I tried in a fumbling way to talk about the consumption of images,
experience, fashion or trying to imagine ourselves as part of another story.
Imagine my surprise when at my local library I ran across a book, The Dream
Society, which says pretty much the same thing. The book is quite
predictable, so don't run out and buy it. Most of what it has to say is
below, taken from the Amazon review site.
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The Dream Society : How the Coming Shift from Information to Imagination
Will Transform Your Business
by Rolf Jensen (Introduction)
List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $17.47
You Save: $7.48 (30%)
Hardcover - 242 pages (1999)
McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0070329672 ; Dimensions (in inches):
1.13 x 9.31 x 6.27
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 899
Popular in: Netherlands (#13) , Norway (#3) . See more
Avg. Customer Review:
Number of Reviews: 3
Reviews
From Booklist , April 1, 1999
Even though nearly 80 percent of the world's population
is still without access to even a telephone,
pundits have already begun to announce the end of the
Information Age. Here, Jensen proclaims
"the dream society." He heads the Copenhagen Institute
for Future Studies, Europe's largest
future-oriented think tank, and he documents
humankind's evolution through four previous
"techno-economic systems": hunter-gatherer,
agricultural, industrial, and information. Two trends
signal the transition to the dream society: information
tasks are being automated and will be taken for
granted, and emotion is becoming commercialized. The
result, argues Jensen, is that consumers will
no longer buy products but rather lifestyles and the
"stories," experiences, and emotions products
convey. Jensen sees six separate "emotional markets":
adventure, love and friendship, care,
self-identity, peace of mind, and beliefs or
convictions. He details how the way business creates and
sells products will be transformed. Jensen also sees
major changes in the workplace, at home, and
in relations between the rich and the developing
nations; and he enthusiastically portrays the utopia
he envisions. David Rouse
Copyright� 1999, American Library Association. All
rights reserved
Book Description
The future is uncertain--the world is constantly
changing. While anything can happen, some things
are far more likely than others. Rolf Jensen,
internationally renowned futurist, provides readers with
a tangible look at what the future will be like over
the next 25 years. By identifying what lies ahead,
Jensen gives people the knowledge they need to make
informed decisions and strategically align
themselves to capitalize on the unknown future, a
future Jensen call "the Dream Society." This dream
society is characterized by the commercialization of
emotions. In this provocative exploration,
Jensen says that it will no longer be enough to produce
a useful product. He shows that, to be
successful, the primary purpose of a product will be
the ability to fulfill an emotional need. Those
who understand the working of this dream society will
be the ones who create the new products,
new markets, and new businesses that dominate the world
of tomorrow.
From the Back Cover
"Businesses need to imagine their futures the way good
novelists imagine their stories." -Rolf Jensen,
Director, The Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies.
What's the future of business after the
Information Age? It won't be the latest technology or
newest product, but the story behind the
product that will provide the competitive edge. The
company with the best story wins; consumers
will pay for the story that sparks the imagination,
that reflects how we see ourselves and how we
want others to see us. What are the most important raw
materials of the twenty-first century?
Stories that will translate information for consumers
into accessible, emotional terms. As
cookie-cutter products inundate the market, companies
of the future will have to differentiate
themselves from the competition by creating stories
about who they are, what they stand for-stories
that appeal to the heart of the consumer. Some of the
world's most successful organizations-Disney,
Nike, Rolex-have long recognized society's appetite for
a good story. They have demonstrated the
ability to satisfy that need by entertaining the
consumer as well as providing information, and will
reap the financial rewards well into the next century.
These cutting-edge companies are ushering in
the Dream Society, the era of storytellers. In The
Dream Society, the intriguing new work by
distinguished futurist Rolf Jensen, storytellers-those
who create the culture and image of a
company-will be the most generously rewarded leaders of
tomorrow's organizations. We as a
society need stories of success-of the will to achieve
regardless of the cost-and we are willing to pay
for them. The Dream Society profiles the six major
markets that target our basic emotional needs.
