Meaning market

Meaning market is a collective term for all offers on markets for goods and services that promise not only to offer the inquirer a material use value , but also " meaning ". The needs of those who “want to redeem intangible values ​​[...] also in consumption” are to be satisfied. ”The consumer product should become tangible as an immaterial enrichment and bring greater awareness with it.

Eike Wenzel , main promoter of the term meaning markets , justifies his assumption that the “search for meaning” is becoming a growing motive for action for consumers as follows: “The more we individualize ourselves and can live independently of traditional ties, the more freedom we have. This makes the question of 'why' and 'how', the need to understand the big picture, all the more important. An increase in freedom and material wealth leads, in a certain way, to a scarcity of meaning. And it shows that people no longer seek meaning only in the church or in tradition, but also in themselves and in certain forms of enjoyment and consumption. "

The German Marketing Association explains the growing interest of marketing experts in sensory markets with the fact that sensible markets offer higher growth and profit opportunities than the established "saturated markets". “Marketing tomorrow means: telling a story about people who have decided to create something that people really love and need. Because it's unusually beautiful. Or solving real problems. Because it saves the world. Or make fun in a way that people are made for, ”said Matthias Horx in 2015 .

Another meaning of the term also includes the labor market in the term meaning market .

history

It is emphasized again and again that being is more important than having in “meaning markets”. The concept "meaning market" has a strong orientation to the thought of the philosopher Erich Fromm , which this in his 1976 book, first published Have or to Be represents.

As early as 1980, the leisure and futurologist Horst W. Opaschowski predicted that the then prevailing trend towards experience-oriented life would soon pass its zenith. He warned that the adventure society leaves little room for euphoria about the future: “The experience boom 'outside' and 'with others' can turn into a boomerang within the soul. A new subtle form of loneliness can arise: the inner loneliness in the midst of a flood of contacts and external hectic pace. Even the providers of organized psychological programs will contribute more to distraction than to self-reflection. ”In 2005 (according to Opaschowski decades later) the time had come:“ Breathlessly bored of fun culture and adventure society, people are increasingly turning to the question of meaning in life. The future will increasingly belong to the orientation towards meaning - realized in the formula: From the flight into the senses to the search for meaning. ”In 2006 Opaschowski propagated the“ Moses principle ”:“ Have an idea, yes a vision of the good life - and go to arrive. "

The term "Sinnmarkt" was used in isolated cases even before the turn of the millennium. Georg Seeßlen said in 1999 that “[we] e know that our popular culture belongs neither to an enlightening interest in knowledge nor to a utopian project, but rather throws virtual goods onto a meaning market that are supposed to help us to settle in the world. "

In the 2000s, Eike Wenzel approached the phenomenon of the “market of meaning”. First of all, Wenzel turned his attention to the so-called Lohas (people with a “Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability”), who place great value on their own health and the sustainability of their consumer behavior . As a second target group, the so-called frugalists came into the focus of trend researchers. According to Wenzel, the frugalists live a kind of “stylish poverty awareness”. The wealthier frugalists intentionally consume less than would be expected given their purchasing power . In particular, owning a car is no longer a status symbol for an increasing number of people .

The “Spiegel” confirmed in 2013 that there is indeed a sustained demand for “meaning”. After a “School for Everyday Philosophy” was founded in London (the “Modern Life School”), it became clear that there was also a need in Germany at such facilities. People from the advertising industry in particular have recognized that “positioning” (on the various markets) is no longer sufficient, but that “setting” is also required for their work.

Meaning markets as sub-markets

The Economics Institute for Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts at the University of Göttingen (ifh) analyzed the development of the markets in Germany in 2008. It states that "the middle is dead" and divided the overall market into four growing areas: the "discount and trash markets", the "luxury and status markets", the "convenience and service markets" and the "sensory markets" including the markets for "fun" and "entertainment".

