People are awash in choice about how to spend their money and entrust their loyalty.

The world used to be a simpler place. Organizations offering a product, candidate or cause were in the driver’s seat. People had far less choice than they have today. A few trusted institutions guided decisions and enjoyed people’s loyalty. There was often just one bank, one car dealership, one department store and one pol everyone knew. If an organization had a good story or product, that was typically enough to earn a sale, vote or commitment to a cause. That world has gotten complex. Organizations face a new and daunting challenge. People are awash in choice about how to spend their money and entrust their loyalty. They have an expanding universe of options, new ways to select them, sophisticated decision-making processes, terabytes of information at their fingertips, and networks upon networks to discover their friends’ preferences. Individuals reflexively question traditional “authorities,” and economic uncertainty tests our patience.

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