The Crazy World of Consumer Behaviour

The COVID-19 lockdowns, the Ukraine war, climate change, Brexit, global supply chain disruptions, inflation. These are all Time Quakes: sudden and profound disruptions to social performance and predictability. Events like this shatter our understanding of the past and expectations for the future. In this talk we explore the role of consumption in 1) mourning a future that never happened, 2) managing the multiple new opportunities that suddenly arise, 3) finding out what we are to ourselves and each other in this new reality. Bring your hard hats and freeze-dried foods because it gets crazy!

Whether collecting travel memorabilia, or merchandise of one’s favorite team, or antiques from dusty vintage shops, we all have been involved in some form of collecting in our lives. People engaging in this activity are willing to invest sensible amounts of their energy, time, and money to seek, acquire, organize, and display multiple versions of the same item. But, what motivates people to collect? What keeps them hooked on an endless quest for the missing piece? We shed light on this unique and fascinating behavior that affects so many ordinary consumers. Join the talk to discover more!