The Second Decade of Prosumerism
Transcription
The Second Decade of Prosumerism
EURO RSCG WORLDWIDE Vol.10, 2011 The Second Decade of Prosumerism ILLUSTRATION creditS: Getty Images TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 What Is “the Future”? 5 The Past: The First Decade of Prosumerism 8 The Present: Changing Channels of Influence 10 The Future: The Second Decade of Prosumerism 12 1. Utilitarians 16 2. Entertainers 20 3. Advocates 24 4. Co-Creators 28 5. Competitors 32 Who Rules Each Country? 33 Playing to Type Prosumerism 1 What Is “the Future”? Most people reading this are interested in what’s going to happen next week, next year, and next decade: the future. But before we get to the business of looking ahead, let’s clarify what we mean by “the future.” The way we think about the future has shaped the way we work on Prosumers, so it makes sense to spell things out before we go any further. We all have a pretty good idea of what the past is. It’s behind us in time; it’s what has already happened, which can’t be changed. It’s easy to imagine the past by piecing it together from eyewitness accounts, pictures, buildings, and remains; we have our own memories, too. The future is more mysterious, because it hasn’t happened yet. It’s unknown, but is it unknowable? Thinking about the future isn’t just idle philosophical speculation. Thinking about the future and how it will pan out is a key part of our work as marketers and trendspotters. Whether or not we’ve had “futurist” and “future” as part of our job description or departmental title (some of us have), we spend a lot of our time thinking ahead about what will be. Aside from residual superstition (fingers crossed) and occasional peeks at the horoscope, we don’t think the future is fixed; we don’t regard it as something that can be read off by experts, like a DNA sequence or the light signatures from distant stars. We regard the future as fluid, shaped by flows from the past and the present. In business, in marketing, and in society at large, we don’t believe that anything is certain to happen. But some events are more probable than others, and some things happening now can make future events even more probable. It has been our experience that the future is 2 Prosumer Report Vol.10 shaped in particular by people who create and embrace change. So our first premise about the future is that it’s up for grabs, that it’s shaped by people who want to shape it and have the energy and influence to do so. Our second premise is that a few people disproportionately shape the future. A very few of them are the high-end shapers: the scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who create totally new products or combine existing products in new ways; the giants of technology, with obvious examples such as Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google, Steve Jobs of Apple, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook; other likely future shapers are Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal and now CEO of Tesla Motors, and life sciences entrepreneur Craig Venter. Far more numerous are the ordinary people who pay attention to the high-end shapers or the products they create, who try out new things and tell other people about them. Our third premise is that whatever happens between now and any point in the future will be strikingly (and significantly) different from what has happened so far. The pace of change is accelerating, driven in particular by the effects of science and technology, economics, demographics, and politics. It took less than a decade for MP3 technology plus broadband connections to overturn the music industry and kill CDs as the principle form of music distribution. It took much less than a decade for DVRs to make time-shifted TV viewing the norm and with it pervasive ad skipping. Prosumerism 3 “Consumers are so yesterday. The new target is ‘prosumers’: proactive individuals who not only seek out as much information as possible about products and services but are eager to pass it on to others...” – Adweek 4 Prosumer Report Vol.10 The Past: The First Decade of Prosumerism Sometime back in the last century, in the 1990s, “cyberpunk” author William Gibson reportedly made this pithy observation: “The future is already here; it’s just not evenly distributed.” For those of us traveling around the world, observing and interacting with hundreds of different people, those words were both a smart statement of truth and an intriguing challenge. The truth of the statement was self-evident. We saw plenty of people rooted in the past, mistrustful of change, set in their ways, and intent on continuing as before. We saw others drawn to the future, hungry for what’s next, continually seeking and creating change. As social observers and marketers with a trendspotting mission, we were especially interested in those consumers who seek and create change. We knew they were out there, shaping the future before everyone else. The challenge was how to find them systematically. Clearly, there have always been locations that are more future-oriented than others and draw more change-oriented people compared with others: New York compared with Newfoundland, Silicon Valley compared with the Central Valley, Tokyo and Singapore compared with Kyoto and Saigon. In fact, even within the same cities there are localities that are more future-oriented; even within the same localities and social circles there are some people who are more futureoriented than others. So our challenge wasn’t just finding countries, towns, and locales that were ahead of the curve. And it wasn’t just finding the people in those localities who were living the future early. As marketers interested in the spread of ideas and influence, we didn’t want lone wolves and solitary geeks who were striking out for the future on their own. So the other half of the challenge was to identify those individuals who were not only changeminded and future-oriented but were also connecting with others and influencing them. They were not just moving into the future; they were helping it happen by favoring new products, adapting and adopting them, and sharing their opinions with others. They weren’t just passively consuming goods and services; they were proactively seeking them out, helping to produce them, and helping to propagate them. We were getting a clear sense that these people were more than just consumers, so we needed a different name to talk about them. Alvin Toffler coined the term “Prosumers” in his 1980 book The Third Wave, and we thought it felt just right for the people we were studying also. Toffler’s book identified three waves of production and consumption. In the First Wave, producers and consumers were one and the same; people consumed what they themselves produced. In the Second Wave, producers and consumers were systematically separated by industrial processes and specialization. In the Third Wave, as described by Toffler, producers and consumers recombined in partnerships that develop products and services: Producer + Consumer = the Prosumer. Toffler’s take on Prosumers focuses on the rise of self-service, self-help, and do-ityourself activities. When we started talking about Prosumers, we turbocharged the term with the technological interactivity barely evident in 1980. But there was another factor that made us think Prosumer was the perfect handle: The “pro” comes from the Latin for Prosumerism 5 “forward” and hyperlinks to multiple related notions: proactive, productive, progressive, prospective, and professional. Going into 2001, we had a name for the people we were seeing, we were clear about their key attributes and we had worked out an algorithm to identify them in surveys. We started devoting substantial resources to monitoring their evolution and to quantifying and analyzing them in numerous global studies fielded across our network. It’s now been a decade since Euro RSCG published our benchmark piece on the subject, “The Empowered Consumer in the Age of Globalization.” Using our