Spoiled

now playing Sad Songs by Matt Nathanson via last.fm

So in an effort to write more posts I'm going to write about something that popped into my head tonight and lead to a few other thoughts. I try write from a list of "future" posts, but they almost never actually make it online. The one's that pop into my head like this are usually more interesting and longer with better thoughts in them.

So here's the thing. Relativity and balance are interests of mine. And my being spoiled is no different. First, I don't think I'm spoiled but like I just said, it's relative. I am not the young adult with the $90,000 BMW convertible that I just drove behind. (For a point of interest... said BMW was just used to drive across campus, an activity that would have taken a maximum of 8 minutes by foot). So... relative to this, I am not spoiled in anyway at all. But I do consider myself a little spoiled.

When I say spoiled I mean materially with that age-old stupid "stuff." I am most definitely spoiled in other ways (family comes to mind first). But on the topic of stuff... I am a little bit of a snob about most things without acting too pretentious or whatever. I just prefer what's better and am used to having it. (Starting to sound like a huge brat here...). However, in many ways I think I settle very easily after first wanting the brand new best stuff. When I got a car I wanted something "good." The one that would appeal to the casual enthusiast and still have lots of creature comforts. It was the same with my BlackBerry and computer. I feel that way about food. Food is one way I am totally spoiled by my parents. Microwavable food shocked me when I got to college. YUCK! But I digress. My point is that somehow I just come to have the "better" of most things. Usually I do this on purpose, once in a while I (as my Dad would say) weasel my way into having the best.

And I think having any and all of this is what makes me a little bit of a snob. I am used to good stuff and I do not like to move backwards or downgrade. And who would? A person gets used to a certain standard and why would anyone want to settle for worse than he already has?

This has a large effect on products. Obviously my area of expertise is cars but I think it applies in many other products too. I recently wrote a post for work (GM Authority Post) about feature content in compact cars increasing. The USA is very prejudiced against small cars and their stripper status in terms of feature content. The post I wrote (read it at the link and you can skip the rest of this paragraph) says how automakers, namely GM in this case, are increasing the number of creature comforts in their small car offerings. This is to provide consumer who are shifting to small cars from (big-ass) SUVs the same feature content which they have become accustomed to.

Toyota has been doing this for a while. The best example being the Lexus IS lineup. It is the smallest Lexus but at approximately $30,000 has most of the features as the $70-90,000 LS. Interesting... and very appealing to someone like me who would have no need for the size but would like the features. Ford and GM are both embracing this philosophy which many European brands have always employed. Just another example of something done better in Europe.

But enough of my car "propaganda" as one of my friends called it recently. The point is that being spoiled isn't such a bad thing. And it can cause huge change in the product market. Usually having these features doesn't come at a huge price in comparison to traditional small cars. This is pretty cool considering the fact that I can go from my Audi to possibly something as small as a Ford Focus or Chevrolet Cruze and not lose any feature content (well... any major features).

This strategy of features at a low price will give high-end product manufacturers huge challenges in the next few years (Apple, Coach, Mercedes, J. Crew: are you guys listening?). Thing is it won't be a problem. Real snobs (not so much me) will be quite happy to pay for brands simply because of the brand. This is something I don't understand... if you can get something just as good for less money, why wouldn't you? Yes. I am a cheap snob.

Example... coming back from the mall tonight I saw a Hyundai. GASP! I liked it! And some of the new Hyundais and Kias are some of the best looking new cars one the market. Partly because they are designed by a former Audi designer (seriously) but still. I mistook it for a Saab- it looked great. And if people could get beyond brand perceptions and a false sense of patriotism (don't even get me started on the people who want to "buy American") they would be perfectly happy in Hyundais.

[Side note... I am almost a "buy american" person myself. But let's be honest. A lot of Hyundais, Mercedes, and BMWs are build in the USA, while a ton of GMs and Fords are built outside of the US of A. My point is that we're a part of a global economy so go ahead and buy whatever because it's all spread out across the world anyways.]

In terms of being spoiled, yes I sort of am. But at the same time I'm a well enough informed consumer to know what to buy, what I want, and how to buy it without being a fool. I wish more people were the same way.