Now we come to the final touch in our description of the process of creating the emerging need states in ConsumerShift. The postmodern and integral values (discussed in chapters 3 and 4), the catalysts (aka macro-trends in chapter 5) were brought into the mix with the universal needs and situations and through several rounds of clustering activities, 23 need states were identified.
A list of 23 is too long to be useful, so they were grouped into 7 meta-needs. These meta-needs and needs states are offered as useful starting points for market researchers, new product and business developers, and strategists as targets for identifying opportunities to better serve consumers in the future. The seven meta-needs (which we’ll characterize in future posts):
- Keeping it Real: Preference for the Straight Story
- Pushing the Envelope: Challenging Performance Boundaries
- Every Moment Matters: Taking Back Control of One’s Time
- The [Relentless] Pursuit of Happiness: Taking Responsibility for One’s Well-Being
- Community First: Preference for Things Local
- We [Really] Are the World: Feeling Responsible for the Well-Being of the Plan
- Glass Houses: Everyone is Watching
Andy Hines