algorithm, we have been able to identify those respondents in any survey sample who are most engaged with what’s happening and seek out information and opinions and take account of outside information and opinions into evaluating their own experiences and actively share their views with others. Summarizing the findings of our benchmark survey in 2002, we highlighted the following points: – Prosumers pass it on. The urge to pass on information and opinions to others is the absolute defining core of Prosumerism. No wonder Prosumers become hubs of information and opinions. – People consult Prosumers. They are much more likely than average consumers to be consulted for tips and recommendations. – Prosumers don’t forgive and forget. Nobody likes a poor product or service experience, but Prosumers dislike them more than most. – Prosumers consult widely, then make up their own mind. They typically gather information widely for the material they need to decide on their own; they experiment even if they sometimes make mainstream conclusions. The 20 percent or so of average samples who qualify as Prosumers exhibit consistent traits beyond those specified in our segmentation algorithm. They’re also far more brandand marketing-savvy than average, more 6 Prosumer Report Vol.10 sharply aware of their worth as consumers, and more insistent on being respected and catered to by brands – especially the brands they champion. In a nutshell, they’re more energetic, more interested, and more engaged, and that makes them important agents of influence. They have a lot in common with the Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen that Malcolm Gladwell highlighted in his 2000 book The Tipping Point. What we’ve seen over the past decade is the spread of the Prosumer mindset and the development of technologies that foster it. The conditions for Prosumerism were already in place in the 1990s and before, but it was digital technology that took it to the next level. By 2001, interactivity was fast enough and widespread enough to make it a growing factor in the mainstream. There was plenty of information available for Prosumers to seek out on the Internet and growing numbers of sites that allowed them to share their opinions. Then along came social media. Back in the early 2000s, there were bulletin boards and user groups but only one platform that would now count as social media: SixDegrees. Then came Friendster and MySpace in 2003, along with Blogger (acquired by Google), followed by Facebook in 2004 and Twitter in 2006. The mass spread and consumer adoption of smart phones made things even more intense. The key event was probably Apple’s launch of the game-changing iPhone in 2007, offering telephone connections, texting, and access to social media anywhere, at any time. With the Internet, Prosumers have been able to find information faster and more widely than was possible in pre-digital days. With social media, Prosumers have been able to share whatever interests them: links to their blogs or to third-party sites, photos, videos, music, jokes, chat, tips, and articles. And with mobile devices, Prosumers have been able to do what they love doing while on the move, without limits. Of course, Prosumers aren’t the only ones making frequent use of the Internet, social media, and smart phones, but our surveys have shown that Prosumers use them more smart shoppers and proud of it. But “These people are even more importantly, prosumers enjoy talking about the products they love or hate, whether it’s the sluggish service at a restaurant, a cheap but good label of wine or the dog food that makes Fluffy’s coat shine.” – Edmonton Journal “The first ever ET Euro RSCG Prosumer study showed a marked increase in economic nationalism in both China and India. It is clearly a good time to be in these two countries. There is a newfound confidence and pride in homegrown brands and products.” – The Economic Times (India) than most. In a recent six-country survey regarding corporate social responsibility that was completed by Euro RSCG Worldwide and polled people in Brazil, China, France, India, the U.K., and the U.S., Prosumers were consistently more apt than non-Prosumers to use social media to share online content they find useful and informative (92 percent vs. 72 percent), entertaining or humorous (91 percent vs. 70 percent). They were also more inclined than non-Prosumers to use social media to inform their purchase decisions and find great deals (79 percent vs. 53 percent). Prosumer Percentages Globally Over the years, we’ve consistently found that knowing what Prosumers are thinking and doing gives our clients and us valuable insights into the nature, direction, and pace of change. Brazil China France U.K. U.S. 0% Percent 10% 20% 30% 40% Percent Historical (Euro RSCG Worldwide, New Consumer data, Fall 2009) Prosumerism 7 The Present: Changing Channels of Influence Since we started tracking and studying Prosumers, the pace of change has accelerated. Not only have the dynamics of market and brand influence changed more in the past decade than in the previous four, but they’ve also changed more in the past two years than in the previous eight. Until the late 1990s, traditional media was the only media of significant influence; it was the only media regularly consumed by millions. Anybody who wanted to influence those millions for a brand or a cause either had to own the media (e.g., News Corp.), buy advertising space in it, or get editorial coverage through PR. Traditional media hasn’t gone away as a mass phenomenon or a means of influence. We still have newspapers, although circulation is in a downward spiral for many. We still have magazines, although circulation is not buoyant. In the U.K., big publishers report tough times for many titles, and the news is similar in the U.S. and Canada. We still have TV, with more channels, more programming, and more reach than ever. In fact, despite predictions that consumers would switch attention from TV to the Internet, TV viewing is still increasing. In the U.K., the national regulator Ofcom reported that viewers watched an average of three hours and 45 minutes of television a day in 2009, up 3 percent from 2004. In the U.S., Nielsen reported that Americans watched a weekly average of 35 hours of TV plus two hours of time-shifted TV by DVR in 2009; high-definition programming and the enhanced quality of flat-screen TVs have encouraged the increase. Traditional media is still alive and kicking as a focus of consumer attention and a channel of influence. At the same time, the Internet in general – and social media in particular – have become more present in the everyday lives of ordinary consumers and more visible 8 Prosumer Report Vol.10 in the traditional media. Not a day goes by without TV, newspapers, radio, and press mentioning Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and other social media. SoMe has increasingly been providing channels for new types of influencers, who command attention not because they work for a brand and its marketers, nor because they work for traditional media organizations, but because they’ve built a reputation through their own efforts in their own name, one link at a time. The extent of the influence exerted by these social media superusers remains to be measured accurately and scientifically (there’s a challenge for social scientists!), but there’s no doubt that it is growing. Serious news organizations now routinely feature interviews and opinions from people whom they describe simply as bloggers; the blue-chip BBC political discussion show “Any Questions?” on Dec. 17, 2010, featured “Paul Staines, better known as the blogger Guido Fawkes” alongside the usual selection of politicians. In the other direction, some established media figures are extending their influence through social media. