Critical Thinking Model

As the technologies of modern societies have progressed and evermore products are present on the shelves of markets each day, massive consumption has plagued the consumers of the first world, but it is not entirely their fault. There has been a shift in the “Daily We” paradigm (each member acting for the good of the whole with a strong sense of community) to the “Daily Me” –people acting in their self-interest, doing what they want with total disregard for their impact on the community as a whole (Bennett 4/7/16). This “Daily Me” has led to consumption levels beyond reason in developed economies, like the American. In fact, Rob Deitz and Dan O’Neill put forth an argument in Enough is Enough that “money is not real wealth—it’s a claim on wealth” (Dietz 101). The real wealth that people acquire is the consumption, the assets, and the services they derive from the money. However, all of this translates to strain on the planet and remains ignorant to the reality of the limits of resources. People
The current dead-end growth model depends on false promises by politicians and continues the level of consumption that leads to the degradation of the planet. The five steps of branding can be used to help the public reimagine economics. The five steps of branding are audience targeting, create elements of meaning, telling a story, program the contents as the brand delivery system, repeat to saturate (Bennett 4/ 9/16). These steps can be applied to the new normal in the following manner:
1. Targeting American consumers as a whole—they are the audience that needs to become aware.
2. Creating elements of meaning through logos and themes. This would be done through an evocative message that emphasizes the stresses on the planet.
3. Tell a story that makes a personal connection. Appealing to the American lifestyle of liberty and tying it into the limits imposed by consumption would further brand the new