consumer

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY

Systems For Managing E-Waste Aren’t Keeping Up – Consumer Electronics Have Changed A Lot In 20 Years

It’s hard to imagine navigating modern life without a mobile phone in hand. Computers, tablets and smartphones have transformed how we communicate, work, learn, share news and entertain ourselves. They became even more essential when the COVID-19 pandemic moved classes, meetings and social connections online. But few people realize that our reliance on electronics comes with steep environmental costs, from mining minerals to disposing of used devices. Consumers can’t resist faster products with more storage and better cameras, but constant upgrades have created a growing global waste challenge. In 2019 alone, people discarded 53 million metric tons of electronic waste. In our work as sustainability researchers, we study how consumer behavior and technological innovations influence the pr...

The US economy is reliant on consumer spending – can it survive a pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically affected the American economy, reducing spending by American households on materials goods, air travel, leisure activities as well as the use of automobiles. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions have temporarily fallen dramatically. While this may be a positive for the environment, the social price is high: Since the U.S. economy depends heavily on consumer spending, the country is experiencing the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, the threat of homelessness for tens of thousands of people and a failure of businesses large and small. How did the U.S. arrive at the point whereby mass consumption – and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with it – is necessary for economic and social well-being? Are greenhouse gas reductions and a...

Digital Marketing Trends – Targeting the African-American Consumer

Do you plan to market or sell products and services to African-American consumers? If so, in order to successfully market to this community, it is to your advantage to understand certain digital marketing trends: how today's African-Americans shop, where they hang out, where they are most likely to be receptive to advertising and, more importantly, how they feel about marketing and media. It's been said that "2014 is going to be a killer year for social media and small business." It's also been said that properly implemented digital marketing strategies can help small businesses grow. So, what does this mean for small businesses that plan to primarily target Black American consumers? It means you need a realistic understanding of where Black consumers fit in this new media and cybercultur...