24. Super globalization vs. Super localization

24.

Super globalization vs. Super localization

On the one hand, we strive for a big and more global world. On the other hand, we increasingly appreciate our local values. This turns into a polarization of how we value our own values. We end up with a split: Super globalization and Super localization at the same time. Confusing? Not really, it’s very human and fits very well into our deep desire for improvements.

This works a bit like a swing, not only going from globalization to localization and back again but also by balancing our values. The more global you feel, the more you value who you really want to be. The more global you feel (bigger swing), the more you will appreciate local values. Some call it the “seaman syndrome”, he longs for the sea when he is at home and longs for home when he is at sea.

Our market and us as consumers are experiencing this polarization right now. It’s driven by the hunger for improvements, a continued search for something more. It’s the same need that keeps us moving forward. We as humans have done that through the entire human evolution, 99% of our time as humankind. In some respect, it’s for the sake of development. But sometimes it’s only a swing that goes back and, later on, forth, just like when we breathe in and out and then in again. We see examples of this regarding food and sustainability. This interconnection has never been stronger or more relevant than today. It’s really a hot case and driven by the way we value new values, things swing back and forth. What we

shall eat, how, and where. Price, value, and health all come into play. This very much depends on how we accept to be influenced by all different media, trends, and where we are as persons in our own life cycle and situation. We also see and experience values differently depending on which generation we belong to. It’s an interesting perspective, as always. Young generations have a bigger swing (more global values and local values at the same time) than the older ones. Generation X (born 1966-1976) and Generation Y (born 1977-1994) feel and act differently and you need to do your research depending on which consumer group you are targeting today and tomorrow.

Generations are, by default, different from each other. Soon Generation Z (born 1995-2012) will start spending their own money; today, they are still spending their parent’s money. They come with a new way of evaluating their unique values. It’s driven by a big portion of polarization (big swing) in their ambition going toward Super globalization, at the same time as they are starving for Super localization – it’s the price that they pay and a solid focal point right in the middle of “ME”. Generation Z (today’s teenagers) is also known as the Me generation; read more about this in chapter 6: Brand owners. The big driver for this development is how much and how fast we’ll change and develop over time. The payback must feel like a reward, which we then can and will deal with. We’ll make this change and it will become our profile over time, for good or for bad? Our ongoing hunger and need for constant movement forward controls this by our default human evolution and it will keep evolving for a very long time.