Thomas J Thompson

About

I’m the Chief Economist at Havas Edge, where I study the intersection of economics, consumer behavior and marketing.Much of my work comes down to a relatively simple idea. Economic discomfort can change consumer behavior long before it becomes economic distress. Consumers do not necessarily stop spending when conditions become more difficult. They become more selective about where, when and why they spend.I use economic data, behavioral economics and consumer research to understand those changes and translate them into practical implications for brands. That means looking beyond individual data releases to understand how inflation, employment, wages, housing, credit and confidence are changing purchasing decisions and demand.Outside Havas, I serve as an Entrepreneur in Residence with Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs and lecture and speak on economics, behavioral economics and consumer behavior. My work has taken me from classrooms and executive meetings to conferences and industry events in the U.S. and internationally. I also regularly provide economic and consumer commentary for media and industry audiences, with an emphasis on explaining what the data means rather than simply reporting what it says.I call this changing pattern of behavior the Selective Consumer. I write The Selective Consumer to explore how economic conditions change the choices people make and what those changes can tell us about where consumer behavior may be heading next.Before my career in economics and strategy, I served as a U.S. Naval Intelligence Officer. Across all of those roles, the common thread has been the same: taking complicated information, finding what actually matters and making it useful for the people who have to make decisions.