I've been musing on the concepts of badges and why we seemingly feel the need to broadcast our choices, most obviously our choice of social causes. From Inspi(red) shirts to Livestrong bracelets and self-proclaimed reusable bags, consumers have been increasingly showcasing their alliances. So what's the draw? Folks would never want a Coach purse that said "I'm made of cow!" but we love our reusable bags stating "I'm made of recycled plastic bottles!" (Though some would argue that Coach is already synonymous with quality leather, aka cow, so it wouldn't need such a proclamation, but I digress...) We like people to know that we're green, or that we support cancer research, and badges make that possible.
But what if we didn't get our badges? What if people went around collecting one dollar for cancer research without giving athletes and general supporters the now-iconic bright yellow rubber bracelet? Would it have been as successful? My best guess tells me no, definitely not. But how long will this work? Will badges start to lose their meaning, their momentum? If so, will people still buy reusable bags that don't proclaim their continued use, or support AIDS research one iPod-priced donation at a time? I regret to say it's likely some of these behaviors may taper off, and I'm worried that these causes might suffer if badges lose their social currency. What do you think might be the next evolution?
To take the discussion one step further and play the devil's advocate to my own thoughts on generational theories: One common belief of Millennials is that they were raised on praise and recognition and thus are motivated by reward. We were paid for good grades, and showcased weekly in our schools for menial achievements like running the mile in under 8 minutes. Assuming this recognition-and-reward-based-condition is valid, might this be part of why these products are so transparent, and so popular in young demographics? Then again, badges are far from exclusive to the young folks. Anyway, just a thought. It's not like the Millennials are the only ones making the products, either.
Photo: Bag from Roots Canada
Posts
