Some experts quoted in “Grown Up Digital,” say we taught them that they are special.  They believed it.  Not only did they believe it they internalized it to the point where they have no doubts.  Well that’s one explanation.

Other experts have said, this is the most narcissistic generation ever.  It’s all about ME.  They have been pampered in an attempt to raise their self esteem to the point where the only thing that has been raised is their self centeredness.  That’s another explanation.

My explanation is “non of the above.”  Customization is important to them simply because it is basic human nature and technology has made it easy.  Brands have always been an expression of who we thought we were, or who we wanted to be.  Now, we can customize our brands to reflect the nuances of who we think we are.   Contrary to an ever increasing number of “expert opinions,” there’s nothing new about this customization trend.

Customization is as old as the caveman.  Not the Geico cavemen, but the ones that used to draw on the walls of caves.

If you’re old enough, think back to the days of muscle cars.  The gear-heads of my generation bought mag wheels for their Chevy Nova, souped up the motor, added pin-striping and went looking for girls.  The gas crisis hit and that genre of car vanished and the trend toward hot rods waned.  Still, everybody who owned one looks back fondly on their car and how it made them feel.  Somehow a Toyota Celica never replaced that feeling.

Fast forward.  Technological advances allow you to customize nearly everything.  One size fits all evolves to one size fits one.  The iPod allows you to program your own radio station.  Pandora.com programs your own radio station on the web and on the fly.  Because there are so many choices for everything, you can put your own persona together.  And why wouldn’t you?

Do you know the personas of your customers?  Do you know how your product or service adds to, or defines their personas?  If you blindly market without that understanding, it’s a craps game and you’re just playing the odds.  And the one thing to remember about a craps game is that they didn’t build all those casinos in Vegas on winners.