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert has become a prolific blogger and tweeter. For anyone interested in the dynamics of influence, the most arresting news from Nielsen is that consumers are using the Internet while watching TV. We’ve heard plenty of anecdotes about “media multitasking,” and now the metrics are showing it. In the last quarter of 2009, simultaneous use of the Internet while watching TV rose by 35 percent over the previous year, to three and a half hours a month. Almost 60 percent of American TV viewers now use the Internet once a month while watching TV. “Using the Internet” in this context might mean idly surfing, but it’s more likely to involve checking up on what’s on TV (“What’s the music for this show?” “What’s the car in the title sequence?” “How is this movie rated?”) or commenting on the action through social media (“Wasn’t that the funniest scene ever?” “What does she see in him?” “This guy is not at all convincing”). Nielsen’s reporting distinction between TV and Internet, however, is already looking old. Technology companies, TV manufacturers, cable companies, and satellite providers are all looking for ways to deliver TV content and U.S. Prosumer Demographics and Psychographics Education (Completed college or more) Diversity White Non-White Wealth (HHI $50K+) Values “Experiences” over “Luxuries” Researches Products Online Is Environmentally Friendly Is Health-Conscious Believes in the Power of Internet to Bring People Together Prosumer 25% 50% Total Population Whatever technologies are giving access to content and interactivity, the key point is that they are converging. Consumers like to switch between media activities, and they prefer to have fewer devices rather than more; this is what makes the iPad such an alluring proposition. The more interactive technologies become available anywhere – TV room, bedroom, bathroom, boardroom, waiting room, street, car, bar – the more consumers have access to interactions over social media, and the more those interactions become part of normal life and channels of influence. Through SoMe, consumers create the potential for wide-scale ongoing conversations about whatever they’re doing and whatever interests them – just like faceto-face or telephone conversations, but far wider and not dependent on both parties being present at the same time. Mention that you’re going downtown tomorrow, and somebody in the vicinity may well recommend checking out the coffee in one place or the sales in another, or an exhibition or show. If you’re watching TV, there’s a good chance that others are watching the same show and are online commenting about it. Age (18-34 years old) 0% Internet interactivity through the same screen. Exactly which screen is still an open issue. While some consumers brag about the size and clarity of their flat-screen TV, others brag that they don’t have a TV because they do all their media consumption on a computer. 75% 100% Social media has created the potential for hundreds of millions of ongoing conversational streams weaving in and out of traditional media and throughout ordinary life. These are mostly free conversations that anyone can join at any time; they are conversations without borders in time or space. As in offline conversations, people can ask for advice or offer it, swap information and recommendations, and share jokes; unlike offline, participants can embed links to the things they want others to experience. This facility to share content might have been custom-created for Prosumers; it gives them the perfect tools to indulge their inquisitive, exploratory, opinion-shaping behavior whenever and wherever they want. (Euro RSCG Worldwide, New Consumer data, Fall 2009) Prosumerism Gender Shift 9 The Future: The Second Decade of Prosumerism The spread of Internet usage and social media habits has created perfect conditions for the next phase of Prosumerism. Now that much (most?) of “normal” offline life has an online element, and now that millions of ordinary consumers are regularly online, there’s scope for different types of behavior to evolve. As with any other disciplines, our study of Prosumerism involves developing ever finer and more useful distinctions; it involves continually testing and refining our ideas in the light of fast-evolving conditions and behaviors. When we started, Internet usage wasn’t entirely mainstream and social media was an idea struggling to gain traction. Fastforward 10 years, and one of the standing jokes is that “your mother’s on Facebook.” In other words, what was leading-edge technology just a few years ago is now like the local mall: It’s used by rebellious teens hanging out together; by middle-class people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s keeping up with each other; and by older people keeping tabs on the youngsters, bumping into each other, and finding interesting diversions along the way. Over the past two years, as more extensive and intensive online activities have brought out variations in the way Prosumers express their attributes, we’ve been able to pick up on different motivations, which lead to differences in why and how they exert their influence. Inspired by qualitative research, we conducted a statistical segmentation to understand these specific nuances. Examining their social media and content-sharing behavior, we identified and categorized five types of Prosumers – Utilitarians, Entertainers, Advocates, Co-Creators, and Competitors – based on how they share content online and why they use online and social media. These five segments share the same Prosumer core attributes as ever: They are more influential, more engaged, and more digitally savvy consumers than the majority who seek out new brands and experiences. 10 Prosumer Report Vol.10 In a new benchmark online survey of France, the U.K., and the U.S. in the second half of 2010, we created a comprehensive battery of questions and statements to map out the differences among the five Prosumer types. The survey yielded 1,151 respondents (575 men and 576 women) spread evenly across three age brackets (18-29, 30-44, and 45-plus). Americans accounted for 65 percent of the sample, with 17 percent each from the U.K. and France. After the online survey, we also conducted and recorded interviews with people of each Prosumer type in the three countries. Highlights from the interviews are included in the descriptions of the five types on the following pages. The table on the opposite page gives a quick overview of the five Prosumer types, using data from the three-country sample. On the following pages, we look at all five segments in more detail, highlighting their key characteristics, noting the differences among countries, and exploring implications for brands. “As prosumers are that breed of experimental animals who love to try new products and have a view that they want to share with any and everyone around them, they do end up influencing the markets. What the prosumer thinks today, the consumer will tomorrow.” – The Economic Times (India) The Five Prosumer Types: An Overview Motivation Utilitarian Entertainer Advocate Co-Creator Competitor Good deals Fun, Change Connect Raise pleasure the world status Proportion of Prosumers 12% 29% 19% 19% 21% Gender Balance Female Balanced/ Balanced Balanced/ Male female Age (Young/Middle/Older) Older Young male Middle/ Young older Middle/ older Rural/ Small town/ Suburbs/ City/ Suburbs/ small town suburbs city suburbs city Technology Usage vs. Index* Low Below index High Average Above Relatively Most-Used Technology** eBay MySpace, LinkedIn, Android Pandora, Digg, iPad, Netflix Kindle Mac Location average *Average percentage of all five groups iPhone, **Of the technologies and services used by the Prosumer segment concerned “Who’s the prosumer? She’s someone who can bring new meaning to the phrase ‘shop talk.’ Shop talk as in buzzing about the latest thing – particularly as regards boutiques, stores, foods and restaurants.” – Women’s Wear Daily Prosumerism 11 12 Prosumer Report Vol.10 1. Utilitarians In surveys, we identify Utilitarian Prosumers by their relatively higher levels of agreement with key statements that are about supporting their small-scale, pragmatic objectives. What interests Utilitarians in particular is getting things done efficiently and effectively, which means at a reasonable cost. Pragmatic Utilitarians are knowledgeable and act as information hubs; for certain types of practical information, they’re mavens. “I share online content that I find useful and informative” is one of the key statements for identifying Utilitarians. This covers a huge potential range of information, from practical cooking, DIY, and gardening tips through car maintenance, IT problem fixes, and dietary and health advice. Current juggernaut Groupon would probably be a big winner with this group. What excites Utilitarians enough to share with others are things (not ideas or concepts) that have concrete, practical applications. Flowing from Utilitarians’ distinctive motivations is another key statement that identifies them: “I use social media to inform my purchase decisions and find great deals.” Utilitarians All Five Types Utilitarians Utilitarians vs. All Overall proportion in three countries 100% 11.7% Smallest of the five types As proportion of USA 100% 9.7% Smallest of the five types As proportion of France 100% 18.5% Middle of the five types As proportion of U.K. 100% 12.5% Second-smallest of the five types Men 50% 43.7% Fewer men Women 50% 56.3% More women Mean age 38.2 years 47.1 years Older profile Share of below-median income NA 14.5% Higher percentage on lower income Share of above-median income NA 10.2% Lower percentage on higher income Rural 13.7% 45.2% Three times more rural Small town 26.4% 43% More than 1.5 times more small town Technology usage* vs. Index** 100 62 Lower usage frequency Windows Mobile 16.8% 18.5% Index 110 (more usage) eBay 31.5% 33.3% Index 106 (slightly more usage) PC 90.6% 92.6% Index 102 (slightly more usage) * Usage once a week or more of 37 listed technologies ** Total group is 100 Distinctive technologies*** *** Technologies in the list used more by this group than by others Prosumerism 13 They regard social media as a tool that helps them achieve specific ends; social media gives them tangible benefits in terms of the amount of time, money, and effort they spend on understanding what they need to do, identifying the best way of doing it, and finding where to get what they want at the best price. Utilitarians aren’t interested in fancying things up; quite the reverse. Some of them might identify with the desire to find “simple, clear, elegant solutions,” but most would be more likely to say things such as “Keep it simple,” “Why complicate life?” “Life’s too short,” and “Cut to the chase.” The statement that captures this distinctively Utilitarian perceptive in our algorithm is: “In the future, I will use social media more and more to simplify my life.” The desire for practicality and simple solutions is shown by Utilitarians’ relatively restrained use of the latest technology and services. Compared with other Prosumer types, they use virtually all the 37 listed brands less frequently than other Prosumers do. The one that scores the highest usage frequency among Utilitarians is eBay – the online auction that’s ideal for getting great deals. Distinctively Utilitarian attitudes show clearly in our personal interviews with them about the Internet and social media. Their top priority is getting good deals and keeping costs down: “Social media changes the way people do business by cutting out virtually all the intermediaries.” – France, male, 45+ “It’s wonderful for hunting for the best deals! I love comparing prices, products, going on forums.” – U.S., male, 45+ “It’s so exciting when you get the best deals! You feel excited because you got a deal that most of the people have not been able to get and of course because you can save money, you can spend somewhere else.” – U.S., female, 30-44 Utilitarians’ attitudes toward brands and business online are totally consistent with their motivation to find good deals and save money, time, and effort: “When we have a problem or a question, we should be able to contact the brand in social media, saying, ‘Hey, this is my problem, my situation; what can you do for me?’” – U.S., male, 45+ “Brands should be on the Internet because it’s a good way to keep in touch and because they can propose contests, special deals, or coupons, and it’s nice!” – U.S., female, 30-44 14 Prosumer Report Vol.10 What Utilitarians Mean for Brands Utilitarians are the natural allies and champions of brands who offer great deals. These are the Prosumers who will seek out deals and feel thrilled about them. Being Prosumers, they naturally tend to tell their friends and acquaintances, especially when others ask them for advice. They pride themselves on knowing what’s good value, where to find it, and how to get it. On the other hand, compared with some other Prosumer types, they are not particularly motivated to show off; they don’t particularly need to feel they’re at the cutting edge or to be feted by others as the best dealfinder in town. Utilitarians are by no means the poorest of the Prosumer groups, but their income overall skews below the median line. They appreciate the value of a dollar – or a euro or a pound – and they appreciate brands that help them make the best of their money as simply as possible. In any social network or on websites, Utilitarians are the most likely to respond to “recommend a friend,” “bring along a buddy,” and similar referral incentives. On review sites, Utilitarians might be enthusiastic enough to write glowing testimonials without any encouragement, but brands can nudge them to share their thoughts by offering them tangible rewards and incentives such as redeemable vouchers. The flip side of Utilitarians’ love of a great deal is their response if they feel ripped off, shortchanged, or otherwise deprived of value in a brand transaction. If they don’t get their gripes addressed fully and quickly, they won’t have the satisfaction of a great deal; instead, they’re likely to take pleasure in spreading news of their bad experience to anyone who will listen. Prosumerism 15 16 Prosumer Report Vol.10 2. Entertainers We identify Entertainer Prosumers by their relatively higher levels of agreement with key statements that are about fun and pleasure. What interests them in particular is enjoyment: enjoying themselves and spreading enjoyment to others. Entertainers are the type most likely to know where to find jokes and the latest funny clips; they’re the ones to ask who the hot new talents in music and movies are. “I share online content that I find entertaining and humorous” is one of the key statements for identifying Entertainers. They’re keen to share anything that makes them chuckle (LOL!) or guffaw (ROFLMAO!). In the old days of the Internet (i.e., 10 years ago), they were the types most likely to be sending around joke e-mails. Now they’re the ones most likely to know who Justin, Greyson, and Antoine are. They’re also most likely to be posting links to funny clips on YouTube, a service that has proved to be perfect for Entertainer Prosumers both as creators and as propagators. Of the five groups, Entertainers are the second-most likely to create online content – 50.7 percent say they do, surpassed only by Advocates (65 percent). Entertainers All Five Types Entertainers Entertainers vs. All Overall proportion in three countries 100% 29.3% Largest of the five types As proportion of USA 100% 31.7% Largest of the five types As proportion of France 100% 25% Second-largest of the five types As proportion of U.K. 100% 24.5% Second-largest of the five types Men 50% 47.8% Slightly fewer men Women 50% 52.2% Slightly more women Mean age 38.2 years 33.9 years Younger profile Share of below-median income NA 43.6% Higher percentage on lower income Share of above-median income NA 18.7% Lower percentage on higher income Rural 13.7% 22% One and a half times more rural Small town 26.4% 39.2% One and a half times more small town Technology usage* vs. Index** 100 86 Lower usage frequency Netflix 25.1% 27.9% Index 111 (more usage) MySpace 25.8% 26.7% Index 103 (slightly