Knowledge as the Power of New Consumers in the Global Environment

From the Industrial Age, through the Space Age and the currently dominant Information Age, the world is in motion towards the Age of Man. Human potentials, manifested as talent, innovation and creativity, are becoming the essential determinant of developing companies and new consumers. Societies and economies are subject to radical and very rapid transformation on a daily basis. As consequences of economic crisis, the existing models have created highly difficult conditions, making some societies more vulnerable, and others more resilient. The social system is undergoing re-conception, and the value system is being redefined. The emergence of new forces n the domain of marketing and business tends to demand new concepts and practices. The traditional marketing concept is being replaced by the holistic concept, based on a broad, integrated perspective of developing, designing and implementing marketing programmes, processes and activities. In this context, under the pressure of crises on the one hand, and attracted by the amenities of technologies facilitating their lives on the other, new consumers are „gaining“ the power of seeking their own identities, while their behaviour is channelled to suit the desired perception of their environment. The overall behaviour of new consumers in the global society is undergoing rapid changes.