What is Prosumer
Prosumer is a professional consumer refers to a customer who has very knowledgeable about the product they purchase. The prosumer is also describing the consumer who both consumes and produces (coined in 1980 by Alvin Toffler) such as customizing their own products, jewelry with initials, and car customizing.
The common thing between both prosumer definitions is these professional consumers have certain professional skills or interests in the product.
For example, a general consumer may choose a desktop computer based on general specs that the brand offers, while a prosumer might DIY a desktop computer by choosing each component based on professional experience.
Additionally, if we talk about new product adoption, the prosumers are typically the innovators and the early adopters.
History of the Prosumer
The concept of prosumer has to do with how we as a society are both consumers and producers and how this affects other factors. The term prosumer was first coined by Alvin Toffler in his 1980 book “The Third Wave”.
This is discussed in The Third Wave book, when Alvin Toffler suggests that prosumers will personalize the products they consume and interact directly with them. Alvin Toffler envisioned a world where consumers would be able to redesign the product they want and thus become an integral part of the development process.
The term “prosumer” has been used in the marketing world for years, but in today’s social media world, it has taken on a new meaning that business leaders and marketers can’t ignore. Prosumers are online influencers that business leaders and marketers need to not only identify, but acknowledge, respect, and nurture relationships.
How the Prosumers Important
Intuitively, we can say that brand advocates are actively growing due to the spread of social media, and in emerging economies that are at the peak of the Internet boom, these prosumers will become active first. Some people are one of the newer forms of prosumers, and companies are already catching on. The rise of the prosumer has allowed companies to turn to tech experimenters. Technological breakthroughs and increased user participation are blurring the line between production and consumption, and the consumer is becoming a prosumer, those pioneers who are willing to learn and try complex products.
Continuous advances in manufacturing technologies and methods make it increasingly possible to provide a higher level of personalization for consumers. Consumers who are actively involved in the production process require technical changes in the production of products, these will gradually occur as various industries adopt new technologies such as 3D printing. We expect people to want to play a larger role in the development or production of certain goods and services they consume.
On the other hand, the essence of the prosumer is to prefer the production of their own goods and services. The prosumer is actively working on the production of services and goods that he buys and consumes.
This trend has been called the rise of “prosumerism”, which is defined by the consumer participating in the design process of the services or products being consumed. Any product can be marketed as a consumer, but professional equipment tends to be bulky while consumer equipment is more about ease of use.
In the digital and online world, “prosumer” is used to describe 21st century online shoppers because not only are they consumers of products, but they can also produce their own products such as bespoke bags, initialed jewelry, team sweaters. logos, etc.
Online consumers will be replaced by “prosumers” who produce many “prosumer” goods and services themselves. Marketers will find fewer customers mass-producing goods and services, and less consumer interest in brands.
