Marketing 0

Polarization of Lifestyles
Polarization occurs not only in ideological and communal choices but
also in lifestyle preferences. On one end, the minimalist movement is
becoming more popular. Marie Kondo, a Japanese home decluttering
advisor, rose to global prominence for advocating the minimalist
approach to tidying up one's house. The idea behind minimalism is
that living with less stuff lowers stress, releases burdens, and gives
more freedom to pursue what truly matters.
Financial hardships brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and
unemployment indeed force some people to live a frugal lifestyle.
They put more emphasis on essential and less on discretionary
spending. But even some affluent individuals, with higher
purchasing power, choose a more modest lifestyle and avoid
shopping excessively. Also conscious of their carbon footprint and
empathetic toward global poverty, they opt to forgo the pursuit of
material possessions. The way of life follows conscious consumption,
sustainable clothing, and responsible traveling practices.
Contrastingly on the other end, the consumerist lifestyle is also on
the rise. Some people desire to show off lavish lifestyles and
indulgent buys. Although they exist across different socioeconomic
classes, most aspirants are coming from the middle class and
emerging affluent segment.
Using social media as a benchmark tool, the consumerists aspire to
emulate the people in the higher social tiers and climb up the ladder.
Often the early adopters, they rush to buy newly launched products.
Their social media feeds become a journal of brand experiences. The
“fear of missing out” (FOMO) often haunts them and influences their
buying decisions and life priorities. The mantra is “you only live
once” (YOLO), so they go all out on spending.
People at both ends of the spectrum believe that their lifestyles bring
them happiness. And both the consumerists and the minimalists
attract marketers who aim to capitalize on the emerging lifestyles. In

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fact, they are now two of the biggest markets worth pursuing, as
anything in between is disappearing.