Complicated Lives - The Malaise of Modernity

Zusatztext "... Complicated Lives points out! working time has...slightly decreased...But just about all of us feel we have less time..." (Financial Times! 25 September 2003)"...an important new book..." (Marketing Week! 4 September 2003)"...comflicting claims in the media is to blame for most of our anxiety..." (Daily Express! 22 October 2003)"...In this fascinating book the authors lead us gently through the maze of complications..." (Research Magazine! November 2003) Informationen zum Autor Michael Willmott is co-founder of the Future Foundation, a consumer think-tank that advises organisations on emerging customer needs. He has 25 years experience as a researcher, analyst and forecaster and is a regular writer, presenter and media commentator on social, economic, political and technological change and its implications for business, government and society. His book Citizen Brands , recently published by John Wiley and Sons, deals with the dynamics of the relationship between companies and society and the implications for branding. William Nelson is Analysis Manager for n Vision, the Future Foundation's online social and consumer trends and forecasting service. In recent years, he has managed research projects for a number of major clients including a three-year programme of research for retail bank Abbey National on the subject of life's complications. He is Editor of practioner papers for the Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Klappentext Steadily rising affluence and greater freedom have brought us more choices, more opportunities, and richer lifestyles than ever before.However, here is the 'paradox of progress' - that our expectations are greater than ever, that there is never enough time, and that the great majority of us are suffering from 'choice overload'. Life often feels too hectic, too pressured - too complicated.Would we really want to turn back the clock to simpler times? Absolutely not - today's consumers are richer, healthier, safer and have more freedom than any before them. But to reap the benefitsof progress, consumers need help to cope with the complexities they face. This is the key problem in the lives of the affluent majority, and a prime opportunity for business in the 21st century.In a book as useful to consumers as it is to business strategists, Willmott and Nelson present in-depth analysis of the complexities of modern consumers' lives, and provide innovative and practical responses for business and marketing strategy. Zusammenfassung No matter what your age or occupation, life is complicated. Cultural and commercial globalisation, a proliferation of new channels, the decline in deference to traditional institutions such as the church and family, and the rise of the 'anxiety society' have all contributed to the seemingly unmanageable range of choices that permeate our lives. Drawing on a 3-year project carried out with the Abbey National, this book is about such complexity and the challenges that it presents to companies and organisations seeking to be consumer-led. Exploring the issues themselves alongside a wide range of viable responses (from the development of choice-simplifying brands to radical new segmentation techniques), Michael Willmott and William Nelson illustrate why coming to terms with complexity is the first step on the road to future profitability - and the unique opportunities that are available to companies that can achieve it. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction. 1. It's a Complicated Life. 2. The New Individualism. 3. The Routeless Society. 4. Human Capital and the Network Society. 5. New Life Courses, New Challenges. 6. Technology and Complexity. 7. The Choice Explosion. 8. Regendering Life. 9. The Parenting Challenge. 10. The Anxiety Society. 11. Complicated Times. 12. Navigating a Complex World. No...

List of contents

Introduction.
 
1. It's a Complicated Life.
 
2. The New Individualism.
 
3. The Routeless Society.
 
4. Human Capital and the Network Society.
 
5. New Life Courses, New Challenges.
 
6. Technology and Complexity.
 
7. The Choice Explosion.
 
8. Regendering Life.
 
9. The Parenting Challenge.
 
10. The Anxiety Society.
 
11. Complicated Times.
 
12. Navigating a Complex World.
 
Notes.
 
Index.

Report

"... Complicated Lives points out, working time has...slightly decreased...But just about all of us feel we have less time..." (Financial Times, 25 September 2003)
 
"...an important new book..." (Marketing Week, 4 September 2003)
 
"...conflicting claims in the media is to blame for most of our anxiety..." (Daily Express, 22 October 2003)
 
"...In this fascinating book the authors lead us gently through the maze of complications..." (Research Magazine, November 2003)
 
"... draws on numerous sources to back the claims, and explains the theories in straightforward language. A very refreshing read..." (Marketing, 5 February 2004)
 
"... It should be key reading for those tasked with re-engineering and future-proofing their organizations..." (Interactive Marketing, Vol 5 No 4 April/June 2004)
 
"...Full of challenging ideas that should help us with our understanding of future trends..." (Long Range Planning, Vol.37, No.4 August 2004)

Product details

• Authors: William Nelson, Michael Willmott, Michael Nelson Willmott, Willmott Michael
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 15.08.2003
• EAN: 9780470857014
• ISBN: 978-0-470-85701-4
• No. of pages: 264
• Subjects: Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Lifestyle, personal development; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Management; Ratgeber Wirtschaft, Business & management, Wirtschaft u. Management, Business Self-Help, Wirtschaft /Ratgeber