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trendwatching.com, independent and opinionated, is one of the worldʼs leading consumer
trends firm, relying on a global network of hundreds of spotters. Our trends, examples and
insights are delivered to 160,000 business professionals in more than 180 countries.
More information at www.trendwatching.com



                   October 2010 | Even though we're happy to provide you with more trends than you can shake a stick at,
                   it's equally important to hone one's trend watching skills. So here are our 15 tips on how to best track and
                   apply trends. Today. Good luck!




                   Let's face it, the only thing that separates you—passionate CEO, marketer, entrepreneur—from being in
                   the know, is the time that must be devoted to tracking and applying trend content. And yet, when we ask
                   professionals if and how they spot and apply trends, we're told they're still having a hard time getting a
                   handle on the basics.

                   So here are 15 trend watching tips, some practical, some more contextual, for you to run with today:




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
connected business success stories will start to make sense. Suc-
                                                                            cessful innovations often satisfy existing, dormant needs in new
                                                                            and attractive ways.

                                                                            * P.S. Need to brush up on your knowledge of human needs? Re-
                                                                            reading Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs never hurts.




In business, everything begins and ends with consumers. Which
means knowing, understanding, and applying consumer
trends and insights will forever be a holy grail to business and
marketing professionals.

In fact, with consumer behavior and preferences changing ever
faster, and on a truly global scale, consumer insights (and result-
ing innovations) are higher on the corporate agenda than ever                           Consumer trends do not equal 'black is the new white'
before.
                                                                            trendwatching.com has always focused on consumer trends, pro-
Tracking consumer trends, then, is a crucial way to gain relevant           viding insight that can be instantly applied. However, this leaves
inspiration, helping you dream up profitable new goods, services             two key trend categories that must be tracked to provide invalu-
and experiences for (and with) your customers. In short, trend              able context. In general, switched-on companies and individuals
watching should ultimately lead to profitable innovation.                    track at least three trend levels: Macro Trends, Consumer Trends,
                                                                            and Industry Trends.
Before we carry on, here's our definition of what constitutes a
(consumer) trend (we came up with this years ago and it still holds
pretty well):

"A novel manifestation of something that has unlocked or
serviced an existing (and hardly ever changing) consumer
need*,desire, want, or value."

At the core of this statement is the assumption that human beings,
and thus consumers, don't change that much. Their deep needs
remain the same, yet can be unlocked in new ways; these 'un-
lockers' can be anything from changes in societal norms and val-
ues, to a breakthrough in technology, to a rise in prosperity.

Just give it a try: apply the above definition to your daily spottings       Macro Trends | Most management consulting firms will be able to
and observations of how consumers behave, and how that behav-               help you with macro trends, while our upcoming 2011 Trend Re-
ior is forever changing, and you will find that many seemingly un-           port includes a brief 'Top 10 Macro Trends' as well.

You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
For a DIY approach, check out the STEEP section on MindTools.

Industry Trends | Needless to say, all three levels of trends con-
stantly converge, impacting each other, if not overlapping. Just
remember that industry trends, which firms are so keen on under-
standing, are at the mercy of macro and consumer trends, not the
other way round.

We could go on about this for another 300 pages but we won't.
There's enough material to be found online for those of you who
want to become macro or industry trend watchers.

Oh, and now that we're at it:

  •      'Consumer trends' still scream 'fashion' for some. Sure,
         black may be the new white, and cashmere miniskirts
         may re-conquer the catwalks in 2013, but the consumer
         arena is obviously infinitely more complicated than that.
         In other words, fashion in all its variety and excitement, is
         just another part of the world of consumer trends. In no
         way does it define consumer trends.
                                                                            One massive mistake both trend watchers and brands make all
                                                                            the time, is to assume or pretend that a certain consumer trend
  •      Trend watching isn't about futurism, either. Better leave          will affect or be embraced by all consumers. No. Remember, in life
         gazing into a crystal ball, predicting what's going to hap-        and in trends: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The above
         pen 15 to 20 years from now, to scenario planning de-              HSBC ad illustrates it well. Whatever catches your fancy while
         partments. Trend watching is about observing and un-               spotting and tracking trends, please remember that not everything
         derstanding what's already happening, the major and the            applies to everyone, and that virtually every trend has its anti-
         minor, the mainstream and the fringe.                              trend (and yes, this also means you need to look beyond your own
                                                                            interests: see Tip 5).

