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Not interested in keeping up with the Joneses? Join the trend....you are not alone.
Added: (Tue Apr 22 2008)
More and more people these days are looking to dance to the beat of their own drum. Marie de Guzman of the Mangrove (www.themangrove.org.uk), which specialises in personal and professional development, believes the trend is moving away from mass consumption to individual experiences. “People don’t want what everyone else wants – or has,” says Marie. “They want different, they want unique, they want niche.”
Just look at the growing market of companies selling gift experiences or personalised products. Even companies whose products may not be so ‘bespoke’ are shifting their marketing tactics from the masses to the wants and needs of the individual – they too have caught onto the trend that ‘individuality’ sells; individuals buy.
Take the iPod for example – yes, this is a mass consumer item, but it’s still very personal. Music is associated with a person’s feelings, thoughts, and memories. People often identify with other people based on the music they listen to. Admittedly a lot of people even judge others on their music. How many first dates would have asked that question– ‘what music do you listen to?’ And how many people do you know listen to the exact same music? It is this individuality that the iPod’s campaign is built on – ads featuring silhouettes of people dancing to music are images that any one of us can associate with. It may be marketed to the masses, but the message is nonetheless individual.
Dove’s Real Beauty and Self Esteem Campaign (http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.co.uk/) is another example, openly recognising in their advertising of women’s beauty products that everyone has a unique shape, a different body and that it’s ok (and normal) to NOT look like a rake! Dove commissioned a study which demonstrated that women “don’t want a beauty culture that requires them to conform to the machinations of a style industry whose interests lie elsewhere. They say boldly that they want a beauty that is full of variety, that recognizes their individuality and uniqueness, and allows them and their daughters to enjoy it and their lives”.
There are even hints that the fashion industry is changing its tune. From ‘outcries’ against size zero models to companies designing bespoke dresses tailored to individual size and shape, they too are recognising that we are all not the same.
Looking at these trends, it’s obvious that being different is not a bad thing. It’s quite the opposite. So when you hear yourself saying “I wish I could be like them” or “I don’t like that I’m different”, recognise it’s a good thing. You have every right to say “I’m glad to be different!"
Ok - so there will always be those who do as sheep do – and prefer to keep up with the Joneses. But if that’s not for you, here are some steps to consider when exploring your individuality:
• Be you – being you, and comfortable with yourself will keep you feeling real, motivated and energetic.
• Don’t just go with the flow – know what you want
• Know your values, beliefs and principles and make it a practice to be on the look-out for things that interest you
• Challenge your assumptions. Ask yourself, “are my assumptions true – or are they just habits of seeing things as I have always seen them?”
• And don’t be afraid to ask ‘what if’. And check if ‘what if’ works for you.