September 20, 2005

Post-Katrina Consumer Landscape

We're seeing some of the same dynamics we saw after 9/11. People are nesting at home, treasuring time with their families, being grateful for whatever they have. People are relying more on their faith, and my guess is that church attendance is continuing to rise. There's a real need for community.

But there are at least three new dynamics at work. One is the recognition of the power of nature, and the understanding that we must learn to co-exist with nature. That means more awareness and respect for the environment.

A second new dynamic is the concern that we're each going to have to be able to fend for ourselves. We cannot rely upon the government, even though it was supposed to be more prepared than ever to deal with a disaster.

And a third new dynamic is the extraordinary outpouring of concern and support for the victims of disaster. There's a charitableness (is there such a word?) at work today that goes far beyond what we saw after 9/11.

Some of that may be fueled by the extraordinary number of fellow Americans affected by Katrina. But more of it, I believe, is a result of the fact that so many poor people were affected...so many people who do not have the resources to help themselves. The media has helped us come face to face with the reality of those people and their lives. They are our fellow countrymen...our fellow human beings.

We emerge, then, from Katrina as a different consumer community...more concerned about values like family and faith, more concerned about our environment, and more charitable toward one another. Those dynamics have major implications for marketers.

Martha Off to a Slow Start

Daily Variety called the debut numbers on Martha Stewart's new daytime show last week "just a modest success." I have thought that she wouldn't do so well trying to present a different personna on the air. But time will tell.

Another post-Katrina effect is the even greater appreciation of authenticity. (Many people felt that the Administration's response to the disaster didn't ring very true.) If Martha Stewart - or anyone else - portray themselves as something they're not, I don't think the audience will stick around.