Erin Lee Blog 2

Consumer behavior has shifted from past the past where the business or organization told the customer what they wanted, to now where the customer gets to choose based on their own experiences and preferences. Take this old Listerine ad (http://badbanana.typepad.com/weblog/images/2007/08/22/1.jpg) which makes the consumer feel guilty for not using the product, or like this Camel ad, because it’s claimed to be a fact that smoking helps your disposition. To today’s ads and brands that allow the consumer to decide for themselves. The consumer is now empowered to drive sells or hinder them. (http://www.orange32.com/design/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/FinalAd.jpg).
The recession plays a big role in the consumer society because people can’t afford to pay full price, or their having to choose between those name brand shoes or groceries. With a lot of families filing bankruptcy and loosing their homes due to lack of income from loss of job, or whatever the case may be it effects business because people are saving money instead of putting it back into the economy.
Design helps with brand truth by defining what it is and what it will never be. As ingle memorable expression of the brand that leaves an everlasting memory in the psyche of the consumer. Creating a design that is simple and eye catching to the consumer. Differentiating the product in some visual way that creates an experience in that 30 seconds of time the consumer has to pay attention to the product or idea.
Although producing both happiness and loyalty are important for a successful product or business the difference lies in the experience of the brand innovations. Brand loyalty is what Cocoa Cola and Google are. Consumers are loyal to these businesses and companies because they know what to expect. Even if the consumer has a bad experience with a product they still buy from that company because they are loyal to what they think works or performs the best. Brand happiness comes from a consumer’s self-discovering experience with a product or business. Although, “Brand marketing self-indulgence might appear to be the right path to bliss but, I promise you, it only leads people to a shallow existence.” (http://www.orgmarketing.com/2008/01/pursuit-of-brand-happiness.html) “Companies that matter in people’s lives empower them to see and act outwardly. “