Friday, November 30, 2007

Degrees of Consumerism

'Tis the season to be jolly... until of course you receive your Visa bill in January. Not that this has anything to do with today's post.

Yesterday I discovered something new.

You used to have your consumer. Of course you still do have Average Joe Consumer. Mr. Jones who goes shopping for the holidays (do I dare say who goes Christmas shopping?) and buys the idiot proof digital camera for his wife. That, for instance could be Mr. Jazz finding a camera for me. We recently bought one and it pretty much had to be idiot proof. Me and technology? We don't get on too well. I find it excessively complicated to simplify my life.

Now there's another market segment (one that no doubt has been around for ages, but I just found out about), the prosumer* (from professional consumer). This would be Non Average Joe Consumer who knows all about the digital camera and would collapse in a fit of hysterical laughter at my camera. This is the guy who's gotta have the most expensive high end digital camera, even if he doesn't necessarily know how to use it to its full advantage.

So does that make Average Joe and avsumer and Mr. Anti-consumerism a nonsumer? (not that they'd have a name for him 'cause he's basically useless to marketers).

The mind, again, boggles. It doesn't take much to boggle my mind these days...


(For the record, it's qute an elastic word though which can also have other meanings, but those hold no interest to me at this point)

14 comments:

Too_Lively said...

My hubby is definitely a prosumer. I suspect he is also a metrosexual. At least he isn't a Nascar Dad.

I am sure I fall under many labels, but I refuse them all.

XUP said...

That makes me a re-sumer because I buy a lot of second-hand stuff.

furiousBall said...

I have a friend back in Atlanta that had this father with an awesome idea. His father was well off financially, needing nothing in terms of gifts, so for Christmas every year, he asked a different child to come up with a volunteer effort they all did together

Jill said...

I think I'm a consumenabler. I like to go shopping with friends and give them rationalizations for buying the things they want. I'm a great rationalizer.

Ian Lidster said...

So, dear, in wondering what you did, does it make you a pre-sumer or an as-sumer? Just asking.

Rachel said...

Huh...interesting stuff. Thr producer-consumer aspect seems usful, particulary for utilities such as cable: an a la carte option on channels, for example. I've wanted an al la carte cable for YEARS: a flat fee for basic service and channels, then a tiered price ranking for expanded and primium cable channels, in which I choose what channels I want at whatever price. All this "package" stuff is sheer wasteful nonsense.

geewits said...

I'm just your average beersumer.

Maddy said...

Another one that just can't help analyse the words.
Cheers

Susan Tuttle said...

Me--I'm a websumer--already did all my kiddos' Christmas shopping online, albeit the stocking stuffers. Free shipping at Amazon, hassle free holidays--done!!

Now we can enjoy what's really important--cookies and spiked eggnog--lol.....just kiddin'--it's about being together and the magic of the season--but yes, spiked eggnog does add to that magic!

Susan
xo

mikster said...

My middle name is average and my surname is technically challenged.

pissed off patricia said...

As of late I guess I am a not-often-sumer. I've decided it's my money and I don't want to give it away just because someone is telling me what they are selling is a "must have".

I don't have their "must have" and so far, I haven't had a lesser life because of it.

Jazz said...

Too Lively - You go girl. Refuse the lables.

UrbPed - Re-sumer. I like that.

Furiousball - That's cool.

Jill - Yeah, rationalization is good.

Ian - I have no idea what I am.

Rachel - Packages are sheer wasteful nonsense, but they make big bucks for the cable companies.

Geewits - Bwwahahahahahaha

Maddy - yep, that would be me.

Susan - I hate you, I haven't even BEGUN the Christmas shopping...

Mikster - we are clones

POP - Ah but you have had a lesser life, you're just too average to realize it... ;-)

Jo said...

I'm a presumer. I'm presuming I'm going to get my Christmas shopping done without any major panic attacks. I'm also presuming I will stay within my budget. *sigh*

Evil Spock said...

Evil Spock is a prosumer on an avsumer's budget. Which turns Evil Spock into a shoplifter.