The New Consumer: In the Era of Mindful Spending
"We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls." —Bill Bryson
In 1928, on the cusp of the Great Depression, U.S. President Herbert Hoover spoke to an audience of advertisers and PR men about their role in society. Their vital task: to create desire and transform people into "constantly moving happiness machines." These consumer "machines" were seen as the key to economic progress. The more people shopped and spent, the better off society would be. Why, it was a patriotic duty! In subsequent years, an entire culture was built around...