Types of "meaningful markets" (focus: consumer needs)

The Zukunftsinstitut (an institution headed by Matthias Horx, at which Eike Wenzel was still active at the time) differentiated between eight different "main sensory markets" in 2009:

1. Regionality: The meaningful markets of the near, the good and the familiar
2. Tourism: The meaningful markets of being on the move and self-change
3. Spirituality: The meaning markets of the transcendent and the religious
4. Education: Wising Up - the meaningful markets of the beautiful, the good, the true
5. Body and enjoyment: The meaningful markets of doing it yourself and self-management
6. Ethical consumption: The meaningful markets of sustainability
7. Social capitalism: the "meaningful markets of good deeds and common sense"
8. Media: The meaning markets of news and information, awareness industry 2.0

Regionality

There is no generally binding definition of the term region . Regions can define themselves geographically, but at the same time also historically-culturally or politically-administratively. There are also different ideas about regionality. Consumer surveys show that, for example, in small-structured regions of southern Germany, regional origin is described much more small-scale than in northern Germany. Lower Saxony consumers accept z. B. according to statements of the "Marketing Society of Lower Saxony Agriculture and Food Industry e. V. ”products are even classified as“ regional ”if they come from areas of their own federal state that are hundreds of kilometers away. In general, however, it is assumed that regions end at least 50 km away from the consumer.

There are two variants of regional marketing:

1. the national, national, European or worldwide advertising for an umbrella brand and its products with the aim of creating a preference for products from the region beyond the region in question ; The decisive factor here is the belief that products from the region in question are generally better than other products;
2. a deepening of the feelings of home of people who live in the region concerned, and a firm connection of this feeling with a preference for "local" products.

The only element of a market of meaning is the feeling of maintaining a feeling of being connected to home ( i.e. variant 2) .

Reimar von Alvensleben has proven that, as a rule, it can actually be assumed that consumers prefer products from “their” region. This is due to the “human need for a manageable and identity-forming environment. Familiarity with a region gives people security and creates sympathy for the region (contact-affect phenomenon). "

Many consider a regional circular economy to be particularly “sensible”: “Agriculture and animal husbandry are linked to one another, and vegetable waste and manure are returned to the fields. At the same time, an ecological company will also want to maintain existing structures in production and processing on site and build new ones where they do not (no longer) exist. ”The resulting trust of a consumer may be strengthened by the fact that, because of the low Go to the farm in question and personally convince yourself of the high value of the production and the products.

→ Main article : Regional foods

tourism

Alfred Auer, representative of the Robert Jungk Library for Future Issues , points out that travel will continue to have a high priority in the future, because in our mobility society it is a kind of “memory design” and is often stuck in long-term memory. Futurologists at the Wenzel School predict that the tourism market "will split up into the already existing package tourism and the new sensual tourism, which will gain even more market shares (approx. 25 to 40 percent of holidaymakers) in the future."

“Sinntourism” as a form of gentle tourism should contribute to the deceleration of the travelers and help them in their search for their identity, but at the same time create new employment opportunities for the residents in the target area.

In 2015 the Zukunftsinstitut spoke of a trend towards “de-touristification”: “The tourist's life is yesterday's. As a tourist you are excluded from real life, excluded from the authentic goings-on and locked in a hermetically sealed world of the tourism industry, which is mostly a facade. But this facade life is no longer the place people long for. They want the other, lively, real local life ”.

spirituality

This "market of meaning" is about offers that (should) convey spirituality to people . Eike Wenzel says: “In the next few years a battle for the pastoral position in our society will break out. […] Completely new and very traditional players such as the churches would fight for the market of salvation in the 21st century - and the Internet [would] (sic!) Play an ever greater role in this. “The trend towards more spirituality can with the likewise rapidly growing tourism market can be linked to the concept of a spiritual tourism .

On the “spiritual market of meaning” ( neologism coined by Wenzel ) in Germany, sales in the areas of coaching, nutrition, ecology and esotericism are said to have generated 25 billion euros in sales in 2011.

education

Education is also and especially education that does not (only) increase the economic human capital of those who are educated, i.e. H. makes their labor more valuable. "Wising up" (production of " mass scholarship ") could be the result of a strong need for many. According to Wenzel, the Internet plays a special role here: "[T] he Internet is capable of making us as a crowd smarter, more cultivated and, if you will, wiser than we ever thought possible."

Local and state initiatives that aim to " enhance the value of the intangible cultural heritage " are linked to the educational needs of cultural tourists . The establishment of cultural routes by the Council of Europe and the proclamation of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 also serve this purpose .