more usage) Pandora 20.4% 20.8% Index 103 (slightly more usage) * Usage once a week or more of 37 listed technologies ** Total group is 100 Distinctive technologies*** *** Technologies in the list used more by this group than by others Prosumerism 17 Another key statement for identifying Entertainers is “I use social media to relax and unwind.” In traditional media terms, this typically involved channel surfing the TV or listening to music. With social media, it means seeking a certain mellow emotional state that can be enhanced in a variety of ways: consuming professionally created content (movies, TV shows, music), consuming content created by peers, or getting into banter or conversations with friends. Thinking ahead, Entertainers are distinguished by their higher levels of agreement that “In the future, I will use social media more and more as a pastime.” As with relaxing and unwinding, this is not a highly focused approach to social media; it’s not about using SoMe to achieve anything intensely purposeful. It’s about having fun without too much effort. Compared with other Prosumer groups, Entertainers aren’t big on using technology intensively. Their overall frequency of usage is lower than all except Utilitarians. The brands they use distinctively more than many other Prosumers are Netflix, MySpace, and Pandora; as might be expected, these are services that give online access to the entertainment of movies and music. Entertainers’ motivations are less clear-cut than those of Utilitarians (good deals), Advocates (good causes), and Competitors (enhanced status). Consequently, in our personal interviews about the Internet and social media, Entertainers tended to be less sharply articulated in their attitudes. “Social media is good entertainment.” – U.K., male, 40+ “Some commercials can be quite hilarious, especially because some TV shows are rubbish anyway!” – U.K., male, 40+ Entertainers are looking for fun and pleasure in life, and the brands they like online are those that meet their expectations, or at least contribute to them. “Brands cover advertisement, and that’s what keeps social networking pretty much free. They play a great role.” – U.S., male, 45+ 18 Prosumer Report Vol.10 What Entertainers Mean for Brands Some brands are all about fun and entertainment (e.g., Disney, EA, Comedy Central, beer brands), but most aren’t. For the majority of brands that aren’t intrinsically entertaining, their marketing has to find ways to catch the imagination of consumers in general and Entertainers in particular. employees violating a host of public health codes, for instance, proved to have a compelling gross-out factor, as it spread like wildfire across the Internet. In an environment where thousands upon thousands yearn for celebrity, this sort of prank is going to be a surefire source of fun for Entertainers – and a constant risk for brands. The payoff for brands that catch the imagination of Entertainers is potentially huge; they are one of the biggest Prosumer groups, so they have the critical mass to act as amplifiers to each other and to the wider world of consumers. That wider world might not be interested in what Advocates or Utilitarians are sharing, but most people enjoy entertainment of some sort, so Entertainers have potentially huge audiences. Unlike Advocates, who tend to be verbal, Entertainers are more apt to use the full range of possibilities opened up by interactive and social technologies: words, pictures, moving images, graphics, sounds. This gives brands huge scope to create materials that Entertainers will enjoy and want to share as widely as possible. Evian’s “Rollerbabies” TV commercial (created by BETC Euro RSCG) is a great example of a classic must-see ad that works as well on the Internet as on TV. Nissan took a more subversive approach with its campaign for the crossover Qashqai. The shot-forInternet “Car Games” showed people doing crazy, impossible stunts with the car in ways that would never be allowed on TV – perfect to catch the imagination of Entertainers for viral distribution on the Internet. One risk with Entertainers, as with consumers through the decades, is that they will lap up the fun and pass it on but ignore the brand. The challenge for brands is to create content that is both entertaining and strongly branded. Another risk is that Entertainers will be happy to share materials that make fun of brands or show them in a bad light. Entertainers’ main motivation is to seek and share fun; unless they are loyal to a brand, they are as likely to share negative content as to share positive, as long as it’s entertaining. The now notorious 2009 amateur video of Domino’s Pizza Prosumerism 19 20 Prosumer Report Vol.10 3. Advocates Advocates are the most serious-minded of Prosumers. One of the statements identifying them is “I share online content that is issues-oriented (socioeconomic, environmental, political).” They have a strong sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, and they feel impelled to do something about it. And thanks to social media, they can share online content widely and create connections between different issues. They are the Prosumers most confident in handling lots of complicated information; more than four-fifths of them (81.8 percent) agree that “I easily handle ambiguous and uncertain situations.” They are also the group with the highest percentage of people who enjoy creating content online just as much as they enjoy consuming it (69.2 percent). A major driver of Advocates is to change the world. Accordingly, one of the statements to identify them in our surveys is “I use social media to change the world for the better.” Having a bigger purpose than satisfying immediate needs (e.g., fun or getting good deals), they tend to be more vigorous in all their actions; they have the highest percentages responding positively to statements such as “I like to experiment Advocates All Five Types Advocates Advocates vs. All Overall proportion in three countries 100% 18.6% Second-smallest of the five types As proportion of USA 100% 15.2% Second-smallest of the five types As proportion of France 100% 16% Second-smallest of the five types As proportion of U.K. 100% 34% Largest of the five types Men 50% 51.4% Slightly more men Women 50% 48.6% Slightly fewer women Mean age 38.2 years 41.5 years Slightly older profile Share of below-median income NA 7.8% Lower percentage on lower income Share of above-median income NA 29.4% Higher percentage on higher income Suburb 32.1% 44.9% One-third more suburban City 27.7% 27% Equally urban Technology usage* vs. Index** 100 131 Higher usage frequency LinkedIn 15% 25.2% Index 168 (much more usage) Amazon 32.6% 46.3% Index 142 (much more usage) BlackBerry 24.1% 35.5% Index 147 (much more usage) Posterous 5.6% 8.4% Index 150 (much more usage) * Usage once a week or more of 37 listed technologies ** Total group is 100 Distinctive technologies*** *** Technologies in the list used more by this group than by others Prosumerism 21 with new and different ways to solve problems” (91.6 percent vs. 87.7 percent for all five groups) and “I believe that creativity and imagination are keys to success” (93.5 percent vs. 89.2 percent for all five groups). Thinking ahead, Advocates are closest in their aims to marketing and PR professionals. They regard social media as a means to spread key ideas and messages, as shown by their high levels of agreement with the statement “In the future, I will use social media more and more to promote worthy causes.” They’re not afraid to speak out, and they understand the value of social networks for spreading important messages. Of the five Prosumer groups, Advocates are the most networked; they return the highest proportion of agreement with the statement “I enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances” (87.4 percent agree vs. 79 percent of the total sample). Advocates are the most frequent users of many of the 37 technology brands listed in our survey; they over-index on most of them. The social networking tool that