The Affluentialist

I recently read an article in The New York Times about an up-and-coming media mogul who claims to have coined the word “affluencer” which means: someone who tries to influence the affluent. In her role as the chief of NBC’s Bravo network, Lauren Zalaznick creates programming that will influence affluent people—in particular, her network’s target demographic of 18 to 49 urbanites.

As readers of this blog know, I call myself an “affluentialist.” While I don’t claim to have created the word “affluential” (here’s the source), I have to admit, I like the word “affluencer.” It rolls off the tongue more easily than “affluentialist.” So, I’m kicking myself for not having thought of that word myself.
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A few weeks back, I posted a blog installment on the future prospects of luxury spending in times of economic uncertainty or recession. Our survey of Middle-Class Millionaire households drew a distinction between “luxury discretionary spending” like jewelry, watches, and other cultural ephemera, and “values-based spending” that reflects the middle-class perspective of the working wealthy, such as charitable giving.

In a recent survey, we looked at that distinction more closely. It shows that the self-made wealthy will continue to spend on travel and their homes, and will pause, but not cancel, other luxury spending.

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