Stop thinking about "consumers" Do you consume movies? Nope. You see a movie to go on a date, to talk about it with your buddies the next. day, to take your mind off other things, to experience beauty or maybe even to have your world view shaken up. But you don't consume it (like you don't consume news, either). Look in the dictionary and you'll find that the verb "consume" means to destroy, often wastefully, as in "consumed by fire." We don't do that. We're not all creators, but we forward, we comment, we remix, we recommend. We weave valuable materials into the fabric of community and commerce that is now emerging, a combination of novel communication technologies and a lot of human effort. Companies that refer to us as "consumers" still think of us, unconsciously, as dumb targets at the end of long marketing and logistics chains. The word and the metaphor govern the thoughts that surround them, influencing even people with great intentions. If we're not consumers, then what are we? We're customers, clients, individuals, households, fans, members, citizens, participants and more. We're human, with lives to improve -- we're not mere gullets with wallets and eyeballs. My observations come from realizing the shocking difference between a company trying to serve its customers well and one trying to command or influence them to do things they don't really want to do. Companies that shift their perspective from "consumer" to "person" will be rewarded by seeing new business opportunities and new ways of building trust and loyalty, all of which translate into better margins and profits. Next: What if we trusted you?