Unique belonging

In a society where consumers want to stand out from the crowd, Karen Kanty, head of news at Future Foundation, looks at how brands should approach individualism – and what this means for the ongoing Big Data debate…

Society has long attached importance to individualism – to stand out from the crowd, to be seen, heard and appreciated. This has never been more apparent or more valued than in the age of social media, where more and more aspects of our lives are played out on a public forum – and where earning recognition and acceptance from the crowd has become a significant concern.

But we wonder whether the picture is quite as black-and-white as at first glance. Our new trend, ‘Unique Belonging’, explores the consumer desire to be an individual within the crowd; to be distinctive but in recognisably mainstream and uncontroversial ways.

Looking to our data, there is a clear tension between standing out and sticking out. While just a quarter of people (26%) agree that they like to “stand out from the crowd”, about 45% report that they like to be just that bit different from others (with a strong age effect in both cases). In other words, a desire to stand out, but not too much.

This story boils down, in part, to our Big Lie theory and newly published book of the same name – a theory which explores the role social norms play in shaping our personas, both public and private.

How many of us attach importance to individualism because we feel we should – because we think it’s a socially attractive quality to which we should aspire? Is the reality more that we do not want to stand out from the crowd too much, instead looking to marry individuality with conformance, to retain a sense of our personality within a wider group?

We know that creativity is important to consumers – indeed nearly 60% tell us they feel the need to “fulfil myself as an individual by being more creative”. But so is conformity. This is a very important consideration for brands – they must tread a fine line between developing ever-more personalised offers but within carefully managed parameters.

Mass customisation is the perfect manifestation of this and brand services already abound: from Burberry’s “Runway Made to Order” initiative, which allows fashionistas to order custom-made products as soon as they appear on the catwalk; to NIKEiD, which customises a consumer’s trainer specifications.

What is important about these offers – and many like them – is that they are giving consumers the chance to personalise elements of a cool fashion item within safe boundaries.

This also adds an interesting element to the Big Data debate. Big Data is lauded for its ability to facilitate conversations and campaigns that feel tailored to the individual. But over-personalisation can quickly alienate some, especially if it exposes them in front of their peers (on social networks in particular).

We don’t want our unique behaviours and preferences to be paraded for all to see. Instead, we want conversations and content which are personal but not overly so – individualised, but not so much that we feel exposed.

Looking to the shape of things to come, we anticipate the growth of online communities where we can share of our views with people like us, and which enable the flow of creativity and conformance, individual identity and group approval.

For brands, it could be as much about supplying the impression of individualism – helping people to feel unique without being too conspicuous.

For more information on Unique Belonging or any Future Foundation trend, please contact karenc@futurefoundation.net or visit www.futurefoundation.net