                                                                            Furthermore, the new doesn't always kill the old. E-commerce
                                                                            may be booming, but real world retail is far from dead. Has retail
                                                                            changed in response to e-commerce? Sure. But take one look at
                                                                            excited shoppers spending hours in Apple stores from New York to
                                                                            Shanghai, and it becomes clear that both online and offline retail
                                                                            have many years of innovation and opportunity ahead of them. In
                                                                            trends, always try to figure out what the 'and' is, not just the 'or',
                                                                            and your trend (and opportunity) spotting skills will improve im-
                                                                            mensely.




We still get asked about how to distinguish between consumer
trends and fads. All we can say is this: whether pigs are the new
cats, or pizza cones are (again) the new 'it' snack, these phenom-
ena won't dramatically change the consumer arena. At most,
they're yet another manifestation that consumers want to be
unique or crave convenience and surprise. The latter are actually
trends. The products are fads.


You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Last but not least, if you're obsessed with what your competition is
                                                                            doing, you will always end up copying them. To become a trend
                                                                            setter, you need to look where your competition is not:

                                                                                 •   Think like a (paranoid) CEO, even if you don't get paid
                                                                                     like one. We all need to be a specialist in something.
                                                                                     However, we also need to be generalists, to understand
                                                                                     the big picture (from macro trends to consumer trends to
                                                                                     industry trends) and how we and our companies and
                                                                                     products fit in.



                                                                                 •   You don't have to like every trend: you are in this for your
                                                                                     customers. Who may have different needs and desires
                                                                                     than you do. So never dismiss anything too quickly.
                                                                                     Just because you would never use a certain innovation,
                                                                                     doesn't mean others (your customers included) won't buy
                                                                                     it either. Many of today's success stories, from smart
Those who track trends have to possess some rare kind of intui-                      phones to Twitter to the Airbus 380, were widely dis-
tion. Not true. It's actually quite easy to do. Observing the world                  missed, questioned, and ridiculed from the day they were
around you, with an open mind, is something many professionals                       imagined, announced or conceived.
have unlearned, but it's something that we're all born with. Basi-
cally, if you want to spot and understand trends, you can.
                                                                                 •   So instead of dismissing, ask questions. Non stop. Why
So be curious and be open minded: while we're all set in our                         is something happening? Why was it introduced? Why
own ways, and we have our strict beliefs about what is right and                     do consumers like it? Or why do they hate it? Look
what is wrong, closely observing instead of judging the world                        beyond the sources that appeal to your personal tastes.
around you is tantamount to success. Ask yourself 'why' when-
ever you notice something new, instead of immediately looking for
shortcomings.                                                                    •   Try stuff out. The proof of the pudding is always in the
                                                                                     eating.
Also realize that you are not necessarily your customer: your pro-
fessional interests should be broader than your personal in-
terests. You may not be excited by something new, but others                     •   Get rid of taboos, prejudices, dogmatism, negativity. All of
are. Ask yourself why they are excited and which existing need                       this will severely block your ability to pick up new ideas,
has apparently been unlocked.                                                        to understand your customers, and will thus cost you
                                                                                     money. (Hey, it will make you a more pleasant person,
In other words, think and act like an entrepreneurial journalist.                    too.)
How?




Look cross-industry | Yes, yes, we know, what you really want to
hear about is trends affecting your industry or sector. Be it wind
energy, goatʼs milk, alarm clocks or holiday resorts. The thing is,
innovative / ground-breaking / bar-raising customer experiences
may well be happening in industries other than your own. Sticking
with your own industry will thus not only severely limit your
sources of inspiration, but will also make you miss important
changes in consumer expectations.




