If I Want It, I Need It

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For a recent Design Matters podcast, Debbie Milman interviewed Rob Walker, who wrote the "Consumed" column in The New York Times Magazine for six years, and is the author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. Walker's goal is not to condemn, but to analyze the infinitely interesting ideas behind why people want what they want.

"I think the idea of humans wanting more, I mean, it's the nature of us: get as much as you can and stockpile it, and consume as much as you can now because you don't know what's going to happen next.... If I could have a billion dollars to run my own brand campaign the one I would be interested in is 'Things You Already Own: Enjoy them today. Hey, look at what you have and enjoy it.' I would love to hire the brightest, sexiest minds in branding to help me spread the message of: be happy for what you have. That countervailing message doesn't exist anywhere."

Click here to listen to the interview, and check out Rob Walker's blog, murketing.com, for more.