Does anyone else out there in ad land get offended by the term “consumer”? I’ve recently made a commitment to no longer use the word, even in briefs and strategic documents.

You might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a word.” As a writer, I can confidently say that words matter. It is my long?held opinion that the word “consumer” devalues people. It strips us down to the lowest common denominator and defines us by our most basic behavior. Even pond scum can consume.

At a time when many of our nation’s most deadly diseases are self?inflicted symptoms of overconsumption, the term also reinforces a negative relationship between people and the companies that serve them. That’s right, the companies are there to serve us, not the other way around.

Which brings me to my next point; the term “consumer” places people squarely at the bottom of the commercial food chain. Thinking of potential customers as consumers hinders the way marketers and businesses interact with people. Because guess what? I’m not a consumer, and neither are you.

Sure, we consume things. But we also create.

I live, I fall in love, I compose music and I do jumping jacks. We are complex, and the term “consumer” is an oversimplification. Luckily, as professionals in the advertising and marketing industries, we’re in a position to do something about it. So my challenge to you is this—let’s make “consumer” a dirty word.