What is the shift?

The shift is not merely on how customers are consuming the products, it’s a large-scale shift. A complex transformation is just beginning, it is driven by the tension in the old and the new power.

Old power

Old power works like a currency, held by a few. The powerful have a substantial store of it to spend. It is guarded, it is inaccessible by anybody else, and is dictator/leader-driven. Downloaded by the few who have access. It was driven by the thought of consumption, forcing its customers to buy.

New Power

It is like a current. Made by many, open, participatory, and peer-driven. It uploads and distributes. The goal with new power is not to hold yourself but to channel it.

The participation level of customers with organizations:

• Level 1 (Consumption) – The customer relationship with the brand is only up to consumption.
• Level 2 (Sharing) – Higher than the consumption level. Facebook, YouTube are examples of sharing.
• Level 3 (Shaping) – the character of sharing will shape the kind of participation expected.
• Level 4 (Funding) – At this level organizations become even inclusive with their customers. People start investing money where their mind and heart is. E.g. crowdfunding. Customers move from being contributors to investors.
• Level 5 (Producing) – Customers start producing with you. It goes beyond sharing content and ideas. E.g. Airbnb
• Level 6 (Co-owning) – The customers co-own the business. It happens when you are producing using something else. E.g. Open source software’s like Linux.

Sharing and shaping to even strengthening some old power players, giving birth to an inclusive economy. People can go beyond passive consumption to a collaborative consumption of goods, ideas, and content. E.g. Nike uses Facebook and YouTube to further enhance their brand.

The majority of the businesses today, across the world are sitting at the consumption level.

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