Like all movements, the pendulum has swung back to the opposite end of the spectrum, and product customization has become the norm in spite of the still thriving culture of mass-production. As consumers become enlightened to the ideas echoed throughout each Macrotrend, they seek out products whose artistry and craftsmanship distinguishes them from the carbon-copied millions available at massive retail chains, and take a “boutique” approach to styling their own lives through the products they buy. The old-school idea that one could order an item tailored to their specific needs is channeled through products like NIKEiD, which listens to each individual consumer and allows for interaction and customer participation.
Product customization goes beyond the ability to pick out the specific colors on a shoe before putting it in your online shopping cart or the type of transmission on a car before driving it off the lot. Now, much of what consumers interact with on a daily basis offers customization by way of listening to consumer feedback and monitoring user activity.
Pandora, Last.fm, and iTunes Genius keep track of the genres and styles of music you like so that they can continually offer you new listening experiences; Starbucks allows its customers to design and track their eating and drinking preferences through an online app so that each experience in one of their cafes is personal and specific.
This Macrotrend is only going to grow as consumers communicate their needs and retailers become more savvy at enhancing the buyer’s experience. Consumers are asking for feedback and recommendations, and shopping sites like Amazon are giving it to them, as are social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This feedback invites the consumer into the brand and asks them to linger around to see what kinds of recommendations, and personalized information will be offered.