The example of the Fagus plant in Alfeld (Leine) shows how a potential travel destination is “valued” . The factory for shoe lasts, which was built in the Bauhaus style in 1911 , was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011 . The property is funded by the European Union and the State of Lower Saxony from ERDF funds . The sponsors explain the idea behind the object to the “sensible traveler” with the help of a quote from the architect Walter Gropius : “Palaces must be built for the work that not only give the factory worker light, air and cleanliness, but also let him feel something the dignity of the common great idea that drives the whole thing. "

Body and pleasure

The market for “lifestyle health” forms the core of this type of sensory market. The importance of this topic is an integral part of "Lohas". For the Zukunftsinstitut, however, the model of the "Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability" was replaced by that of the "Conscious Consumer" in 2013. According to the Zukunftsinstitut, this type criticizes the fact that, of all things, the health and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by little sustainability. These industries would have to reckon with the increased occurrence of the “responsible patient” type, as well as doctors, who on average appear less and less as “gods in white” to better informed patients. The unaffordable people in emerging and developing countries for expensive drugs are increasingly seen as a scandal by “conscious consumers”.

A distinction must be made between the “first” and the “second” health market. The first health market in Germany includes the area of ​​"classic" health care, which is largely provided by statutory health insurance (GKV) and private health insurance (PKV) (including long-term care insurance), to a lesser extent also by employers (continued wages in the event of illness), the state ( GKV subsidies) and other social insurance carriers. All privately financed products and services related to health are referred to as the second health market. The allocation of which goods and services are related to health is not clearly defined and is sometimes controversial. According to the general understanding, the second health market comprises over-the-counter medicines and individual health services, fitness and wellness, health tourism and - to some extent - the areas of sport / leisure, nutrition and living.

Petra Apfel thinks health is “for sale”: “Today health is a case for self-optimizers who take their physical, emotional and mental fitness into their own hands. For this they are ready to dig deep into their pockets. [...] The consumer good health includes vitamin pills, cosmetic surgery, organic food as well. "

Eike Wenzel proclaims to an “ objectively aging [n] […] [,] in truth a [r] subjectively rejuvenating [n]" society: "1. In the future, people will be old enough to get sick, but they will be fit enough to get well again. 2. First and second health market merge. The classic and the alternative providers can benefit equally from this. 3. Sport and travel, cosmetics and food are important components of the new health style. "

Ethical consumption

The Heinrich Böll Foundation criticizes the fact that for a long time goods were produced "behind factory walls or fences [...], often many thousands of kilometers from the points of sale" and thus withdrawn from the view and awareness of the end consumer. The 29 billion euros that were spent on advertising in Germany each year also had the effect of “that consumers never even think about how the goods are manufactured, by whom and under what circumstances . “Consumers were not interested in the ecological and social dimensions of production for a long time. Ethical consumption, on the other hand, is defined as "consumer behavior that is characterized by the special consideration given to ecological and social aspects when shopping."

While one could, according to the Heinrich Böll Foundation, threaten workers with dismissal, “even the all-powerful global corporations [...] could not dismiss their consumers”. If large numbers of consumers became more critical and more aware of their power, they would have to be taken seriously by producers. In fact, a "moralization of the markets" can be observed, and not only producers are forced to justify themselves, but also consumers who behave differently from the new "market morals".

In four studies (2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013) the Otto Group examined what “ethical consumption” means for consumers. In 2007, the Otto Group focused on the term “ bio ”, in 2009 the term “ fairness ”, in 2011 consumer confidence and in 2013 “ quality of life ” as the context of new forms of consumption.

For a large majority of respondents, "ethical consumption" in 2013 meant buying products

• decent working conditions are respected in their production (92% agreement);
• that were produced in an environmentally friendly manner (89 percent);
• that are fairly traded (87 percent);
• in the production of which attention is paid to assuming social responsibility (85%);
• that are recyclable (83%);
• that come from regional production (77%);
• which were produced without the use of genetic engineering (76%) and
• that come from organic production (73%).

Only recently have questions of animal welfare (i.e. the question of how slaughtered or shot mammals and birds and captured fish lived before they were killed) come to the center of ethical discussions.

However, the emphasis placed by the Otto Group is not a sufficient indication that older aspects of ethical action have lost relevance due to the "newer" focus. In 2014, for example, the Austrian Future Institute devoted a detailed analysis to the topic of “Trend and potential analysis for the organic future”.