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Increased curiosity paves the way for acquiring a point of view
about the world around you, for comprehension.
The more trends you spot and track, and the more skilled you are
at putting these trends into context, the more guidance you'll have.
When you have a broad point of view, even tiny observations start
to make sense.

Surprisingly, for such an essential part of one's business skills, a
point of view is still rare in the business world. How many market-
ers do you know who could give you an articulate answer if asked
about, let's say, the Future of Marketing?
How many business execs do you know who are capable of elo-
quently explaining the main ten, or five, or even three major con-
sumer trends shaping not only their own industry but the entire
business arena?
And how many CEOs can comfortably lay out a kick-ass plan of
attack based on their understanding of the New Consumer? (No,
Steve Jobs doesn't count! ;-)

To stick with consumer trends: the point of view you want to de-
velop could be summed up by a succinct answer to the question:
“What is the (short-term) future of consumerism?” To blow your
colleagues away with your answer a few weeks from now, practice
these 15 Trend Watching Tips, and re-read our STATUSPHERE
Trend Briefing ;-)




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
•   Ready-made trend reports
                                                                                 •   Consultants, researchers, experts
                                                                                 •   Universities
                                                                                 •   Shops, museums, hotels, airports
                                                                                 •   Catalogues
                                                                                 •   Trade shows
                                                                                 •   Start ups
                                                                                 •   Customized trend tours4



                                                                            1. Eventually, we'll add a full blown 'resource center' to these
                                                                            pages (early 2011), with titles and links to every magazine and
                                                                            blog we regularly track. To really get going, get Google Reader
                                                                            and amass feeds from every source you want to track.

                                                                            2. Other ways to let information come to you are of course Google
                                                                            Alerts and Twitter, Enter search phrases or track hashtags like
                                                                            'consumer trends' or 'world's first' or a specific trend name. There's
                                                                            are now a wealth of tools that are designed to take the global
                                                                            pulse, highlighting trending topics from a range of online sources.
                                                                            Starting with the obvious, see a snapshot of search queries with
                                                                            Google Trends, then explore tweetmeme, monitter, Trendsmap,
                       Establish your 'virtual trend research centre'
                                                                            Trendistic, Yahoo! Buzz, and Bing Social.
Surely there's never been a more exciting time for eager trend
                                                                            3. As consumers around the world pro-actively post, stream if not
watchers to be in business, soaking up the insights, the spottings,
                                                                            lead parts of their lives online, you (and your trend team) can now
the reports, the live dispatches from the global consumer arena. In
                                                                            vicariously live amongst them, at home, at work, out on the
a world that's now fully connected, where countless smart profes-
                                                                            streets. From reading minute-by-minute online diaries on Twitter
sionals and amateurs are not only spotting, observing, thinking
                                                                            and Facebook to diving into tens of millions of tagged vids and
and innovating, but also putting their findings and insights online,
for all to see, deliciously valuable resources are up for grabs,            pictures uploaded by Flickr and YouTube-fueled members of
many of them free or dirt cheap.                                            GENERATION C(ONTENT) in Sweden, Singapore, Sri Lanka and
                                                                            dozens of other countries. More on that in our Virtual Anthropology
                                                                            Trend Briefing, which by now is ancient (2005!), but still holds.
So stop bitching about information overload and instead celebrate
the incredible wealth of (real-time) trend resources at your finger-
                                                                            Oh, and just one fun phenomenon illustrating how widespread life
tips.
                                                                            streaming has become: haul vids. They're short product review
                                                                            videos where consumers show off their purchases from a recent
Here's our checklist of where to spot changes in consumer behav-
                                                                            shopping trip. By October 2010, YouTube featured nearly 180,000
ior, new trendsetting products or just super-smart thinking on
                                                                            haul videos, with one teen, juicystar07, racking up nearly 90 mil-
where our societies are headed at large.
                                                                            lion views of her hauls...watch one here.
  •      Papers, websites, mags, blogs, books, news, newslet-
         ters1                                                              4. Here are some facilitators of trend tours: TRENDTREKKING
  •      Alerts and trending services2                                      (New York City), Bespoke Tokyo (Tokyo), Cscout (London, Beijing,
  •      TV, movies, radio                                                  Sao Paulo and more), and Michi Travel (Tokyo).
  •      Seminars, fairs, trade shows
  •      Customers, clients, colleagues, friends, family
  •      Eavesdropping, chat rooms, conversations
  •      In-house Trend Group
  •      Dedicated spotters network
  •      Other trend firms, thinkers (philosophers, architects, so-
         ciologists, management gurus)
  •      Advertising at large
  •      Competitors
  •      Street life, travel3
  •      Friends, colleagues, family

