The new marketing zeitgeist

Abstract

Some people’s lives are shaped very much by past events that they have experienced either positively or negatively. They often look back and think to them-selves “… back in those days things were still…”, or “… everything was better then…”, but perhaps also “thank goodness those days are gone”. Another group tends to live more in the future. Their whole lives are oriented toward the perception that one day, yet to come, life (or whatever) will be better. In order to make sure that they do have a better future, this group of people is willing to do without a lot of things for the present. They scrimp and save so that they can make a better tomorrow. And finally, there is a third group that does exactly the opposite. They do not save for a rainy day, but say to themselves “who knows what tomorrow will bring, I want to live for today…”. This group is investing in the present, so to speak, and relishes various things in full awareness that the future may well be uncertain. The three types of people described here are well known to psychologists.