"Social capitalism"

Martin Hundertmark took up the term “meaning markets of good deeds and common sense” in 2011 as an expression of the “increased desire of people to give something to society without receiving monetary reward.” This trend is particularly evident Young people can be identified, especially in the form of voluntary and unpaid or low-paid work assignments on their vacation or in their free time for the benefit of charitable projects. Against the background of social individualization processes and the dissolution of traditional community ties, the question of the conditions under which people behave in solidarity is immediately gaining in relevance. One often speaks of a “new volunteering ”, which, unlike the “old volunteering”, does not refer to long-term institutional ties, but is limited in time from the outset.

The “House of Good Deeds” in Berlin is an example of the marketing of products with reference to the “good ethos” of the providers : “The House of Good Deeds supports the sale of products from workshops for people with disabilities as well as from fair trade . Those who shop here are doing good: The proceeds do not go into the private pocket of the shareholders, but rather finance fairly paid jobs and sustainable and fair trade products in order to help people all over the world to secure their families. "

The world of work as a means of conveying meaning

For the proponents of the idea that meaningfulness is also in demand in the world of work, the main concern is that employers combat “sense-out” among employees. When this happens, employees get the impression (assumed to be false) that their work is not "meaningful". “The performance is initially retained. At the same time you just function. Almost everything is checked off on an inner to-do list. Regardless of whether it is a question of business obligations or private activities. In this way, even a pleasurable visit to a movie becomes an obligation that one only wants to live up to. Accompanying feelings are boredom, indifference, inner dissatisfaction, irritability. The fun, the passion, the burning for the task have been lost. Previous incentive systems such as power, money or status have lost their effectiveness. Mental questions arise. Cynicism and sarcasm are not uncommon. Sense-out leads to changes in behavior: procrastination , listless completion of tasks or blockages of motivation can result. Sense-out can create a creeping malaise over the years, reduce motivation and sometimes take away the desire for life. ”The most important antidote to this development are superiors who appear as“ creators of meaning ”. Sense as a “bonus” is suitable to bind valuable specialists to a certain company.

criticism

Nonsensical analyzes and forecasts

Alfred Auer, who feels obliged to Robert Jungk , a pioneer of future research, judges that Eike Wenzel and his employees have made "much-quoted" statements about meaning markets, many of which he rates as "comprehensible and plausible". However, some statements are "pulled by the hair". Auer considers the assumption that there is a trend towards "storm watching" or even "tornado hunting" in the tourism industry in the USA as particularly absurd.

Understand ≠ have understanding

Wenzel himself clears up the misunderstanding that he wants to approve everything that he describes and predicts. He self-critically notes that his books only hint at that "esotericism is ethically and morally problematic". He is of the opinion that the churches have "slept through" the development of the spiritual market of meaning and now have to face an uncomfortable competition with more attractive offers. Christian Antz , one of the pioneers of "spiritual tourism" in Saxony-Anhalt , demands that organizers of spiritual tourism have to "pick people up" where they are and not where the Christian churches are.

In the essay “The Self-Empowerment of the Religious Subject. The "spiritual wanderer" as the ideal type of late modern religiosity ", however, can be clearly felt the horror of some theologians cited in the article about what supposedly" loyal "members of their church actually believe (ie what consciousness content makes them susceptible to competing products on the" spiritual market of meaning " ). The theologian Ulrich Winkler warns: “[M] ultimate religious affiliation runs counter to religions. They demand serious and undivided approval of the teaching. A separation of individual rituals or practices from the theoretical and theological teaching context contradicts the self-understanding of religions. "

Some critics react particularly harshly to the “replacement religion of health”. Their relatives did not understand “that health is only a basic condition for life, but not life itself. To avoid death, they take their own life. And then they die after all. ”The suppression of the banal knowledge that“ health buyers ”can also die before the statutory retirement age is astonishing.

Deception and self-deception of customers and providers

In his interview with the “Presse”, Eike Wenzel cites the example of a monk who can resell ordinary apples bought in a shop in his village at a high profit in his monastery shop because some customers take them for “apples with a halo ” grew on trees in the monastery area.

Occasionally a mocking undertone mixes in the analyzes of the Institute for Trend and Future Research, for example when it speaks of the "eco- indulgence trade " or of " do- gooders " and (2013) is apparently surprised (or takes up the suspected surprise of others), that "meaning markets [...] are still a hot topic".

