Consumer reactions to the current economic crisis have reawakened interest in the jointly authored books of writer and historian William Strauss and economist and demographer Neil Howe.

If Strauss and Howe's theory of generational attitudes is correct, the young shoppers of the future could adopt Responsible Consumerism and Responsible Consumption in ways more widespread and more effective than anything their parents or grandparents could ever imagine.

The first signs are already out there - the days of easy credit and 100 per cent mortgages are over.

Tags:  Strauss and HoweValuesGenerationsThriftResponsibleConsumerismConsumption

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Who do you trust these days? Your bank? Your employer? Your favourite brands?

With Governments playing Russian roulette with national debt, climate change warnings becoming ever more dire and the news media serving up an endless diet of scary news, it's no wonder we’re searching out any scrap of safety and security to hang on to.

Consumer behaviour is changing – in both obvious and not so obvious ways – and signs are that, like the global crunch, this change is going to be seismic.

For the first time in years we’re now saving for the rainy days ahead and paying off debts at a record rate. We’ve also found comfort in the safety of the past – when the scary monsters of today didn’t exist and life seemed so much simpler.

Tags:  TrustBrandsBehaviourSocial MediaSupermarketsValues

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