American consumers want the products they buy to make their lives easier. The ability to peruse the marketplace and purchase things that enable convenient daily living is among the cornerstones of the American conception of personal freedom.
But this isn’t to say that American consumers care only about freedom and convenience. As our anthropological research repeatedly shows, they also want to make a difference in the world, particularly when it comes to promoting sustainability and fighting climate change. But they want their product choices to enhance their sense of personal freedom, not limit it. They’re unlikely to buy products that force them to trade freedom for sustainability if the latter inconveniences their lives.
Predictive anthropology: Illuminating the hidden meaning behind consumer culture
Examining consumer culture through an anthropological lens reveals how consumers connect their buying habits to the big ideas they hold dear. Our MotivAI tool crunches vast amounts of consumer data, allowing us to see the hidden meanings behind the words consumers use online. This tool gives us a unique window into the different cultural ideals consumers adopt to construct identities and add meaning to their daily experiences, a process that directly impacts what they buy.
Case study: Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) embody the tension between freedom, convenience, and sustainability that often defines American consumers’ buying habits. Indeed, our recent research on Electric Vehicles shows that getting Americans to adopt EVs en masse hinges on making EVs compatible with American car culture — and the convenient sense of freedom it fosters because American culture is car culture. Americans prefer cars because they’re both necessary (cars get them where they want to go, when they want to go) and just plain enjoyable to drive. President Biden knows this, which is why his administration recently unveiled a USD 1.7 billion-dollar plan to boost domestic EV production. The Biden-Harris administration also set a goal of building a national network of EV-charging infrastructure “so that the great American road trip can be electrified.”
These initiatives target consumers who are concerned about climate change but still want the convenience of a car-centered lifestyle — and that means being able to charge EVs conveniently. We examined these consumers in our Jobs-to-be-Done research detailing what they consider to be the advantages and disadvantages of owning an EV. These consumers aren’t hardcore environmentalists, but they want to do their part for the planet by lowering emissions, and, as our research shows, they think EVs can do just that. However, they aren’t willing to pay the high upfront cost for an EV if doing so also means sacrificing the convenience of being able to drive wherever and whenever they want and power their vehicles with ease.
Consumers worry about the general lack of public EV charging infrastructure in most communities. This isn’t just a problem in rural areas and along the interstate. Consumers think charging access is also insufficient in cities, where space constraints make it difficult to build public charging stations, leaving millions of garage-less renters unable to charge the EVs they’d otherwise like to buy. To put it simply: Many consumers think EVs pass the good-for-the-planet test but too often fail the freedom-and-convenience test because it’s still way more convenient to find a gas station than a charging station.
Plugging EVs into the freedom of car culture
U.S. sales of EVs are still rising but at a slower pace than in other countries. Accelerating the pace of these sales will require better public charging infrastructure. Government-backed pilot projects in places like New York and Cambridge, MA that aim to beef up urban EV charging infrastructure are encouraging to consumers. But private sector initiatives are also key to driving (pun intended) adoption of EVs. As Lux Research has reported, a joint venture of some of the biggest automakers is slated to roll out this summer, with the aim of installing 30,000+ fast-charging stations in cities and along U.S. highways. Making EVs compatible with the freedom and convenience of American car culture will go a long way toward “electrifying the great American road trip.”
The takeaway
CPG brands that understand how American consumer culture is built around freedom and convenience will be well situated to make their products and services pop in Americans’ star-spangled eyes. An anthropological approach to consumer research helps get at the deeper beliefs — and identify potential barriers — to product adoption that standard market research may not reveal. By grasping the nuances of consumer cultures, CPG brands can hit the sweet spot between conveniently enhancing personal freedom, contributing to a higher cause, and making a nice profit.