Nightshift

Dina Gowar | FMCG Category Development Manager, EMEA

The King is dead, long live the King!  A proclamation which is heard following the ascension of a new monarch.  It’s also deemed a traditional cheer when the rightful heir to the throne is placed.  Fitting then that currently the consumer is seen as king.  No longer the advertiser, or the manufacturer, or even the creativity - all power seems to (rightfully you might ask?) sit with the consumer.  Consumers decide what they want to watch, what they want to buy, when, where and how.  Advertisers are striving to keep up with the constantly changing and fickle world of consumers but as they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! 

Currently there are a couple of great examples which are running in the consumer packaged goods world handing power over to the consumer.  For consumers who fancy having their dreams of sausage and mash flavoured crisps finally becoming a reality, they can send their picture and details to Walkers for their “Do Us a Flavour” competition and win £50,000 .  Then for the more artistic types, consumers can design the next Skittles package and win a trip to London. Or for the glory of it all and your duty to the world you can “Design the World a Coke”

So is this just a phase? Will the paradigm shift back to the advertiser? Will we once again be told what we should like and what we should buy? I say no. I think the power will remain with the consumer. They have tasted what it is to be in control and will fight to the death to stay in power. Keeping up on blog posts, the consumer vibe, and most importantly what the consumer is asking for is no longer a privilege or an option but rather our duty. So let’s embrace the “King” we have in power and celebrate their triumphs - as long as it’s not the salmon and cucumber flavoured crisps making all the rage!