Even though the global economy continues to recover (slowly.... ) from a near melt-down, I've noticed some of my personal buying and spending habits change.  

And I am seeing and listening to more and more of my friends and professional peers re-thinking how and what they buy and what is important in how and where they buy from.  

To better understand this global transformation, Andrew Benett and Ann O'Reilly launched a ground breaking study on the "New Consumer," and what it means to marketers.  Their study showed that:

-  A significant majority in the seven markets they studied were deeply worried about our consumption-based society.

-  Two-thirds believe they would be better off if they lived more simply, and a quarters said they would be happier if they owned less.

- Half of the Americans surveyed derive a sense of satisfaction from reducing purchases during the downturn, and three-quarters feel good about cutting back on the amount of waste they consume.

- A majority of Americans have no intention of going back to their old shopping patterns, even when the economy returns.

 "Consumed - Rethinking Business in the Era of Mindful Spending,"  is a great book that is not only good for grown-ups, but for teens and young adults.  

I've noticed my own personal spending habits change over the last two years, and frankly, I think there are hidden blessings in this whole economic maelstrom that we've been though.  

How about you?  Have you changed the way you buy and shop?  And if so, how?

If you are managing a brand,you should be paying attention to this subtle, but important shift in the way brands are being spoken about through human actions such as sharing, liking and commenting on brands and related content.

Content about brands may not always come from the brand itself.  They are coming from your customers who are taking your brand’s message and articulating their own voice in how they feel and interact with your brand.

Social broadcasters are adapting to, and creating new lingua franca, which needs to be on your radar.

Start thinking of how words like share, like, re-tweet, and comment come into play in your marketing strategies.  Listen and engage with your customers and create meaningful, engaging content that can be re-purposed by your most ardent brand loyalists.  Be prepared to engage and respond to customers who no longer use call centers or your info@ email address when there’s a problem or resolution needing to be taking place.

Learn to understand the meaning of terminology such as fail, feed, snarky, mashup, tag, sticky, thread, next, flock and post, that are the new transitive verbs in marketing. Have plans and expertise in place to interface and better serve your customers.

Think about the role of social influence and how thought leaders and brand advocates can become your new and expanded sales channel.  Discover and engage with Mommy bloggers if you’re selling to Moms.  Find Geeky bloggers if you’re doing technology. 

Take a longer-term view and look at the implications of the mobile / social Internet and how you can empower, engage and grow your brand.   Look beyond your company’s web site and make sure you’re listening to and engaging at the periphery of the social Internet on places like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr. 

Your customers are engaging and in some cases taking ownership of your brand.  You can now post once, and have it re-broadcast by many.

Listen, learn, share and engage. 

Disrupt your competitors and seize this unique time in human history when the Social Broadcaster can be your BFF – (brand’s friend forever)

Microphones shot on location at Fuller's Vintage Guitars, Houston by Alan Weinkrantz - (c) 2010

I have a biblical theory that I can't prove, but here goes:  God created two very special and holy places on the same day- Texas and Israel.   There's even a Facebook group for those who believe that on the 8th day, God created Texas.

That aside, there is something special about Texas and Israel.

Both states are doing very cool things in alternative energy and here is why I think Israeli alternative energy and water technologies should be looking to Texas as a place for their beta sites.  Texas has lots of land and water to experiment on.  And Texas is easier than other States to do business in.  Just  listen to what Jerry Patterson, Commissioner, Texas General Land Office has to say during the Texas Israel Chamber of Commerce’s Cleanovation conference in Austin.  

Follow Gerry's lead where he talks about Texas being in the energy business.  It's not a metaphor or a cute tag line. It's very real.  Hop over to Israel and you'll find an emerging energy industry there as well.  Both States (yup, the State of Israel and the State of Texas) have a very unique entrepreneurial culture and energy.

Merge the energy of the two States, and you have some very compelling intellectual and monetary combustion in the works.

Jerry’s office helps manage the state lands and mineral-right properties totaling 20.3 million acres in Texas. Included in that portfolio are the beaches, bays, estuaries and other “submerged lands” out to 10.3 miles in the Gulf of Mexico, institutional acreage, grazing lands in West Texas, and timberlands in East Texas.

In managing that property, the GLO issues oil and gas leases and surface leases and sells state land.  Sale and lease proceeds from Permanent School Fund lands go into the Permanent School Fund. The dividends and interest from the Permanent School fund investments go into the Available School Fund, and from there money is distributed to school districts on a per-pupil basis, helping to offset local property taxes. Since the Permanent School Fund was established in 1854, the GLO has deposited into it more than $6.8 billion, mostly from oil and gas leases and real estate sales and trades.

If you wanna figure out how to do business with Texas and Israel, mosey on over to the Chamber's site, where their awesome team in Dallas can help you get your brain in gear and the ball rolling.

And yes, Israel's got lots of cool things going on in energy where you can learn from here, here, or here.