tom willerer . com

We need a new word for consumer

I have recently been lobbying for marketing folks like me to use a new language when talking about the things we do.  Specifically, I proposed the following language tweaks:

• consumers -> people
• campaign -> conversation
• 30 second spot -> 30 second interaction
• direct response -> direct conversation
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) -> Vendor Relationship Management (VRM)
• purchase funnel -> instant research & purchase
• reach -> attention
• consumer insight -> human truth
• marketing mix modeling -> predictably irrational
• brand loyalty -> loyal brands
• advertising agency -> business partner

I think if we shift the ways in which we talk about what we do, we inevitably shift the ways in which we do what we do (hopefully for the positive).

The shift I would most love to see is less use of the word consumer.  Why?

1. By using the word consumer it’s easy to think we (as marketers) aren’t one of them.
2. By thinking we are not one them (consumers) we then feel as if we are smarter, more interesting, etc.
3. Not to mention by using the word consumer, we artificially divide the world as people that buy things and people that produce things, when in actuality we all (pretty much) do both.

• Vendor Relationship Management
• What is VRM?

Notes