Jörg Blech , author of the book "The Disease Inventors", complains that allegedly "well-informed", but actually only half-educated patients fell for tendencies towards "medicalization", through which all possible "disorders" (even without further symptoms than allegedly "excessive" Laboratory values) would be defined as a "disease" requiring treatment. The reason for the success of this strategy is an exaggerated pursuit of "health".

Other reviewers point out that e.g. For example, "fairly traded" wine from Chile or South Africa also leads to a high level of climate pollution due to its transport to Europe, that goods "close by" are not necessarily better than goods produced a little further away, that organic farming does indeed involve the exploitation of the Agricultural workers who processed the products are compatible, etc. The customer's feeling that they have done an all-round “good work” by purchasing is often deceptive.

Another form of self-deception is that supposedly only "uneigennützlich doer" in reality even think of tangible material benefits. Martin Hundertmark points out that social engagement, e.g. B. in the form of voluntary unpaid work on vacation, "does very well on the résumé". Some young people are well aware of the advantages of underpaid work abroad: They perfect their foreign language skills in the target country and almost expect to receive plus points in the competition for a coveted job for their social attitude.

Commodification of the transcendent

The word component "market" signals that the behavior in question is always about a form of paying or being paid, be it in the form of money transfers or in the form of granting benefits in kind. As early as the 16th century, Martin Luther pointed out that salvation is not a commodity that can be bought (in the form of letters of indulgence). In this respect, formulations such as “market of the salvation of the soul” are misleading, since something is to be made into a commodity that is not suitable for it (this process is called commodification ). A “market of religions” dissolves the absolute claim of every religion “negotiated” there, which is why the large religious communities have in principle refused to sell religious gifts and promises of salvation.

Items that are associated with an aura of non-material value can be purchased, as well as services that are assigned a special non-material value.

It is correct, however, that the phrase “making an offer of meaning” contains truth. In times when there is no state-supported compulsion to believe, e.g. B. in the manner of the principle “ Cuius regio, eius religio ”, the retention of a religious offer that no longer meets with the corresponding demand harbors the risk that the economic basis of the religious community in question will erode (in the case of the “popular churches ” especially in Form of declining income from church taxes ). The Generation What? , which was carried out in 2016/2017 among 18- to 34-year-olds in several European countries, shows the extent of the erosion: Only three percent of those surveyed trust religious institutions fully, and 85 percent believe that they will be happy without believing in God could be.

Selective orientation towards meaning and deficits in implementation

According to the Otto Group's trend study from 2013, most people actually strive to “save the world and themselves” by aiming for consumption based on ethical criteria. According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", however, z. For example, until 2015 the three-liter car never found a significant number of buyers, and the collapse of textile factories with more than 1,000 deaths in Bangladesh did not lead to a profound change in consumer behavior. Such a change presupposes a feeling of personal concern. But if this arises and a shit storm develops from the anger derived from it, the sales of "indecently working" companies could quickly drop dramatically. The Otto Group considers real consumers to be unpredictable: “Our own actions oscillate between individual comfort and the satisfaction of needs on the one hand and the increasing desire for social responsibility and justice on the other. Consumers decide depending on the situation and with a view to increasing their own quality of life - that doesn't always have to be ethically correct ”.

It is also asserted that the impression that the actually “sensible consumer” and his behavior belong to a large minority is wrong. In a representative "Spiegel Online" survey from September 2009, almost 40 percent of Germans were in favor of a greenomics economy, according to Eike Wenzel as a participant in the annual meeting of the Green Academy 2010. But co-participant Kathrin Hartmann emphasized that fair trade products made up just 2 percent of the total market in 2009 and organic products just under 4 percent. And although more and more electricity customers are switching providers, only a small minority choose green electricity. Hartmann's analysis is confirmed by studies, according to which consumer surveys are generally of little value if they touch on complexes that aroused a guilty conscience in the respondents. For example, supposedly representative survey results are regularly not compatible with the figures on the total consumption of all consumers. For example, Germans ate more meat and drink more alcohol than they are willing to admit.

The aforementioned animal welfare conference in Göttingen ended with a panel discussion on the question: "How much animal welfare do we want to afford?" This question shows that ethical behavior is not necessarily understood as a requirement of a categorical imperative .

