What Makes you so Special?

Kate Barbera, United States

A friend of mine recently went to Brazil, and in an effort to keep her bags light, decided that if she came across something she liked, a memento from her trip, she would take note and buy it online. It just made sense to her. While I completely understand her point of view, traveling to foreign countries and shopping their cities for items that help put them on the map (like the Brazilian bikini for instance), was a luxury that once gave consumers status.  But, now with the Internet, she didn't need to purchase anything authentic while on the beaches of Rio.  With a quick Google (or Bing) search, my friend could purchase her item online and have it waiting for her when she got home. Her friends would never know the difference.

Now I understand her desire for convenience but, admittedly so, she (like me) is a born consumer. I know what I want, how to find it and I am completely aware of the socio-cultural implications embedded in owning certain items. And, thanks to the World Wide Web, all this has been made possible with the click of a button. The Internet has made consumers more effective, efficient and determined shoppers, and with that has taken away the delight of “the purchase!” The pleasure of holding a new, coveted item in your hands!

It's a heartbreaking realization to consider that the thrill of making a purchase in a foreign country to immortalize one's trip and make the experience unforgettable could be over.  I remember the exhilaration I felt when I purchased a wool coat in Paris at the Galeries Lafayette in the middle of July! It made no sense, but I did it, because I knew I may never have that chance again! So much has changed in just a few years.

When I truly mull over the fact that niche products and brands are easily accessed anywhere, my question is, how will the globalization of shopping affect brands and consumers?  How will niche and luxury brands and categories – Italian leather, Colombian coffee, Parisian rugs - stand out and maintain their exclusive nature and integrity?  Coveted brands that once had an affiliation with a city, or a culture, are now available to consumers all over the world. One doesn't have to leave her kitchen table in Vandiver, Alabama to buy this season's latest Manolo Blahniks.  How will premium brands avoid becoming the next proverbial Campbell’s soup can?  Is brand cache being compromised due to over accessibility? Will prestige brands no longer hold their value? Could their aura be dispelled? 

I pondered this one Saturday shopping in Soho after enjoying brunch with friends (tough life, I know). It became ever clearer that I didn’t have to buy anything in the stores to experience this once renowned and respected shopping Mecca. A very similar sensorial experience could be lived online - the taste, the sounds, the smell, the vibe of the stores are available through their websites. Sophisticated e-commerce technologies enable easy product purchase with the added benefit of insured shipping directly to my doorman.

It seems that the convenience of the Internet is overriding the nostalgia of buying something in a beautiful boutique. In fact, this holiday season shoppers spent $27 billion on the Web, a 5% increase over last year. Even Christmas shopping has moved from the social hustle and bustle of malls and city streets to the sanctuary and privacy of one’s home. Why go to Fifth Ave. when I can buy my boyfriend Tiffany's cufflinks from my living room? Right now affluent consumers are more and more comfortable with spending their cash online, and they justify these purchases with the research and product reviews they accessed in minutes.

On the other side of the coin, how will consumers thinking about this simplicity of shopping evolve? Consumer purchases once associated with world travel are quickly becoming less envied for their status and they may begin to look harder for brands and items that make them feel special.  Brand managers will need to innovate harder and improve the digital experience of their brand so they can stand out, be found and shopped in a way that consumers feel justified in spending their money on something that’s "one-of-a-kind" and worthy.

I often visit sites like etsy.com and ARTSPROJEKT.COM to get what I like to call, “the flea market flavor.”  These sites, among many others, buy and sell hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind goods and are pioneers in effectively introducing the craftsman back to the consumer. Again, I’m completely buying into the convenience of the Internet, but will these sites begin to rise to the top and in turn, make consumers feel like they are special, privileged and justified in their purchases? I’m seeing more and more of that experience.

Marketers need to continually refine their target, understand who they are speaking to and really get into their heads and how their target is shopping. Observing and learning how their consumers are evolving and reacting to the Internet is key to engaging their target and maintaining a loyal consumer base.