You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Last one about resources: please don't just stuff yourself with the
insights and knowledge from the 'crowds', contribute to the collec-
tive wisdom, too. If not for altruistic reasons, then for creativity's
sake: "If you give away everything you have, you are left with
nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish." (Paul
Arden)




One more recommendation: we've collected more than 500 arti-
cles about our trends, as featured in publications like the Guard-
ian, NYT and Korea Times. The articles are a great source for
gleaning additional insights and examples found by trend-savvy
journalists.
                                                                                                                 Image courtesy of The Onion

                                                                            A quick thought on naming trends: we feel it's crucial to describe
                                                                            trends as imaginatively as possible. Sure, we regularly take flak
                                                                            about our names (TRYVERTISING anyone?), but here's why we
                                                                            do it:

                                                                                 •   Arouse curiosity. Strange names invoke interest, make
                                                                                     people sit up and listen, make them want to know more.
                                                                                     A well-chosen name radiates the promise of a story, of
                                                                                     something important. And if that name is unlike anything
                                                                                     else (even if it's stupid unlike anything else), who can
                                                                                     resist the desire to find out and not miss out?



                                                                                 •   Create a common language. You will find that groups
                                                                                     and teams will rally behind a named concept more easily
                                                                                     than behind something generic. Speaking a common
                                                                                     language saves team members heaps of time—they're
                                                                                     able to refer to a project or trend name and instantly be
                                                                                     on the same page.



                                                                                 •   Coin, own and track. Coming up with an as yet un-
                                                                                     known name means it's easier to coin something. Now
                                                                                     coining isn't about ownership, or claiming you're the first
                                                                                     one to come up with an idea: everything is already out
                                                                                     there anyway. But it's convenient to coin a new name,
                                                                                     because you get to (temporarily) lead the discussion. It
                                                                                     also facilitates tracking: googling your unique trend name
                                                                                     will instantly lead you to other experts' take on 'your'
                                                                                     trend. Which often means more insights, more examples.
                                                                                     Tracking ʻMATURIALISMʼ for example is a breeze; track-
                                                                                     ing any variation on a statement like 'consumers are
                                                                                     more daring and thus expect brands to be daring, too',
                                                                                     isn't.




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Oh, and just how do we come up with our names? Early on, we
were inspired by Faith Popcorn's approach: mix and match two or
three words that define the trend, creating a new word that pref-            So, you're open minded, you have amassed your trend resources,
erably hasn't been used by anyone else (a quick Google search               and you're jotting down and naming as many trends and trend
will usually reveal just how unique a made-up word is).                     manifestations as you can. Now what? How to make sense of all
When studying the trend of affordable luxury, key words that                your findings and thoughts and examples, and (especially) under-
jumped out at us were 'masses' and 'exclusivity', which then led to         stand the impact and context of various trends? What works for us
MASSCLUSIVITY. And when looking at the trend of consumers                   is to have a Trend Framework: basically a long list of all the trends
making the most of price comparison and other consumers' prod-              we've spotted over the years, divided by main and sub trends, and
uct recommendations, we worked with keywords (and synonyms!)                how these trends interact with each other.
like transparency, power, nakedness, triumph (for consumers) and
                                                                            The easiest way to start building your own Trend Framework is to
tyranny (for merchants), which resulted in TRANSPARENCY
                                                                            copy consumer trends from existing trend curators (see also
TYRANNY and TRANSPARENCY TRIUMPH. So don't be shy,
and go all out when naming your own trends.                                 Ti p 1 5 ) . Yo u c a n fi n d o u r f r e e t r e n d s a t
                                                                            www.trendwatching.com/trends, and our not-free but not-breaking-
                                                                            the-bank-either Premium Service (including our new 2011 Trend
                                                                            Report) at www.trendwatching.com/premium. Then add your own
                                                                            findings. Your framework will expand quickly, meaning fewer sur-
                                                                            prises every time you spot something of interest: the bigger the
                                                                            framework, the easier it is to categorize your findings.

