I’m not alone up there in the not-so-friendly skies. Months ago, United asked me to take part in a lengthy survey that asked if I would be willing to pay extra for some little luxuries on my next flight. You know, things like extra legroom, snacks and in-flight entertainment; my answers, in short order, were nope, nope and nope. I remember looking at my responses thinking am I really that unwilling to part with my cash for a bit of comfort and convenience? After all, I usually stew, make that seethe, every time one of these trappings is taken away, so what are they worth to me, really? Absolutely nothing, apparently.

Most Americans agree with me. An Expedia survey found that Americans, more than citizens of other countries, don’t want to pay a dime more than they must for the privilege of being stuffed in a tin can at 36,000 feet. In fact, 37% of Americans won’t pay extra for anything—compared to 26% of fliers from other countries. I’m not sure if the sentiment is the reflection of that new consumer who rose up during the Great Recession or if it’s more akin to Howard Beale’s stance in “Network”—you know, the whole mad-as-hell speech.

What do pretzel sticks and wider seat cushions have to do with household and personal products? For years, I railed against Gillette’s try-our-new-razor tactic that forced me to trade up to a blade I didn’t need. The success of Dollar Shave Club and similar competitors proved that I wasn’t alone in my razor rage. Gillette is even taking upstart DSC to court over patent infringement, which is clearly a sign that co-founders Mark Levine and Michael Dubin have gotten under P&G’s skin.

With another recession expected in the not-too-distant future, astute marketers will rethink their rollouts. Is that NPD truly revolutionary, or even evolutionary? Mad as hell consumers, especially women, may not be willing to part with their hard-earned cash during the next downturn. As their economic power grows, women are demonstrating that they can get pretty mad, too, and that may mean FMCG companies won’t get away with charging women more than they do men for basically the same products—no matter how pretty the packaging or alluring the scent.

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]