Consumer Actionism: The Lighter Side

Caroline Dettman,  United States

Yes, that’s right – the woman whose passion around our goodpurpose offer is unyielding - is the first person to tell you that we conceived the idea of Consumer Actionism as the rebel without a cause. That is, we now have a strong consumer marketing IP at Edelman for which a social cause is not (necessarily) the driving factor for consumers to take action. We’ll leave that notion to good old consumer activism (and yes I’ll be reporting back on the new book “Buying Power: A History of Consumer Activism” in my next blog). And yes, just this week I did purchase fair trade coffee, brought my environmentally-friendly shopping bags to my local grocery store and bought Tom’s shoes for my five year. That said, for the introduction of this new idea at Edelman, I thought it might be time to pay homage to consumers taking action in an entirely different way that without a doubt is impacting my enjoyment of pop culture. Ok, so maybe it’s not changing the world but it certainly is making my personal enjoyment of life much better in recent years/months/weeks.

Consumers taking action: I thank you for…

Making True Blood HBO’s biggest hit despite poor initial reviews
A second, third and now fourth AND fifth seasons of Friday Night Lights
Bringing Wes Anderson movies to my attention
Making Lost a more compelling online/offline dialogue than anything that actually happens on the show
Making Slumdog Millionaire the movie to see last winter vs. Benjamin Button
Being able to read “Twilight” and not be embarrassed sort-of
For peer pressuring me into Facebook (and enjoying it from minute one)
Making Nickelback the best-selling rock band today despite all critics universally hating them
Making Judd Apatow a household name (now we just need to make his wife, the funny Leslie Mann, one too)

And maybe the best example of the lighter side of consumer actionism is the juggernaut (and my obsession) that is “American Idol.” This #1 show in the U.S. simply doesn’t exist without consumers taking action. And, as it just finished its 8th season, we can honestly take a step back and say that America mostly gets it right. Kelly Clarkson. Ruben Studdard. Fantasia Barino. Jordan Sparks. Carrie Underwood. David Cook. Kris Allen. Even despite the occasional Taylor Hicks, America has shown over and over that the “experts” don’t always know what’s best.

These are all brands in their own right – and some of the most popular ones at that. What can we learn from these examples?

I’ll leave you with this thought: Consumers taking an action on behalf of brands happens all the time, even if the social cause is more social than cause.