Wrong transfer from the goods market to the labor market

Volker Kitz, representative of a “new world of work pragmatics”, published the book “Feierabend! Why you don't have to be passionate about your job ”. Kitz presents the nine theses of its "Manifesto for Honest Work" in "manager magazin":

1. This company was not invented to make you happy with your work, but to create a product or service for society - and thus to earn your and our livelihood.
2. What you have to do is largely predetermined. It's about a common result, not about everyone realizing their personal ideas.
3. Your work is mostly routine, it is repeated. That's why you're so good at it.
4. Your work has a meaning for society because it satisfies a societal need. So there is a demand for what we do. It is not the job of work to give your life a meaning that it does not have without it. You are responsible for the meaning of your life.
5. There is no need for you to vibrate with passion. The decisive factor is not how committed and passionate you work - but how well. These are different metrics.
6. At work, you not only come across lovely people, but the entire spectrum of society. Even less nice people have to earn a living. Coping with it is part of the job.
7. Nobody is irreplaceable, nobody can and must save the world alone. We appreciate the mass of normal people who do their work normally every day, without fuss and noise, without theater fog and hot air. It is you, not the others, who keep our organization running. It is you who make the difference.
8. That's what you get paid for. Work is an exchange of time for money. We pay you appropriately in the here and now for the work you do here and now. We pay the same work with the same pay. We don't expect one salary to do the job of three. We do not promise you the meaning, but we promise the maintenance of your life. Those who work full-time must be able to live on their wages for their work.
9. Just as we do not give you the meaning of life, you do not have to give us your life. You don't have to make our company your business. We expect you to leave your working hours to us as agreed - and work during this time instead of booking vacations.

David Graeber doubts that every job has a meaning that only needs to be made clear to employees . He believes that a third of all jobs in industrialized countries, where computers, robots, etc. have taken on many important tasks, are "bullshit jobs". “A bullshit job is a form of employment that is so completely pointless, unnecessary or harmful that even the worker cannot justify its existence. So it's not about jobs that nobody wants to do, but about jobs that nobody really needs. ”(Definition in the advertising for Graeber's book“ Bullshit Jobs ”) According to Graeber, only 15 percent said in a survey carried out in the United Kingdom of respondents that they are sure that their job is contributing to the world. 13 percent were unsure and 37 percent were absolutely sure that they were not making any contribution to society in their job. In Germany, too , according to a survey by the DGB in 2016 , 35 percent of all employees had the impression of doing an activity that the world could actually do without.

However, the harsh judgment is relativized by the observation that the enthusiasm of many for a hobby shows that one can do something with joy without it having to be of use for anything. Apart from that, the question of the meaning of an activity can be answered differently depending on the interests. B. has received a warning from a lawyer who earns a large part of his income through warning letters, judges the sense of such an activity differently than someone on whose behalf the lawyer is active.

literature

• Eike Wenzel: Markets of meaning: the change in values ​​in the consumer world; Key trends for consumption, retail and marketing . Kelkheim. Future Institute. ISBN 978-3-938284-46-9

• Erich Fromm: To have or to be. The spiritual foundations of a new society . dtv. 2010 (37th edition). ISBN 978-3-423-34234-6
• Kathrin Hartmann: End of the fairy tale hour: How industry is taking over the Lohas and lifestyle ecos . 2009. Blessing. ISBN 978-3-89667-413-5
• Volker Kitz: after work! Why you don't have to be passionate about your job. Polemic pamphlet for more serenity and honesty in working life . S. Fischer. 2017. ISBN 978-3-596-29796-2
• Horst W. Opaschowski: Perspective 2030. Future markets as meaning markets . In: ders .: Perspective 2030. Random. 2013, pp. 227–232. ISBN 978-3-579-06635-6
• Nico Stehr: The moralization of the markets. A social theory . 2007. Suhrkamp. ISBN 978-3-518-29431-4
• Eike Wenzel / Anja Kirig: Greenomics. How the green lifestyle is changing markets and consumers . Munich 2008. ISBN 978-3-636-01556-3
• Eike Wenzel / Anja Kirig: LOHAS. Consciously green - everything about the new living environment . Redline. March 2009. ISBN 978-3-86881-023-3
• Eike Wenzel, Oliver Dziemba: Marketing 2020: The eleven new target groups - how they live, what they buy . Campus. March 2009.
• Eike Wenzel: Adventure markets 2030 . Redline. 2011 ISBN 978-3-86881-283-1
• Eike Wenzel / Oliver Dziemba / Corinna Langwieser: How we will live tomorrow: 15 lifestyle trends that will shape our future . Munich 2012. ISBN 978-3-86880-134-7

