When selling is a priority, exploring every marketing technique that leads you closer to the final consumer becomes vital. Companies understood this some time ago and developed what is known today as “consumerisation”.

End-users no longer form a cohort that can be singled down to an average profile. Instead, each potential consumer has its individuality analyzed, cherished, and used to maximise the chances of him/her turning into an actual consumer.

It all starts with the fingerprints you leave all over the Internet.

Whether you like or not, some forensics workers are in a hot pursuit of what you search for on Google, or what you like on Facebook.

Apparently NOW, that is only scratching the surface.

Every bit of information you read or write on the World Wide Web tells something about you to someone who does not intend to write your biography!

No, they pretend to want to know you better for a purpose that is equally wonderful (and disturbing).

Intelligent marketers no longer rely on old techniques like repeating ads or making them big or bold enough with vivid colors that trigger your urge to buy.

Something more subtle takes place.

Online marketing gradually moved in — camouflaging itself inside content you typically enjoy, adopting a native feel that works so well.

Miracles do happen, but not on the Internet!

The website you are on displayed that ad of a cheap flight to your dream holiday destination is not because there is a higher purpose governing our Universe, but rather because the guys at “Google”, “Facebook” and … and … and … and … etc. enjoyed their time, snooping in your browsing history. AdSense (Google ads) revolutionised online commerce by compiling user preferences and delivering bulls-eye advertising.

Other Internet services work similarly. Give them a couple of hints, and they will be glad to make decisions for you…

Whether it is about what TV show to watch on Netflix, or who to date on Tinder, we allow artificial intelligence to help us navigate the paradox of choices. 

Social media took things even further.

Their ads lure you like sirens, disguised as your friends’ preferences, and scattered across your news feed. Even the staunchest critics of intrusive advertising cannot say no to that ‘beautiful‘ pair of shoes their friends “liked.”

When they are not busy tracking your surfing sessions, online marketers perform A/B testing on you.

Do not worry!

It is not something they initially did on animals until PETA intervened. A/B testing is a simple method of pinpointing less obvious factors that elicit a favourable response. In its most common form, the method relies on displaying ads scattered differently across the webpage [check out our sidebar – have you noticed something of interest 😉].

Call it madness, but some people simply cannot resist the urge of going on a shopping spree when the native ad… obeys a golden ratio.

Consumerisation reaches new levels when companies start using it on their own employees.

Allowing you to change the desktop wallpaper is one thing, but tailoring everything to suit you (better) – may be a bit too much. However, this trend exists, and it promises to make employees more efficient while increasing their satisfaction levels in the workplace!?

If the strategy works for convincing you to buy things, why should it fail to make you a happier pin in the company’s mechanism?

With it, consumerisation brought the demise of the fixed job description (YES!). It is common sense to allow employees to do what they are best at and drives them forward with motivation and excitement. But the downsides of consumerisation should be obvious by now.

Because it relies on a feedback mechanism, it keeps us in a loop of personal preferences that gets smaller with each cycle.

We become picky as consumers when the product we are after lacks that native touch and even pickier as candidates seeking a job.

Consumerisation is long past the moment, it undid the effects of depersonalized mass production.

We are heading for a glorious future in which if we do not receive enough attention you will break consumers’ hearts.

The question whether consumerisation is good or evil is meant for the real HR philosophers.

With the ethical implications on one side of the scale and the obvious benefits on the other, most people go straight for the blindfold – or is this now changing…

© New To HR