The follower-leadership theory
The last two decades, consumers evolved from passive followers to active and powerful leaders. Brands that understand this evolution are ready to build strong and loyal customers.
It was a October last year when I met with 2 of my best friends for lunch. One of them brought the fresh and new Ikea catalogue and threw it on the table. He was infuriated.
What then followed was a 15 minute rant where he called Ikea’s befuddlement arrogant and misplaced. He shouted “I’ll have my dinner party the way I want it. And certainly not the way Ikea wants it to be.”
“I’ll have my dinner party the way I want it”
This outrage was a confirmation of what I already knew, but never witnessed so clearly: When brands see modern consumers as a group that needs to be shown the way, their message can become irrelevant, and even misplaced.
How comes Ikea got it wrong? I’ll take you through consumer history.
20th century: the follower
Let’s take a little dive in history. In the mid-20th century, marketing and branding got it’s kickstart. In this post-war period (50’s, 60's), USA lead the world by introducing a culture of mass consumption.
And so brands and marketeers fell in love with the nuclear family, a stereotypical household in which every man dreams of a nice car, and every woman dreams of a sunny family picknick.
The culture of people in those decades was a culture of followers. People followed examples and role models. People followed institutions and brands. They even listened to advertising.
21st century: the leader
But at the end of the 20th century, things started to shift. Our society entered the information age, and people started to break out their role of followers.
A new role made it’s introduction: the leader.
Leaders are the exact opposite of followers: They are actively engaged, they make their own decisions, they are well informed. They want to express their individuality, they want to lead their own life.
How can brands benefit from leaders?
If you’re a marketeer or entrepreneur, this might seem a little scary at first. Does this mean your influence on consumers will slip away?
No. But it means you’ll have to act and communicate differently to maintain your presence. You’ll have to acknowledge their new role.
And once you understand and feel the framework of the follower-leader, you can proactively start initiatives and campaigns that really speak to their way of life, to their needs.
And that’s where the beauty lies for modern brands. Their possibilities won’t go down, they will go up.
As a modern brand, you can become more than just a merchant. You can become part of consumers’ life:
- As a supporter
- As an inspirator
- As a storyteller
- As a toolkit provider
- As a coach
- …
You can have any role, as long as you empower the consumer.
Choosing the right marketing tactics
As brands are moving towards their role of empowering the consumer, they also have to choose the right tactics. Brands should avoid tactics that push products, discounts or subscriptions. 21st century leaders need tactics that inform, support and encourage them.
Conclusion
With the crossing of the century, the role of consumers shifted. No longer they are passive followers; the today’s consumer is an active and engaged leader.
Leaders no longer need to be told what to like or what to do. Instead, they just want to be informed, supported and motivated in their individual life goals.
This creates tons of possibilities for today’s marketeers. By choosing the right tactics for leaders, they can build sustainable relationships with today’s customers.
