The Social Imperative: I Want What I Want When I Want It

Source: John Nosta

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I want what I want WHEN I want it.

It's this pressure to deliver sooner and sooner that is a defining aspect of our lives. The role and value of "instant gratification" is nothing new, but the word "instant" might be changing a bit. Amazon is upping its game to make next day delivery the standard for all Prime members. The pressure is on Amazon to deliver, but it's also on other "conventional" retailers who are less nimble when it comes to shipping. A few years ago, two-day shipping was the "big news." Today, it's one-day. But lurking behind the reality of instant gratification is something perhaps more satisfying, or even more disturbing.

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I want what I want BEFORE I want it.

And there seems to be an app for that! Well, at least a patent. Several years ago, Amazon received a patent for a methodology that combines a predictive computer model with its vast transportation network. Basically, they predict your next order and send it on its way to just ahead of your click or order. Amazon calls this "anticipatory shipping" and may take us from the world of IWWIWWIWI to IWWIWBIWI. Here's the description directly from the patent.

"A method and system for anticipatory package shipping are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method may include packaging one or more items as a package for eventual shipment to a delivery address, selecting a destination geographical area to which to ship the package, shipping the package to the destination geographical area without completely specifying the delivery address at the time of shipment, and while the package is in transit, completely specifying the delivery address for the package."

What emerges here is a sneaky combination of what YOU think you want and what THEY think you want. The reality isn't that easy. The substitution of your desire for a tangible reality can actually preempt your thinking and allow a conscious or subconscious swap.

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WE want what you want when WE WANT it.

There's a subtle distinction here with profound implications. The "I" of the individual has been switched to the "we" of the company. But, let's take a step back. The reality is that much of our choice is less a function of rigid beliefs and loyalties and more so about the choice at hand. For example, if you need a cleaning product, you might be inclined to buy something that's on sale, driven by clever marketing, or even by the shortest route of acquisition. Your "pre-purchase" may actually be a constellation of products that all fit the need. But here's were "anticipatory shipping" has a unique (and insidious) advantage—it collapses the choice to a single option. Human nature does that rest and the choice is actually made for you. Amazon will love this as they do more and more of the purchasing decisions for you. A bit like Pavlov's dog, we will all build confidence, trust in the process, and reflexively acquiesce to the merchant. It's actually rather seductive. Imagine arriving home to surprise "gift" or the unexpected completion of a nagging chore.

Wanting it now, or even wanting it yesterday, is here today. It comes with many of the red flags that are commonly associated with technology and analytics. And it's this technological Faustian bargain that we will have to put into some social context. Are we willing to defer gratification for a higher level of control? Perhaps, but I would imagine that Amazon already knows what that choice will be.