One of my favorite pieces of information that I get via e-mail is the monthly trend briefings from Trendwatching.com. This month’s is on Status Stories. Here’s how Trendwatching defines them:
STATUS STORIES: As more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren’t known to the masses, and as experiences and non-consumption-related expenditures take over from physical (and more visible) status symbols, consumers will increasingly have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases. Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers.
The report notes that “It is … up to the customer to tell a story, any kind of story, with the brand providing the ingredients.” Certainly that’s the branding idea behind marketers’ use of social media – to get buzz and encourage consumers to tell the branding story.
These Trendwatching reports are always comprehensive and loaded with examples and images.