                                                                            Recurring question: how do all of the trends in your Trend Frame-
                                                                            work relate to one another? What's the context?
                                                                            We normally find that consumer trends can be grouped by the
                                                                            core need they newly address or unlock (see our definition in Tip
                                                                            1), but that won't show you how certain individual trends are con-
                                                                            nected. A hands-on, if time consuming, approach to finding the
                                                                            connections: construct a matrix featuring all the trends you track,
                                                                            both vertically and horizontally, and do a trend-by-trend 'relation-
                                                                            ship check'.

                                                                            Last but not least, by keeping a complete-as-humanly-doable
                                                                            Trend Framework, the majority of your observations will easily fit
                                                                            with one of the existing trends. Which means that if a handful of
                                                                            them don't, you may be onto something genuinely new. So the
                                                                            more trends you track, the easier it will be to spot a truly new
                                                                            trend.



You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Where to find these contributors? Easy. Just enlist your col-
                                                                            leagues, your friends, your family, your fans, your lead users, your
                                                                            mainstream customers, your suppliers, and reward them with pre-
                                                                            sents, your goods or services, credits on your website or some-
                                                                            thing they can put on their resume. Oh, and don't you dare com-
                                                                            plain that the global part of this is complicated if you're with an
                                                                            international firm. Since you have offices and colleagues around
                                                                            the world, your network is already in place and you just need to
                                                                            start exploiting it more effectively.

                                                                            Too expensive? Hey, if we can do it, so can any other small, mid-
                                                                            sized or big firm. Take a look at our Happy Spotting Network and
                                                                            our sister-site's Springspotters Network, which reward spotters
                                                                            with points that can be redeemed for gifts.




That's right: every company, big or small, should have its own
Trend Group. Even if that 'group' is just you. The Trend Group is
not some multi-million Dollar/Euro/Yen/Real/Pound affair. It doesn't
have to employ a dozen staff (though that would be nice); it's more
a state of mind. It can be low-cost, unauthorized and grass roots if
need be. Just a (virtual) meeting point and resource centre for
those in the organization who love and/or need trend content.
Don't wait for permission, make the Trend Group a fait accompli
by just announcing it.

Then tackle the support issue. Without backing from at least one
senior member of the management team, your Trend Group may
steadily grow, but results—innovations, that is— won't make it off
the drawing board. See also Tip no. 11.




                                                                                 They may not always be into ʻtrends', even though they should…

                                                                            You can spot and apply trends like there's no tomorrow, but if in
                                                                            the end the final decision makers don't share your sense of ur-
                                                                            gency or wild enthusiasm for a particular trend you are confident
                                                                            will make or break the company, you'll sadly be flogging a dead
                                                                            horse until retirement age. So here's what to keep in mind when
                          Our spotters are everywhere. Are yours?           you try to convince the CEO, the SVPs, the Board or anyone else
                                                                            too busy to know what MATURIALISM or STATUSPHERE means:
Trend Network | Once senior support has been secured, it's time
to move on to the fun stuff. Every self-respecting Trend Group will              •     Sometimes, you may be fighting a language and per-
of course want to be able to tap into a network of contributors                        ception issue. 'Consumer trends' may still evoke images
around the world, one's eyes and ears in the streets of Tokyo,                         of flamboyant fashion designers caressing delicate fab-
lanes of London, avenues of New York and Paris, and avenidas of                        rics, or crazed teens in Japanese parks clutching the
São Paulo.                                                                             latest 3D gaming consoles.
                                                                                       So try talking about the Future of Business, instead. Or
                                                                                       the Future of Consumerism. Or Drivers of Change. Or
You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Patterns. Or Currents. So refer to the HBRs and McKin-
         seys, make it all about business, though don't change the
         core message. For more tips on presenting, check out
         Presentation Zen.