Those needs-for adventure, for togetherness, to care
and be cared for, to define ourselves, to feel
safe and secure, to demonstrate our convictions-form
the foundation of the Dream Society. The
Dream Society provides examples of successful companies
that already understand those markets,
and meet and profit from them. It emphasizes the
necessity for all organizations to harness these
markets so they can thrive in the future. Most
important, it details how your company can be poised
to take advantage of this coming market megatrend. As
the Information Age has rendered much of
yesterday's work obsolete through technology, the Dream
Society offers us the limitless world of
human potential and dreams. Clearly, the Dream Society
as the future is already upon us-don't let
your company be left behind.
Customer Comments
Average Customer Review: Number of Reviews: 3
[EMAIL PROTECTED] from Colorado , September
28, 1999
Imagine starting a business and a "story" at the same?
Rolf Jensen postulates an age where companies will have
to differentiate themselves by creating
stories about who they are, what they stand for, and
who their customers will be when they become
"part" of the story as consumers. Using the trends
established by existing, successful organizations
like Nike and Disney, Jensen paints a picture of
marketing through consumer allegiance by
imagination.
For would-be futurists, this book is compelling. For
ordinary business folk, this book gels all the
trends and ideas you've been seeing lately, and makes
sense of it all. For the rest of us -- the Dream
Society articulates the need we humans have for
stories, culture, and acceptance.
This is an extraordinarily intriguing book. Even if you
don't agree (or are afraid to imagine) the future
scenarios Jensen presents, you'll be compelled to admit
-- the Dream Society may really be here
after all. A must-read!
Henrik Helm ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) from Luxembourg, Europe , June
9, 1999
An interesting book about tomorrow - reality or
fiction?
Why do some people buy a watch at $ 10.000, when you
can get a much more precise one at $
10? Because time is not the essential thing - it�s
about dreams, lifestyles and adventure. Why is the
automobile the "New Beetle" such a big success? Because
it looks almost like the old one (apart
from new technology). Why is the movie "Titanic" the
greatest blockbuster of our time? Because it�s
a story about a ship, a journey into nostalgia,
feelings and lifestyles of persons 87 years ago.
Dreams, stories, lifestyles, feelings, adventure,
nostalgia, care - you�ll get all the questions and
answers in this well-written and provocative book about
the next 25 years in the affluent societies.
It�s difficult to find arguments against the many
examples and facts in this amazing book. Just to
mention two examples: according to the author, doctors
will gradually be replaced by automation
within the health care sector, but nurses will get
their golden age because of the explosive need to
provide for care in the coming years. And: "The story
can be told with a whole range of products,
the product themselves being secondary". This is the
reason why people buy Marlboro, Nike,
BMW, Rolex and other brands at a price many times the
price for other more unknown products.
There is always a story behind:
adventure(Marlboro-man), lifestyle (Nike) or nostalgia
(BMW-oldtimers). This well-structured book is not about
utopia, it�s about the changing patterns of
our daily lives, and it�s already happening...
[EMAIL PROTECTED] from The Hague, The
Netherlands , June 4, 1999
A nice vision on a future that might already be here
today.
This is a good, visionary book on what could lie just
around the corner of the information age. One
should remember that future visions are no magic
bullits, future visions are broad avenues rather that
narrow paths, meant to make one think in different and
new ways. People like Rolf Jensen have the
ability to build a future vision without getting
squishy or vague. This book is not about vague ideas
but centers on the notion that we are more and more
buying the 'story' behind products or services
rather than the product or service itself. On the basis
of this notion, implications for businesses,
markets and people are laid down in an easy-going
style.
I have had the honour and opportunity to spend several
hours with Rolf Jensen in June, 1999, we
had plenty of time to talk undisturbed on a large
variety of issues. Thanks, Rolf, for indulging me.
He's a smart, witty and driven individual.
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