Modern consumers are immersed in an endless sea of potential products. What’s next? Buy more, or actually do more? Not to mention, when consumers purchase a physical product, its novelty quickly wears off. By contrast, experiences can be re-lived countless times.
Also, as consumers’ lives become more transient, access to experiences is often as good as, if not better than, ownership of physical assets (which requires space, commitment, ongoing cost). Flexibility, convenience, immediacy, participation, choice. Modern consumers inhabit both online and offline worlds where these are features that are simply expected.
Of course, this is a mega-trend with powerful, widespread and simultaneous counter-trends. Even the most EPHEMERAL of consumers will crave moments of calm and disconnection. Before they plug back in ;)