puts them way above index is LinkedIn, a serious and purposeful platform that attracts educated professionals. The professional/serious impression is further confirmed by Advocates’ over-index usage of BlackBerry, the most corporate of smart phones. It’s a similar story with Amazon, which indicates an appetite for books (not forgetting that Amazon sells a lot of categories besides books). Advocates also over-index on blogging platform Posterous, as well as other blogging platforms such as Blogspot (index score: 135) and WordPress (147) and content-sharing platform Tumblr (147). Advocates are also the Prosumer type with the highest use of Twitter (132), iPad (142), Amazon’s Kindle e-reader (151), and Barnes & Noble’s e-reader Nook (133). Advocates tend to be the most verbally articulate of the five Prosumer groups. They think things through, often at great length and in great depth. In our interviews with them, they had plenty to say; both the volume of their comments, and the content, clearly illustrate distinctive Advocate attributes. They get fired up by big causes and by the champions of causes; they’re keen to convince others to be motivated by them, too. “OK, Facebook is big, but it’s like McDonald’s: junk foods. Whereas what Assange is doing is really important.” – U.K., male, 30-44 “I often finding myself speaking up for brands that I like, such as designers and labels. It’s shameful, but I’ve even found myself defending Nestlé against Greenpeace.” – France, female, 45+ – U.S., female, 18-29 “I try to convince friends by giving facts.” As well as supporting causes and championing their champions, Advocates are also motivated to connect and interact with other people. With the reach of the Internet, these can be people whom they have met face-to-face or people they’ve met only online. “In a world without Internet, I would miss most the fact that it is so easy to have conversation with people.” – U.K., male, 30-44 “Facebook has really enabled me to meet real people, to stay in touch, to learn about jobs, different realities. I’ve spoken with a miner who works in a nickel mine in Canada, I know a guy who’s a freelance acoustic bass player in some back-end part of New York where he has to clear the snow off his bass every morning to go and do his extras.” – France, female, 45+ 22 Prosumer Report Vol.10 “SoMe helps me to keep contact with my friends. I’m living in New York, but I was born in Philly and I studied in Boston, so I’ve got friends all around the place.” – U.S., female, 18-29 Advocates tend to see life and the world in terms of big issues playing out among competing interests. In this context, brands are powerful agents that have the potential to affect the issues more than most. – France, female, 45+ “I don’t think brands are on the Web to tell a story; I think they must be there to be useful.” – U.S., female, 18-29 “I expect brands online to be more helpful.” What Advocates Mean for Brands Advocates are a key Prosumer group for brands. They are vigorous, driven, and have money; in the three countries in the Euro RSCG study, Advocates account for 18.6 percent of the sample but comprise 29.4 percent of those with above-median income. Other groups make relatively easy demands of brands: Offer me good deals, entertain me, help me connect, make me look good. Advocates make much bigger demands. They want brands to be good corporate citizens and help make the world a better place. Although Advocates are one of the smaller Prosumer groups (except in the U.K.), they make up for their lack of numbers with vigor and commitment. Their pulse will quicken to the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The Internet and social media give them the tools to do just that; sure enough, of the five Prosumer groups, Advocates show the most frequent use of most of the 37 technologies listed. Advocates are also the type most likely to feel a personal engagement with a brand, whether positive or negative. If a brand is doing things Advocates approve of, such as supporting fair trade or reforestation or community projects, or providing outstanding products or services, then Advocates will make it their personal mission to reward the brand by spreading the word. Their sense of fairness demands that they reward and encourage brands that make the effort to do the right thing. By the same token, their sense of fairness demands that they name, shame, and punish brands that don’t do the right thing as they see it. With Advocates constantly on the lookout, brands need to be on their best CSR behavior – or else be ready and willing to withstand a concerted campaign of activism. In a world of radical transparency, whistleblowers, and electronic leaks, any embarrassing news is likely to make its way into cyberspace; if it reveals misdeeds, it will be picked up by Advocates and amplified. The good news is that, on balance, Advocates are fair-minded and mature; they know that life and business are complex, they know that nobody’s perfect and even the most benevolent people and organizations might have a darker side. Brands should harness the feedback from Advocates (who will find the weaknesses and gaps) to look hard at themselves and fix what needs fixing from the perspective of interested outsiders. As essentially positive people, Advocates are keen to support brands and products that can make the world a better place. Initiatives such as Euro RSCG’s One Young World are just the sort of thing to fire up Advocates’ enthusiasm. Prosumerism 23 24 Prosumer Report Vol.10 4. Co-Creators The Internet is essentially a liberating medium for Co-Creator Prosumers. In the offline world of face-to-face interactions, they’re often introverted and shy, but online they can express and develop a more expansive side. Far more of them agree that “I would rather spend a quiet evening at home than go out” (60.5 percent vs. 53.5 percent of the total sample). They’re more inclined than other types of Prosumer to agree with this: “I prefer conversations with small groups of friends to large parties” (73.1 percent vs. 70.5 percent of the total sample). Far more agree with the statement “I’m somewhat reserved and like to keep to myself ” (50.7 percent vs. 44.3 percent). We identify Co-Creators partly by their high level of agreement with the statement “I use social media to convey my thoughts and opinions.” They’re by no means the only people who use social media to have their say, but for Co-Creators this is a particularly important function. Social media enables Co-Creators to connect with the wider world on their own terms. Another key statement for identifying Co-Creators is “In the future, I will use social media more and more to express myself.” Co-Creators All Five Types Co-Creators Co-Creators vs. All Overall proportion in three countries 100% 19.4% Middle of the five types As proportion of USA 100% 25.3% Second-largest of the five types As proportion of France 100% 6.5% Smallest of the five types As proportion of U.K. 100% 10% Smallest of the five types Men 50% 52% Slightly more men Women 50% 48% Slightly fewer women Mean age 38.2 years 34 years Slightly younger profile Share of below-median income NA 32.2% High percentage on lower income Share of above-median income NA 9.1% Low percentage on higher income City 27.7% 62.8% More than twice more city Technology usage* vs. Index** 100 101 Average usage frequency Netflix 25.1% 30.9% Index 123 (much more usage) Pandora 20.4% 25.1% Index 123 (much more usage) StumbleUpon 10.8% 13.5% Index 125 (much more usage) Posterous 5.6% 7.2% Index 129 (much more usage) * Usage once a week or more of 37 listed technologies ** Total group is 100 Distinctive technologies*** *** Technologies in the list used more by this group than by others Prosumerism 25 Within the overall context of Prosumers, Co-Creators are average savvy with technology. They’re certainly not the geekiest of Prosumers – not at all the archetypical reclusive code cutters surviving on pizza and soda. Against the overall index of Prosumers in the survey (index for the total