    •    Make sure the trends you're trying to explain are not just
         about you or your ideas and scenarios. Don't make it a
         one (wo)man show. Everyone hates that, mainly for
         competitive reasons. Instead, be the messenger, the
         humble reporter. Show real-world examples of how other
         firms are already cashing in on a specific trend. Point out
         what respected brands are doing, including as many di-
         rect competitors as possible. (Even though we've argued
         against too much industry focus in Tip 2 when it comes to
         your mindset, showing what the competition is doing is
         great wake-up call material).



    •    Don't immediately present them, but do have numbers
         ready at all times. In the end, we don't believe Point of                          Too late? Too early? Image courtesy of subway nut
         Views and Insights and Vision are primarily about num-
         bers but sometimes you need to give your audience what             When it comes to consumer trends, some business professionals
         they want, to overcome resistance. And execs will want             seem inclined to first and foremost worry. Will I miss the train on a
         numbers, stats, percentages, pie charts, graphs; any-              certain trend? Will I be too early? When will it die out? And will this
         thing that looks numerical and financial.
                                                                            trend apply to my market, my customers, my region, my country?

                                                                            Now, our approach is one of looking for opportunities, not threats.
    •    Make it visual. Pictures. Videos. Or, better yet: let people
                                                                            But if it helps, here are a few reasons not to be freaked out by
         try stuff out. Conceptualize and demonstrate. If you're
                                                                            everything, all the time:
         raving about new innovations, let people fiddle with them.
         Or taste them. Or sit in them. Sure, it will take you more
                                                                            What if I'm too early/late? | The impact of major trends is often
         time to prepare, but we never said trend watching is for           over-estimated in the short term, and underestimated in the long
         the lazy, did we?                                                  term. Major consumer trends are about deep social and cultural
                                                                            change, that challenges established economic and legal struc-
                                                                            tures, meaning things won't typically completely change tomorrow.
Now, if nothing of the above works, there's only one thing to do:           Likewise, consumer generations are often set in their ways, and
RUN. Get the hell out, and start your own business, capitalizing on
                                                                            will thus take a long time (if at all) adopting new ways of thinking,
trends you know are going to change the industry if not the world.
                                                                            doing, and consuming, guaranteeing that the 'old ways' will domi-
                                                                            nate for a long time to come. And even if no longer dominant,
 
                                                                            some of these old ways will remain a substantial factor until mem-
                                                                            bers of older generations literally die out. So yes, observe
                                                                            younger, 'unformed' generations to see what new trends are po-
                                                                            tentially about to erupt, but realize that sometimes it will take years
                                                                            to go truly 'mass'. Newspapers, anyone?

                                                                            What if I misread a trend? | Trend watching is about observing
                                                                            the 'now', so it's hard to go wrong there.

                                                                            Will a certain trend apply to my country? | First of all, why limit
                                                                            yourself to one market or country? If you think your ʻownʼ country
                                                                            isnʼt ready for a trend, why not introduce it to another country that
                                                                            is ready? It's a global marketplace out there.




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Secondly, you only have to dive into one of the many global
youth  tribe studies to find further proof that when it comes to
brands, when it comes to consumption, the similarities worldwide
far outnumber the differences. It's a total cliché, but yes, younger
consumers are  well-connected and well-informed, and treat the
global marketplace as a  smorgasbord  of best-of-the-best delica-
cies. A taste of things to come if we've ever seen one.

