“The Customization Trap” and Why Curation Is the Answer To Content Glut

As consumers, we are faced with nonstop options to customize our lifestyle. Products come in new varieties and we are faced with endless choices at every turn. Yet, in what should be a consumer paradise, how many times do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix or some other service and thinking, ‘There is absolutely nothing to watch?’

I know it shows my age, but I was talking to friends recently who were complaining about just that despite having more available options on more (and they said too many) streaming services. They mentioned a time long past when best case you’d have five channels offering TV content but found themselves watching more TV and enjoying it more. It got me thinking that what people might be craving is less customization and more curation.

What was once extra choices in a handful of categories may be turning into decision fatigue as consumers are forced to make choices in each and every category. That fatigue, combined with the seemingly endless parade of new products, replacements, and discontinuations of old habitual favorites, and the additional forced decisions during the pandemic may be contributing to the feeling of staring at 500 toothpaste options, giving up, and picking the one that sounds easiest and mintiest.

Often I’m moderating qualitative sessions and am asked to dig more into the emotional connection consumers have with a product or brand. Consumers often reply with reflexive and disconnected replies. The combination of choice, product availability, and eroded consumer experiences means many consumers are seeking novelty elsewhere.

If shopping is not particularly rewarding or predictable, consumers seek products and experiences that are:

• Close

• Easy/low effort

• Quick

• Predictable

• Habit

Recent qualitative work with Gen Z shows they’re feeling the effects too. Friends and word of mouth are increasingly important for younger shoppers as opposed to more traditional mediums such as TV or internet ads. Their preferred video source? YouTube. It pays attention to their habits and provides content they might find interesting.

As I look at brands in my own life that are veering toward curation, one top of mind is SiriusXM. Yes, they have a LOT of channels and choices, but each is dedicated to a style/vibe/mood. The result? You pick a channel and let them stitch together the experience. When you’re tired of it, you can switch experiences. It’s curation at its finest―experts building an experience that requires little thought and can be adopted with minimal effort.

What does this mean for brands? For some, it will mean eschewing novelty for stability and connection through nostalgia. For others, it will mean providing flexibility and options consumers can use or turn off when they don’t want them. Figuring out how products and brands fit into people’s lives will become more important that convincing them to believe a brand’s ethos.