group = 100), they’re average frequent users of Facebook, YouTube, iTunes, Mac, PC,and MySpace. They’re less frequent users of transactional sites such as Amazon and eBay. Among the self-publishing platforms, they’re below index on Twitter and WordPress usage but show above-index usage of Tumblr, Blogspot, and Posterous. Co-Creators index above-average usage of created-content technologies such as Netflix, Hulu, and StumbleUpon. Distinctive Co-Creator attitudes come through clearly in our personal interviews about the Internet and social media. “Social media allows me to express my joy, what I’m sad about, and express any emotions using different outlets such as text, video, and pictures.” “Because I constantly post video clips online, I will always be in people’s minds for potential jobs in the future.” – U.S., female, 30-44 – U.S., male, 30-44 “Social media is a window onto loads of things, onto the lives of other people, onto your own life, a window that you open or close, with drapes that are sometimes drawn, with a load of interactions and people milling around.” – France, female, 18-29 “Social media are a way of valuing what I can become and what I can teach others. If you did a timeline of everything that I’ve posted, it would connect up a huge number of very different people.” – France, female, 18-29 Co-Creators’ attitudes toward brands online reflect their thinking about themselves – having a need to be out there and be seen, and to engage in mutually beneficial activities. – U.S., female, 30-44 – U.S., male, 30-44 26 “If I was on the Internet and I didn’t see any commercials, I’d be very surprised. I think [brands] do have a place and the right to promote their products or…services.” “Brands need to be out there and be sometimes viral.” “I expect a brand to support me in my creative process. I’m thinking in terms of customization and personalization of existing products.” – France, female, 18-29 Prosumer Report Vol.10 What Co-Creators Mean for Brands In the overall context of Prosumers, Co-Creators are relatively less driven and less assertive. They have the desire to express themselves more fully and more widely but not (as with Competitors) to establish their leading status; rather, it’s to make connections (through social media or otherwise), to get a clearer sense of themselves, and to allow creative impulses to flourish. Brands can earn the support of Co-Creators by connecting with them personally and by helping them connect with others. This is relatively easy for social media brands, which exist to do precisely that. Brands that provide other sorts of services, or that make products, need to take a more roundabout approach to win over Co-Creators. Providing the means for them to express themselves by personalizing and customizing products is half the job and is increasingly standard practice across product categories; “build your own [fill in the blank]” online is the norm for cars, many technology products, kitchenware, and apparel. The challenge is to enable Co-Creators to use such processes as a stepping-stone to connect and express themselves more widely. In terms of influence, both positive and negative, Co-Creators probably offer the least leverage of the five Prosumer groups. Because they are not as driven or demanding as the other four groups, they are less motivated to spread good or bad words about brands. Their income profile leans much more to the below-median end of the scale, and their peer group is therefore less likely to include big spenders. Prosumerism 27 28 Prosumer Report Vol.10 5. Competitors Of the five types of Prosumers, Competitors are the most egocentric. Utilitarians are motivated by getting good deals and getting things done, Entertainers are motivated by fun, and Advocates are fired up by causes and ideals. Although CoCreators are interested in putting themselves out there, they don’t have the sheer oomph of Competitors, who are motivated by asserting themselves. Compared with the total Prosumer sample, far fewer Competitors (43 percent vs. 53.5 percent) agree with the statement “I would rather spend a quiet evening at home than go out.” Competitors tend to have a greater sense of their own authority; they return the lowest level of agreement with the statement “I prefer to follow established rules and guidelines” (47.5 percent vs. 54.6 percent for the total sample). One of the statements used to identify Competitors is “I’m the first to share the latest, most up-to-date online content.” The desire to be first is the quintessence of competitive drive in any field, be it politics, sports, or business. Social media provides Competitors with a way to be ahead of the pack in terms of the material they share and their mastery of the medium. Competitors All Five Types Competitors Competitors vs. All Overall proportion in three countries 100% 21% Second-largest of the five types As proportion of USA 100% 18.1% Middle of the five types As proportion of France 100% 34% Largest of the five types As proportion of U.K. 100% 19% Middle of the five types Men 50% 53.3% More men Women 50% 46.7% Fewer women Mean age 38.2 years 38 years Middle age profile Share of below-median income NA 1.9% Tiny percentage on lower income Share of above-median income NA 32.7% Big percentage on higher income Suburb 32.1% 38.8% One-quarter more suburban City 27.7% 36% One-third more city Technology usage* vs. Index** 100 113 Above average usage frequency iPhone 24.1% 32.6% Index 135 (much more usage) Mac 16.2% 22.7% Index 139 (much more usage) LinkedIn 15% 23.1% Index 154 (much more usage) iPad 12.2% 15.3% Index 125 (much more usage) * Usage once a week or more of 37 listed technologies ** Total group is 100 Distinctive technologies*** *** Technologies in the list used more by this group than by others Prosumerism 29 Another statement that identifies Competitors is their high level of agreement that “I use social media to discover and share new trends.” Competitors want to be ahead of the crowd and acknowledged as such. A key motivator for them to forward content is that they want to enhance their status and be recognized as trendy; building and maintaining status is important for them. The third statement that singles out Competitors is their higher response to “In the future, I will use social media more and more to stay on the cutting edge.” The impulse here is clearly to use social media as a tool for personal advantage. Competitors are found in many different demographic and social groups: fashionistas, sports fans, professionals, hobbyists. In whatever peer group they relate to, they’re opinionated and cutting edge. Competitors use the 37 listed technologies more often than the average for all Prosumers in the survey; only Advocates use more technologies more often. Distinctively, Competitor technologies are Apple hardware (iPhone, Mac, and iPad) that offer not only functionality but also standout status; they are higher-status products and command a “coolness” premium. Competitors also index high on Twitter usage (117), second only to Advocates (132); similarly, they are second to Advocates on Blogspot (122 vs. 135), Foursquare (116 vs. 137), and Yelp (134 vs. 151). In our personal interviews, it was clear that Competitors tend to put themselves front and center. “If I could only keep one website, it would be my blog.” – France, male, 45+ “Social media can be a tool for social success by enabling you to confirm what are the valuable aspects of your personality and gradually filtering out the bad ways you may have of presenting yourself.” – France, male, 45+ “The Internet has enabled me to show people that I’m inquisitive and that I’m a real self- taught person…. I like posting things on FB such as songs because I know I have friends that like my musical tastes and are waiting for me to post new things.” – France, female, 30-44 “I use LinkedIn in order to keep in touch with professional relations or to introduce myself to companies and to get job interviews.” – U.K., male, 30-44 Similarly, when thinking about brands on the Internet, Competitors tend to have a distinctively self-referential perspective, either explicit or implied. “A brand is on the Web not so that I can make use of it, but rather so that it can make use of me.