The Golden Arrow of Consumption
“This is the heart of the system, the engine that drives it. That is why, after 9/11, when our country was in shock, when President Bush could have suggested any number of appropriate things: to grieve, to pray, to hope…He said to shop. TO SHOP?!
We have become a nation of consumers. Our primary identity has become that of consumer, not mothers, teachers, farmers, but consumers. The primary way that our value is measured and demonstrated is by how much we contribute to this arrow, how much we consume. And do we!
We shop and shop and shop. Keep the materials flowing.
And flow they do!”
—Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff
I found Annie Leonard’s “Story of Stuff” (thanks to Patrick Richardson, a mentor from my previous internship at Schneider PR) shortly after I found Greenfeld , and I think they’re pretty closely related. Our secular modern culture requires we define ourselves through material means, and since the definition of our identities seems to be central to our contemporary existence, the most successful products are those that help us define who we are.
All strategic communication seeks to upset the norm and provoke action. In the case of the Materials Economy, the norm is a sense of identity; its disruption causes a need to further resolve, which manifests through the (trans)action.
The only problem is we’re ruining our planet and the quality of life for thousands of people—probably including our own.
Shit.
As my classmate Philip Waltzer pointed out, it’s everybody’s problem. But I think Leonard’s accusation particularly implies marketers: we might not make the trash or the toxins, but we certainly drive the machine. Without the “you suck” mechanism, there would be no motivation to consume (this clearly isn’t the way all marketing works, but that’s for another post).
Annie’s listed a number of ways that everyone, including marketers, can help “break the cycle,” such as responsible product design and limited marketing to children. But it seems to me that while the Story of Stuff is designed to upset our identity as consumers, there’s no easy (trans)action to resolve that identity. It’s a deeper, anxiety-ridden problem (Greenfeld might argue we can’t handle it).
So what do we do?
1 response so far ↓
Suzanne // September 30, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I think the circle illustration is perfect… we need to create more earth friendly product, but people need to be willing to pay a premium as it costs more, but then all your pay goes to items, and then you’re stuck to your desk/ exhausted.
Not sure how to break the cycle, but somehow it makes me feel better to use my paycheck to purchase quality, lasting, kind items (and the occasional sparkly J. Crew sweater). Yikes, am I a player, a leader or a follower? Conversation will continue for sure.