Joseph Pine: What consumers want

http://www.ted.com Customers want to feel what they buy is authentic, but "Mass Customization" author Joseph Pine says selling authenticity is tough because, well, there's no such thing. He talks about a few experiences that may be artificial but make millions anyway.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[Paulginz]

A summary of this talk:

1) If you have money left over after basic needs, you'll use it to have fun.

2) People have a subjective and easily manipulable measure of quality of experience which we call authenticity.

3) (implicit) people are stupid enough to buy overpriced "authenticity" (think big brands) as long as you can convince enough people that competitors are cheap knockoffs.

4) PROFIT!!!

[megamarsvin]

I'll tell you what this consumer wants: Not be seen as freaking cattle for the self-proclaimed marketing gurus of the world.

[samala51]

The amount of statistical data available to marketers nowadays is just mind blowing.

[zanitywest]

Quite an interesting talk; bit of a shame this guy's an enormous twat.

[BrutusAlbion]

A business is never true to itself, it is inherently cheap, it will cutt its own ideals to make an extra quick buck. It will do this for as long as the consumer can put up with it. Cause that is the most profitable, a little pain but massive gain ;-). And consumers sometimes they are just left no other choice.

[roboboxB]

Alternative title: "How to play minecraft"



[euripideesshreds]

Hi I reply because these are such excellent comments. I love the ocean metaphor and I use it as well for the truth, which is also applicable. I had a look at your channel and invite you to check out mine. Aloha...

[edwinstar100]

Starbucks is a good example; in fact, they have done advertising for their instant coffee...which is feaux coffee and not consistant with Starbucks policy of offering something "real" and of historically, not advertising. Their instant coffee tastes like Nescafe, in my opinion.

[pykenike]

Werecow is right imo. I would like to add that the very act of being the first to "make land" on such a scale is authentic. Yeah sure it's man-made, but because holland was pioneer on that makes it, authentic.

Futhermore, there is a cultural difference between americans and europeans. That's why Disneyland Paris had so much trouble in the start, They copied the American disneyPark.(Thus not authentic). For us (or at least for me) disney is somewhat to much/over the top.

[jazzyfizzle86]

You should read the book because I don't think you understand the concept of the Progression of Economic Value.

[werecow2003]

Well, I'm Dutch, and I do like it here, but he has a point on the whole fabricated thing; we have almost no original natural landscape left here. When I go out to 'experience nature', that usually means the Dutch countryside, which consists mainly of farmland. And the few bits of natural forest, dunes, etc that we do have left are swarming with tourists and are strictly maintained. Still, it's more authentic than Disneyland, I'd argue, since that place was designed specifically for the fantasy.