Trends and Entertainment

Is the Age of Joy Upon Us?

Robbie Blinkoff, a consumer anthropologist and founder of Context-Based Research Group, a Baltimore firm that advises corporations on product strategies, believes that the recession is turning us into “grounded consumers.” He spoke to us about the rite of passage we’ve been through in the last year, how we’re all becoming happier, and why this will be the Best Holiday Ever.

So the “grounded consumer.” As opposed to what?
I’m a cultural anthropologist. What we’re looking at is people living within our culture—that culture defines our rules. Where our economy has taken us is to a point where we say we have a culture, but what we really have is a market. Market has supplanted culture and drives the way we live. Consumerism has supplanted cultural identity, like when there’s an eclipse the moon comes over the sun. People have been foregoing relationships in return for material goods—though nobody went out and said I’m buying an iPod because I don’t want to have relationship with someone.

A “we” economy?
One of the cool things that happens at a time like this is, what are you left with? First its a really uncomfortable feeling, but then what you realize what you’re left with is a relational economy, not a transactional economy. You realize the value of “we” and the value of others.

Has this sort of thing happened before?
We did a study after 9/11, and people were realizing they’re more in control of their identities. Last fall—Sept. 29 actually—the market fell all of 129 points. This feels to me like Sept 11 without the terrorism. It was the same blue sky that day. This is going to transform us.

What people are looking for is an environment where they can experience joy. The comfort of others, making and eating great food.

Is easy access to consumer credit the main reason we spent the way we did during the boom?
Well, we’ve gone through a year-long rite of passage. The process was very painful. It’s an identity crisis. Any rite of passage has lots of pain.

We haven’t become fully grounded yet. We are still unstuffing our lives—getting rid of things, deciding what’s going to stay and what’s going to go. Where you’re not selfish, you’re much more strategic about purchases and what comes into your life. You’re more confident about consumption. You realize that you can live within your means. You realize what credit really means, you’re not going to go into a home loan that you can’t understand. You’ve been abused and you’re not going to take it anymore.

There are five stages to this [rite of passage]. The thing that we haven’t written about yet is, we’re now at stage six. We believe that people are living under the threat of joy. That after this rite of passage, the new identity is about living a joyful life.

Really? What’s the evidence for that?
I believe there’s little markers out there. For one, ukelele sales are higher than ever—they haven’t been this high since the Depression. The Appalachian Trail has almost 50 percent more climbers this year. I mean, a lot of them are out of jobs, but that’s still a really big increase.

A lot of people feel that the last year has left them living a more positive life. It’s because they’re experiencing true joy and this process has allowed them to do that.

Not to sound all Oprah, but people are realizing that their identity before was based on fear and misery, and that actually, joy was a choice and fear is a choice. Consumer aspirations are largely motivated by fear—unrealistic aspirations that never get fully satisfied keep us consuming. People have been trying to make themselves happy buy buying stuff, thinking they’re only good as how much money as they make. People are starting to see that’s not true.

It’s going to be an awesome holiday season because the holiday season is coming right as this notion is starting to percolate. What people are looking for is an environment where they can experience joy. The comfort of others, making and eating great food. New Year’s going to be awesome, Valentine’s Day is going to be awesome.

It is sort of a cycle, where you go through trauma and unexpectedly come out feeling so much better about yourself. The WPA projects that came out of the Depression bring great joy still to people. After World War II, the 1950s and 60s. This is another one of those periods. I think it will be a more realistic joy than the 1950s, which was sort of a dreamy joy. I think this is a little more gritty.

If it’s a cycle, how long is this phase going to last?
It’s permanent. There won’t be times when we’re not joyful. But it’s going to be at the base at who we are. One reason is, the 18 to 34 segment has been most impacted by the recession. They’re the ones that will grow out of this recession and lead our country. When new things are created they’re the ones that are going to be there doing it. I think it has the potential to be quite permanent.

But it seems like—I feel like—people are angrier and more anxious these days than they were at the start of the downturn. I wrote about that last week. There’s rudeness on the streets, fury over health care reform, at Obama…
Part of the process. It’s all part of the process. I think you have to go psychotherapy about it. I think people want to be happy. You have to go through some anger to get to happiness. People apply that to politicians, and what a waste of time. When people apply it to their own lives they realize they have to do something. The most grounded people are not mad at Obama, they’re not pissed off.

How are you seeing this manifest itself in the marketplace?
Happy ad campaigns—they really go away from focusing on the product and focus on what they’re trying to do which is make you happier. Coke’s campaign is “open happiness.” Wal-Mart is trying to do it by saying “live better.”

Certainly we know people are saving more and spending less. An area where we see a big gap is we don’t see the rite of passage happening as fast when it comes to investing. [The recession] is changing basic consumption, but when we talk about consumption in terms of investing there’s a long way to go.

Dow 10k, right?
Wow, aren’t we happy now? The last time the Dow was at 10k was last fall and we were all ready to slit our throats.

Clearly the Dow is not an indicator of our overall happiness. We should stop using it as an indicator of happiness. Consumer confidence as well. When it’s down, they’re more confident—they’re not spending.

Tags: economy, spending, Trends and Entertainment