blog - gObama 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
(Berlin, Germany - 11.50 p.m. local time)
"We must end the age of oil in our time." says Obama on his birthday in Lansing, Michigan. This is an ambitious plan that takes a major strategy shift in a conservative climate that is controlled by lobbies and big corporate oil interests. I am not an expert on energy policy, but I hope somebody has figured out how they can put this plan into profitable actions. Because it will only work if somebody gets paid. And most of the time its not the same guy (who was doing all this oily business in the industrial age) who is flexible enough to win this battle.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
Its an ambitious and exciting plan and was in the utopian pipeline for almost three decades. Remember the hippies and eco warriors of this world? Now, its pragmatic election campaigning and a step into the 21st century. I don’t know how to read strategy papers on a political front, but I know this will make some major waves around the world. And indeed this will be a turning point - the toughest challenge that the big spenders are facing. Get your electric smart cars ready, Daimler Benz! The Chinese will probably get some of this technology before you manufacture it. Remembered as:the West only tried go green.
http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/30/obama/
http://www.off-grid.net/2008/07/30/end-of-consumerism/
Check out the Extract from: End of Consumerism by Alex Benadi
Consumption vs energy consumption (Extract)
The real issue however is not consumption, but energy consumption he says.
Although counter-intuitive, it may just be that brands, being purely intellectual constructs with low carbon footprints, fit in perfectly with this ethos of energy austerity. The ability to conjure value out of nothing at all could be ideal for this green new world.
Perhaps. But not only will consumers shift their spending to more low–energy goods, (local foods, training, education and courses are just some examples), new forms of consumption will probably arise. “We are looking at a complete redesign of modern life,” says Grant. So the trend to ‘fractional ownership, where products are pooled and shared will explode. Another consumer strategy will ‘treasuring’ where people buy high quality artefacts and look after them and repair them when they wear out rather than throwing them away.”
His best guess is that some time in the next five to ten years we will move into a long period of austerity in which the factors already mentioned conspire to make conspicuous consumption not only unfashionable but almost impossible. “Culture is moving into a time of restraint and simplicity. It will mean the advertising industry –(including media and marketing) just cannot exist in its current form.”
The end of desire
These trends won’t affect all advertising –“After all the average message is ‘Bread 75p’, that wont be hit so hard. It’s the high energy products, fashion products, disposable products and products with momentary life cycles and in-built obsolescence that will be affected.”
Marian Salzman has a similar take. “Advertising will not be able to continue as an industry dedicated to inventing desire,” she says. In the new era of almost puritanical austerity ”people will redefine their relationship with brands. They will want to hear about genuine innovation not froth. Advertising will be much more about product,” she predicts.
(Alex Benadi)