23: Pain, Sacrifice, and Our New Status Symbols

Brands get lucky once, maybe twice every generation, when the rules of status change and social equity is suddenly up for grabs. Our Concept Bureau Senior Strategist Zach Lamb believes we are in the midst of one of those rare shifts right now, where we are moving from the self-indulgence of conspicuous consumption to the self-denial of what he calls “conspicuous commitment”.Public figures are devoting themselves to difficult new modalities, diets, spiritual quests, life practices and ideologies. Your friends are going on arduous, painful, yet revelatory, psychedelic retreats. All around us, wellness brands, food brands, medical brands, lifestyle brands tell us that self-denial is the new flex.No longer are we obsessed with flaunting material possessions and extravagant experiences; instead, we're witnessing the rise of people showcasing their unwavering dedication to self-work, vulnerability and personal growth.In a time when nihilism is literally everywhere, when pessimism gets clicks on headlines, when post-capitalist hopelessness is a trending aesthetic on TikTok and every meme deals in absurdity, conspicuous commitment stands out.In this episode, we also speak with W. David Marx, author of “Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change” who has an alternative view of how status is tied to money more than ever, and what that means for an increasingly flattening culture.If you deal in any premium or luxury category, this is a must-listen. The ways we seek to distinguish ourselves have dramatically evolved as we prioritize discipline and personal growth over material success.That means everyone has to play by new rules.Links to interesting things mentioned in this episode and further reading:Conspicuous Commitment Is the Next Era Of Status (Concept Bureau)Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx (Amazon)Money Can’t Buy Happiness. It Can’t Even Buy Status, a New Book Says. (New York Times)‘The Most Measured Man in Human History’ (Vice)High Fidelity Society is Reorganizing the World (Concept Bureau)Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid by Jonathan Haidt (The Atlantic) Brokenism (Tablet)Futurist Predicts Humans Will Achieve Immortality By 2030 (IFLScience)How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan (Amazon)Check out our website for more brand strategy thinking, and come connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.