What does the term ‘planned obsolescence’ mean in the context of marketing practice. Discuss how it eventually led to the emergence of the Right to repair movement.
What does the term ‘planned obsolescence’ mean in the context of marketing practice. Discuss how it eventually led to the emergence of the Right to repair movement.
Planned Obsolescence:
- This term was pointed out by an American industrial designer, Brook Stevens during the 1950s. It is a marketing practice in which manufacturers artificially shorten product lifecycles and encourage consumers to buy new products every few years.
- This practice favoured sellers and made them influence buying decisions to improve sales and increase profit.
Negative repercussions (of this ill-conceived practice)
- It curtailes to a significant extent the practice and concept of repairing the malfunctioning products
- It increases the customer spending on the products to an unacceptable level
- It erodes the ethical values like trust, confidence and value for money from society.
- It negatively impacts the environment as it leads to increased accumulation of e-waste in our land and water.
- It further heightens the gap between the haves and havenots (since the tech giants amass huge wealth at the cost of its customer money and their satisfaction)
- It further encourages the production of sub-standard products, making the customers fools.
Right to Repair movement:
- The above mentioned consequences of planned obsolescence eventually kindled recently, the Right to Repair movement.
- The participants of this movement assert that repairs is also a critical function for all forms of re-use and even extended useful life.
- It strives for retention of value of the products which is lost if it is irreparable.
- They assert that centuries of law tell us that buying something transfers control of that item from seller to buyer.
Impact of the movement:
- The movement is gaining fruit with the positive legislative developments taking place in Europe and the US.
- Britain’s recently enacted Right to Repair law, US.’ Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act and very importantly EU’s directives towards circular economy are seen as an eyeopener
- Moreover, some of the tech giants started realising the fact that the process of repair could not affect their business negatively.
ROAD AHEAD:
- It is high time for the people, business communities and ruling circles to realise how the consumerist culture is badly sapping our environment. Let’s hope for a better and sustainable earth as the concept and idea of a circular economy gaining momentum throughout the world.
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