What Drives Modern Buyers, and therefore Marketers

A short while ago Andy Hobsbawn (founder of Agency.com) and I discussed some thoughts on what drives modern buyers. Thought I would share it with you:

1. Self expression – people want to show others what they are about. Look at people who buy cars for image, Apple Mac’s to look cool, etc.
2. Recognition and self worth – people aren’t only after the money! The average person lives better than any of the kings of the past centuries (running hot water, lights, entertainment, you name it, we’ve got it). Look at open source software such as Linux, where people spend huge amounts of time and energy to get their name on the credits list, nothing else comes their way.
3. Crave relationships – people want to engage, be part of communities, get to know others (even if fleetingly). Look at all the high growth businesses on the internet (MySpace, YouTube, Google, Amazon); every one of them has a user generated content and engagement component to the offering.

So, when selling something, think again about what drives the buyer.

Also, if you are looking for an interesting book, check out the The Cluetrain Manifesto. A great read.