… A brand uses social media to connect with people more individually.” – France, male, 45+ – France, female, 30-44 – U.K., male, 30-44 30 Prosumer Report Vol.10 “I think brands are on social media to get better known.” “Brands should be on the Internet to create customer loyalty.” What Competitors Mean for Brands Unlike Advocates, Competitors aren’t much interested in what a brand might do for the world; they’re much more interested in what a brand can do for them and their desire to stand out above the crowd. Competitors accept that everybody is in the game for their own gain, so they don’t expect favors or freebies from brands (unlike Utilitarians, Entertainers, or Co-Creators), nor do they expect brands to behave altruistically (unlike Advocates). They expect brands to compete with each other, just as Competitors themselves do, and they take particular notice of brands that compete successfully. The status game that Competitors play has been familiar to brands for many decades. What has changed is that there are now many more product and service categories than ever before, and there are more dimensions of status. An opportunity for all brands – even those that have no obvious status proposition – is to figure out how they might offer a distinctive status that presents Competitors with a new way of getting ahead of the crowd. Competitors have the highest income profile of the five Prosumer groups, no doubt thanks in part to their competitive instincts. They play a more subtle game, however, than simply buying the most premium version of everything. They are motivated by status, but not necessarily by the status of money; it might be the status of being smarter or more adventurous or more up-to-date or more discerning. There are many ways to compete. In cars, for example, they might express their status by buying an established premium brand (e.g., BMW). Or they might buy a less obvious brand whose virtues are known to a more select few. Whatever the product area, be it technology, automotive, apparel, appliances, finance, or vacations, there’s always scope for Competitors to spot a game in which they can prove or raise their status. Competitors spread the word about brands, especially over social media, when doing so is aligned with their motivation to raise their status. Part of the success of Apple’s crop of products over the past few years has been its ability to satisfy a number of Competitor needs. Apple’s products are generally priced higher than others offering comparable functionality, hence premium status; they are universally applauded for their attention to design, hence aesthetic status; their software is widely acknowledged as more stable and robust than the main competition, hence smart status; Apple has established a track record of launching game-changing new products such as the iPad, hence ahead-ofthe-curve status. No wonder the Competitors in our survey over-index on Apple products. Prosumerism 31 Who Rules Each Country? Entertainers predominate in the U.S. The biggest Prosumer type in the United States is Entertainers; these extroverts account for almost a third of American Prosumers in the sample (31.7 percent). The next biggest group is Co-Creators; these more introverted types make up 25.3 percent of the sample. Around one fifth of American Prosumers (18.1 percent) are Competitors, 15.2 percent are Advocates, and just 9.7 percent are Utilitarians. Who Rules Each Country Utilitarian Entertainer Advocate Co-Creator Competitor Competitors characterize France. Competitors constitute the biggest Prosumer type by far in France, with 34.0 percent. As in the U.S., Entertainers are a big group, with 25 percent of Prosumers in France. Utilitarians are slightly more numerous than Advocates (18.5 percent vs. 16 percent), and Co-Creators are a small group, with just 6.5 percent. 0% U.S. 10% France 20% 30% U.K. Advocates stand out in the U.K. This type accounts for just over one-third of U.K. Prosumers (34 percent). As in France, Entertainers are the second-largest Prosumer group (24.5 percent), followed by Competitors (19 percent). Utilitarians are just 12.5 percent, and Co-Creators are the smallest group, with 10 percent. prosumers are ‘proactive, infuential, information-empowered’ consumers who are of importance to marketers “According to Euro RSCG, because their attitudes and behaviours have a strong influence on the product and brand choices of people around them.” – Economist Intelligence Unit 32 Prosumer Report Vol.10 40% Playing to Type Influential and intellectual Advocates. Pragmatic and analytical Utilitarians. To qualify as Prosumers, respondents have to score high agreement on the statement “I am often consulted by my peers for counsel and recommendation on a range of topics.” Of the five Prosumer types, Advocates score the highest on this (90.2 percent), ahead of Competitors (88 percent). Advocates are the most likely to agree that they work hard to convince others to try or do new things (75.2 percent vs. 68 percent overall average), and they also lead in their agreement that they are confident of their ability to influence the world around them (78.5 percent vs. 73 percent overall average). High proportions of all five groups agree that they enjoy taking part in intellectual discussions, but agreement is significantly higher among Advocates (93 percent) than among Utilitarians (83 percent). In all five Prosumer groups, more than 80 percent agree that “I analyze the pros and cons of each decision I make.” The strongest agreement on this point, however, is from Utilitarians, with 89.6 percent agreeing; this is a significantly higher proportion than among Advocates, Co-Creators, and Competitors (all just under 83 percent) and among Entertainers (80.1 percent). Utilitarians are also most likely to agree that “I am practical-minded and realistic,” with 91.9 percent; Entertainers are the least likely to agree, albeit with a high 84.6 percent. Playing to Type U.S. Big-hearted Co-Creators. Tending to sympathize with other people is most common among Co-Creators (91.5 percent) and least common among Advocates (although their 84.1 percent is a high level of agreement, too). Emotional Entertainers and Co-Creators. France U.K. 0% 10% 20% Utilitarian Entertainer Co-Creator Competitor 30% 40% Entertainers seek fun, so it’s not surprising that they are the most inclined to agree that “My actions are frequently influenced by emotions.” Co-Creators, too, seek a certain feeling. Both groups share the highest agreement with the statement (61.1 percent and 61 percent, respectively). Advocate Prosumerism 33 The Prosumer Reports are a series of thought leadership publications by Euro RSCG Worldwide – part of a global initiative to share information and insights, including our own proprietary research, across the Euro RSCG network of agencies and client companies. Euro RSCG Worldwide is a leading integrated marketing communications agency and was the first agency to be named Global Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Campaign in the same year. Euro RSCG is made up of 233 offices in 75 countries and provides advertising, marketing, corporate communications, and digital and social media solutions to clients, including, Air France, BNP Paribas, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Danone Group, Heineken USA, IBM, Jaguar, Kraft Foods, Lacoste, L’Oréal, Merck, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Pernod Ricard, Reckitt Benckiser, sanofi-aventis, and Volvo. Headquartered in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications (Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA). For more information about the Prosumer Reports, please visit www.prosumer-report.com or contact Naomi Troni, global chief marketing officer at naomi.troni@eurorscg.com. Follow us on Twitter @prosumer_report