Being a purpose-driven good-citizen business is no longer something companies can shy away from if they want to be a purchase option with consumers. This significant segment of consumers is a significant force that any consumer company needs to understand and address today. Social good<\/em> has become the new cool<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An excellent example of how important these values have become to the success of consumer products, services or experiences is demonstrated by Budweiser\u2019s 2019 Super Bowl commercial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Budweiser spent $5.0 million dollars and didn\u2019t tell you a thing about the taste, calories or ingredients of their beer. Rather they told you the story of its environmentally responsible production by wind power.\u00a0While other beer brands\u00a0shamed each other<\/a>\u00a0for their ingredients during the Super Bowl,\u00a0Budweiser stood out above the rest\u00a0by telling you the story of its environmentally responsible production\u00a0and its commitment to brewing 100% of its beer with 100% renewable electricity from wind power.\u00a0They’ve raised the whole value perception of their beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting conscientious consumers\u2019 values is just as important today for location-based entertainment and leisure venues. These consumers skew heavily to higher educated and higher incomes, a demographic that accounts for the large majority, 70% of all entertainment spending at destination entertainment venues such as FECs, eatertainment, bowling and laser-tag venues and at agritourism\/agritainment farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional reading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meet the conscientious consumer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your brand have a purpose?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Offering the coolest bowling or entertainment and\/or the tastiest, trendiest burger or flatbread no longer cuts it. Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.whitehutchinson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Budweiser-Super-Bowl-2019-commercial-wind-power-2-1024x442.png\")