# All hail the rise and rise of consumer power

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/10/15/all-hail-rise-and-rise-consumer-power/
- Published: 2007-10-15T11:31:55+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Last week, we saw (according to some sources) the dawning of a new era in consumerism.
I am referring (of course) to the release of In Rainbows, the new Radiohead album.
Obviously, a major event in the world of music, but because of the manner of its
release, it has taken on a much wider importance and significance.**

 

Radiohead, as you will no doubt all be aware, are one of the biggest and most critically
acclaimed bands in the world, and in their lead singer, Thom Yorke, have a spokesperson
renowned for his strong beliefs and integrity.

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Radiohead decided to make their new album available just as a digital download and
pre-order CD boxset. Nothing too unusual there, however, what was remarkable was
that one of the music industry’s most powerful bands decided that people could choose
to pay exactly what they liked for the download.

 

So if you wanted it for free, or to pay 10p, or £1 or £10 you could. No problem,
whatever sum you chose, the album was still yours.

 

The decision and the power – and by association, the trust – is all with the consumer.
And it was for a product with global appeal, released without any caveats such as
a requisite need for publicity or profile or PR.

 

The album became available last Wednesday and Time magazine quoted an A&R executive
as saying ‘This feels like another death knell’. Weekly music magazine the NME said‘
It will deal a further blow to struggling retail outlets who have been cut out of
the loop’.

 

However a reader survey found the average price paid by people was £7.19, relatively
close to the usual iTunes album price of £7.99.

 

So what has this got to do with fundraising?

 

Well nothing directly, but indirectly I think, quite a lot.

 

It is yet another example of the shift of genuine power to the consumer – possibly
a very significant one this time. Increasingly as consumers, we are getting to choose
and dictate relationships with the commercial and media worlds in a way we never
could before, and increasingly we are trusted to do so.

 

It is something that I believe we have, so far, been pretty reluctant to advocate
in our own sector. I have seen very, very few (if any) genuine examples of two-way
relationships with donors, where they really get to have any genuine influence or
power over the relationship.

 

But it is coming. Inexorably. And perhaps we ought to be doing more to get ourselves
ready.

 

Because for the words customer or consumer, you can simply replace them with the
words donor or supporter, and we can be sure, their expectations are going to be
the same.

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