Web links

• Trend studies by the Otto Group:
  • 1st study 2007
  • 2nd study 2009
  • 3rd study 2011
  • 4th study 2013

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Institute for Trend and Future Research (ifz): Meaning markets. How the change in needs and awareness changes consumption after the age of prosperity . September 13, 2012
2. ↑ Timon Mürer: How should we live? . Heinrich Böll Foundation . February 17, 2010
3. ↑ Eike Wenzel: Consumption goal awareness expansion . The press . January 23, 2010
4. ↑ Dirk Bathen / Jörg Jelden: Marketing organization of the future . 2014, p. 22
5. ↑ Zukunftsinstitut: Adieu, Marketing! . August 2015
6. ↑ Horst W. Opaschowski: Growth limits of the experience market. Consequences for cultural policy . Lecture as part of the 3rd federal cultural and political congress “publikum.macht.kultur” in Berlin. June 24, 2005, p. 2
7. ↑ Horst W. Opaschowski: The Moses principle. The 10 commandments of the 21st century . Gütersloher publishing house. 2006. ISBN 3-579-06947-0
8. ↑ Georg Seeslen: Jakob and his brothers. New feature film images of fascism and the Holocaust . The time . Edition 46/1999. November 11, 1999
9. ↑ Eike Wenzel: Consumption goal awareness expansion . The press . January 23, 2010
10. ↑ Stefanie Maeck: Business with a search for meaning: I philosophize, so I earn . Spiegel Online . 23rd July 2013
11. ↑ Economics Institute for SMEs and Crafts at the University of Göttingen (ifh): Current trends in consumer behavior . September 19, 2008, p. 14
12. ↑ Study - Meaning Markets - The Change in Values ​​in the World of Consumption . Smart News Fachverlag GmbH. May 2009
13. ↑ Marketing company of the Lower Saxony agriculture and food industry e. V .: Definition of regionality
14. ↑ Reimar v. Alvensleben: Consumer preferences for regional products: consumer theory basics . University of Kiel . November 26, 1999, p. 6
15. ↑ Federal Office for Agriculture and Food: Inquired: What is ... regionality?
16. ^ Alfred Auer: Travel Trends . Robert Jungk Library for Future Issues. Salzburg. May 30, 2012
17. ↑ New Communication GmbH & Co. KG: Sinnmärkte - Changing Values ​​in Consumer Worlds: Regionality and Tourism ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . February 23, 2010 
18. ↑ Ralf Ebert: What role can culture play in regional development today? LEADER forum. March 2005, p. 30
19. ^ ZukunftsInstitut: De-Touristification: Back to traveling . 2015
20. ↑ Eight key trends at a glance. Spirituality . manager magazin , June 4, 2009
21. ↑ Jochen Martin Gutsch: Luck: Among unicorns . In: Der Spiegel . Edition 30/2012. Pp. 53-56
22. ↑ Eight key trends at a glance. Education . manager magazin , June 4, 2009
23. ↑ Eike Wenzel: Can the future still be saved? Why our system is in crisis and what needs to change so that we can live better tomorrow . Heyne. 2011
24. ↑ z. B. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) / Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg: Guide to the valorization of the intangible cultural heritage in Lusatia ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . April 2014 
25. ↑ European Union - European Fund for Regional Development / State of Lower Saxony: UNESCO visitor center Fagus-Werk Alfeld. A world heritage full of life . 2014
26. ↑ Zukunftsinstitut: FAIR - from niche to mainstream . Section From Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability to Conscious Consumer . July 2013, p. 22
27. ↑ Federal Ministry of Health: Health economy at a glance . 15th May 2017
28. ↑ Petra Apfel: Foodies and self-optimizers: To a certain extent, health can be bought . Focus Online . June 10, 2015
29. ↑ Institute for Trend and Future Research: Health 2030 - The growth market in an aging society . August 1, 2011
30. ↑ Tanja Busse: Green Lifestyle - the Power of Consumers . Heinrich Böll Foundation. May 3, 2010
