Shoestring Marketing: Boredom plays a factor in today's market

From the Yankelovich Monitor, a Norwalk, Conn.-based provider of consumer attitude studies, is news of a newfound phenomenon called the "Boredom Factor."

"Consumers have traded peak experiences for dull events. Originally, refuge from mundane reality was considered fantasy," said David Bersoff, research director for the Monitor. "Now, mundane virtuality lies in watching other people's reality."

We see it manifaested in day-to-day life in a wide variety of instances. Interest in, and coverage of political conventions has dropped greatly. Offsetting that decline has been the rapid growth of interest in reality-based television programming like the CBS series "Survivor" and pseudo-violent events such as WWF Wrestling and the proposed XFL.

The paradox

Without a doubt, novelty in today's marketplace is conspicuous by its absence. Hence, the boom in boredom. But as the monitor study noted, "Paradoxically, we are bored despite living in remarkable times." Exposure to "amazing" events such as the Clinton impeachment, the Dow reaching 11,000 and the Oklahoma City bombing, have resulted in consumers developing a tolerance for the extreme and seeking even larger doses to maintain the high.

The study also noted that "We try to eliminate mystery and then we miss it. Our lives have become entirely too predictable."

Blame that on a variety of influences, everything from Caller ID, to knowing the gender of babies before they're born, to consulting lists for every conceivable need. In the process, the homework is done for us, removing the need for exploration, personal discovery, surprise and mystery.

The numbers tell the story

The statistics in the study prove the point. According to the Monitor, 69 percent of American consumers 16 years of age and older agree that "Even though I have so much to do, I'm always looking for something new and exciting to do."

Seventy-one percent of those same Americans said that they "would welcome more novelty and change in their lives," up from 64 percent in 1995. And, it's the baby boomers that are forcing the change. In fact, the growth in boredom is largely a boomer-driven phenomenon. Twenty-six percent said they would engage in dangerous activities (a 10-point gain in a two-year period). Seventy-five percent said they would welcome novelty and change.

Boredom in perspective

According to the study, breaking the boredom barrier requires remarkably little effort. Boredom-breakers only need to be new to the person in question. Consider the recent popularity of "retro" products and experiences such as swing dancing, martinis and the 70s fashion rebirth. And boredom-breakers need not be expensive. Witness the interest in cheaply produced, independent films such as "The Blair Witch Project."

Marketers must wake up

Consumers believe that marketers are no longer providing the unique products and services that meet their needs and expectations. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they believe that today's television programs are boring. Seventy-one percent believe the same about big-budget movies.

The retail vista is crowded with sameness for as far as the eye can see. House & Garden called it "The Retail Fatigue Syndrome," with everything looking and feeling the same. The fast food parity of McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell is matched by the mundane experience of Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Even the clothing products on the racks of Old Navy and Gap look the same.

Seeds of discontent are being sewn and mass customization is on the rise.

"We must build surprise, novelty and interest in the products that we market ... the experience must appear new' to the people you're selling to, even though uniformity is seen as driving profits," Bersoff said

To that end, the Monitor foresees something new on the horizon, which it calls the "experience economy" in which mystery and surprise may return. But, it won't be easy to pull off. Already, 88 percent of Americans say they're bored with the Internet.

(Alf Nucifora has spent the last 10 years as a professional speaker. His column is syndicated bimonthly in more than 50 business publications in the U.S.)