Consumo basado en el acceso

El consumo basado en el acceso redefine fundamentalmente la relación entre el consumidor y el objeto. A diferencia de la propiedad tradicional, que implica derechos perpetuos y exclusivos, el acceso es temporal, no exclusivo y está mediado por el mercado. Este modelo se caracteriza por centrarse en la utilidad derivada del uso de un producto, en lugar del valor simbólico de poseerlo. Los investigadores han identificado varias dimensiones clave de este modelo, como la temporalidad del acceso, el papel del mercado en la mediación de la transacción y la ausencia de transferencia de propiedad.

This shift has profound implications for consumer behavior and marketing. For consumers, it can offer greater flexibility, lower costs, and access to a wider variety of goods. However, it can also lead to feelings of detachment and a lack of psychological ownership. For businesses, it requires a move from a product-centric model to a service-centric one, focusing on user experience, reliability, and availability. This is often referred to as ‘servitization’. The success of access-based models hinges on reducing transaction costs—such as search, negotiation, and enforcement—which digital platforms have effectively minimized through user-friendly interfaces, transparent pricing, and integrated trust systems. The model challenges traditional notions of brand loyalty, as consumers may be more loyal to the convenience of the platform than to the specific brand of the product they are accessing (e.g., renting any available car rather than a specific make).