Raving Superconsumers
Some years ago, Harvard Business Review introduced the superconsumer. On first sight this looks like a power user, ie someone who buys your products and services in high volume. Whilst superconsumers are indeed high volume users they are also highly engaged customers.
Their engagement extends from innovative use of your offerings which when shown to other users will drive demand right through to collaborative co-creation of service strategy.
As business leaders mentally adjust from ‘survival by cost management’ to top line growth through a focus on the customer experience, the notion of superconsumers is one to keep in mind.
If you organise a social event you want all guests to enjoy the experience but also to contribute to the quality of the event. So guests are both the consumers and producers of the associated experience.
As we move into the social economy this engagement model will apply to the most esoteric and mundane products and services.
So I would suggest that superconsumers are seen less as an exotic and influential subset of your customer base and more as the profile of your target customers. This requires tough decisions in respect of how you get the party started and how you keep it going. It also requires that you turn away those that aren’t ‘buzz amplifiers’.
Perhaps management consultants need to spend more time understanding the ecosystems of the super clubs such as Pacha and Amnesia where they certainly have raving fans. When you sell memorable experiences price becomes secondary.