31. ↑ Springer Gabler Verlag (ed.): Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, keyword: Ethical consumption
32. ↑ Otto Group: Quality of Life. Consumer ethics between personal advantage and social responsibility Otto Group Trend Study 2013, p. 6
33. ↑ University of Göttingen: Animal husbandry in the field of tension between animal welfare, economy and society. Proceedings of the Animal Welfare Conference 2015 in Göttingen . October 7, 2015
34. ↑ Zukunftsinstitut Austria GmbH: Biofach Organic 3.0. Trend and potential analysis for the organic future . Vienna. January 2014
35. ^ Martin Hundertmark: Volunteer tourism as an instrument for sustainable tourism development in developing countries . University of Applied Sciences Worms. 2011, p. 15 (23)
36. ↑ PPMG Potsdamer Platz Management GmbH: The house of good deeds.
37. ↑ Quadriga Media Berlin GmbH / Federal Association of Personnel Managers : Executives must be meaningful . November 14, 2013
38. ↑ Kirsten Brühl: Future Jobs. How we will work in Europe in the future . Zukunftsinstitut / DIS AG. September 2010, p. 25ff.
39. ^ Alfred Auer: Travel Trends . Robert Jungk Library for Future Issues. Salzburg. May 30, 2012
40. ↑ Simone Janson: Interview with futurologist Dr. Eike Wenzel: "If I could see into the future, I would write no studies" . berufebilder.de . August 21, 2009
41. ^ Christian Antz: Market Chances of Spiritual Tourism . Gera. March 23, 2010, thesis 26
42. ↑ Winfried Gebhardt / Martin Engelbrecht / Christoph Bochinger: The self-empowerment of the religious subject. The "spiritual wanderer" as the ideal type of late modern religiosity . Journal of Religious Studies . Vol. 13, 2005, pp. 133-152
43. ↑ Ulrich Winkler: Kneeling Theology. A religious theological reflection on a spirituality of comparative theology . In: Friedrich Erich Dobberahn / Johanna Imhof (ed.): Structures of Truth. Vol. 4: Risk of Freedom . 2009, p. 185
44. ↑ The health craze is the new religion. Interview with Manfred Lütz . welt.de . December 18, 2011
45. ↑ Institute for Trend and Future Research (ITZ): Consumption / ethical products: The-Union.co makes consumption a “good deed” . April 7, 2013
46. ↑ Jörg Blech: The Disease Inventors. How we are made into patients . S. Fischer. Frankfurt / Main. 2003. ISBN 978-3-596-15876-8
47. ↑ Jörg Blech: The pursuit of health is exploited . Deutsches Ärzteblatt . October 24, 2003
48. ^ Martin Hundertmark: Volunteer tourism as an instrument for sustainable tourism development in developing countries . University of Applied Sciences Worms. 2011, p. 16 (24)
49. ↑ "Generation CV": How career-fixated are young people really? . Deutschlandfunk . September 7, 2011
50. ↑ Hartmut Zinser: The market of religions . In: Religion in Ex-Position . Heidelberg. 2016, p. 62ff.
51. ↑ Research group Weltanschauungen in Germany (fowid): Generation What? - Happy without God . April 13, 2017
52. ↑ Ethical consumption: changing values ​​or paying lip service? www.sueddeutsche.de. April 23, 2015
53. ↑ Otto Group: Quality of Life. Consumer ethics between personal advantage and social responsibility Otto Group Trend Study 2013, p. 7
54. ↑ Timon Mürer: How should we live? . Heinrich Böll Foundation . February 17, 2010
55. ↑ Marie Rövekamp: Less meat, a lot of fruit. The great hypocrisy in nutrition . The daily mirror . January 21, 2018
56. ↑ Volker Kitz: After work! Myths of the world of work. Let's be honest: What companies should urgently tell their employees . manager magazine . March 27, 2017
57. ^ David Graeber: Bullshit Jobs. The true meaning of work . Klett-Cotta publishing house. 2018
58. ^ Leopold Stephan: David Graeber: "A third of our jobs are pointless" . derstandard.at. December 31, 2018
59. ↑ Bernd Kramer: David Graeber: My job is a bullshit job . zeit.de. September 8, 2016