What are consumers thinking after the financial crisis?

Well, according to John Gerzema there are four major cultural shifts that are driving a new type of consumer - one driven by value and values.

He believes that the crisis, while admittedly difficult, has also provided businesses with opportunities if they can only tap into the new style of consumerism and he should know what he's talking about. As someone who spent his career creating and guiding the brand strategies of many household names including MacDonald's and Coca Cola, he is now Chief Insights Officer for American marketing giant Young and Rubicam.

Below is a link to his talk from a TED conference back in 2009. It is based on the American situation and their consumers but, as you would expect, there are many parallels to our own situation. For the sake of just over 16 minutes it is worth the watch just for the insights and the ideas it generates in how you may be able to move your business forward by thinking like your customers.

To watch the video on www.ted.com click here