Lastly, you wonʼt have to worry about readiness in a specific mar-
ket if you instead  carefully prepare  for when it happens, while
learning best practices from those already  applying the trend
elsewhere. Just keep your costs down while waiting and learning
;-)
                                                                            Now, a few hands-on examples from the real world, using the
                                                                            above list:

                                                                                 1.   Vision: The eco/sustainability trend recently inspired
                                                                                      Procter and Gamble to set out an ambitious long-term
                                                                                      "environmental sustainability vision", establishing  "end-
                                                                                      points" that "are long-term in nature because some of
                                                                                      them will take decades to come to fruition". These in-
                                                                                      clude the use of 100% renewable or recycled materials
                                                                                      for all products and packaging, powering plants with
                                                                                      100% renewable energy, emitting no fossil-based CO2 or
                                                                                      toxic emissions, and having zero manufacturing or con-
                                                                                      sumer waste go into landfills.



                                                                                 2.   New business concepts: The ongoing rise of TRAN-
                                                                                      SUMERS and EMERGING MARKETS has led to numer-
                                                                                      ous new and innovative airlines around the world, offer-
                                                                                      ing everything from no-frills to cheap chic.
As per Tip 1, applying trends is all about innovation. Marketers
and entrepreneurs often tell us they use our trends as 'conversa-
tion starters'. And while that may sound wishy-washy, if that con-               3.   New products, services, experiences: Check out our
versation includes:                                                                   extensive INNOVATION INSANITY Trend Briefing, cover-
                                                                                      ing 67 innovations all inspired by consumer trends.
  •      A quick presentation: trend definition, insights and some
         hands-on examples of how other companies and indus-
         tries already capitalize on these trends...                             4.   Marketing, advertising, PR: our recent Trend Briefing
    •    A discussion of how the trend may impact your industry,                      on MATURIALISM (companies following the zeitgeist and
         your business...                                                             thus becoming a bit more daring) has some great exam-
    •    Any innovations you can come up with using the 'apply'                       ples of how well-known brands like Mini come up with
         checklist below...                                                           risqué campaigns that resonate with their forward-
...then we're more than happy to serve as a conversation starter!                     thinking, more casual audiences.
So without further ado, here are the four ways we like to apply
trends:
                                                                            So dive into your Trend Framework, check the trends you think
                                                                            deserve more attention, or are completely missing on your innova-
                                                                            tion radar, and get going.




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
Hey, we know. YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO ALL OF THE
Winning innovations do not necessarily start their life in a window-
                                                                            ABOVE YOURSELF. So to clarify: we're not saying you should
                                            less conference room
                                                                            spend 12 hours a day on trend watching. You just need to do more
                                                                            of it than you do now. Which brings us to our bonus tip: let trend
Please, don't be too earnest about the quest at hand: trend watch-
                                                                            professionals do part of the work for you, even if it's just to help
ing is about coming up with exciting new products and services for
                                                                            you hit the ground running.
your customers, nothing more and nothing less.
                                                                            We naturally encourage you to explore trendwatching.com's Pre-
And, as we argued in our INNOVATION INSANITY Trend Briefing,
                                                                            vious Trend Briefings (free!) and our 2011 Trend Report, part of
the number of opportunities out there is staggering. Around the
                                                                            our Premium Service (not free).
globe, billions of new, aspiring middle-class consumers, as well as
hundreds of millions or prosperous, demanding consumers are
                                                                            But also spend a few days on generous trend sites like PFSK,
looking for innovative brands to serve them. Even major chal-
                                                                            Springwise New Business Ideas, CScout, Contagious, FutureLab,
lenges like environmental sustainability mean an insatiable need
                                                                            Influx Insights, Future Laboratory and JWT Intelligence.
for solutions, for years to come. There is no reason for any smart
business professional to be pessimistic. Hence our tip to have
                                                                            Sign up for their newsletters, tweets and feeds. They will yield
some fun, versus adopting the corporate earnestness and fretting
                                                                            enough material to start building your resource centre, your Trend
that will kill virtually every non-mainstream initiative.
                                                                            Unit, your Trend Framework.

Now, if money is an issue (and it will probably always be), then
                                                                            Happy spotting! We look forward to seeing your findings and inno-
realize that something new doesn't have to cost the world. Many
                                                                            vations in the marketplace. And if you still have any burning ques-
of the innovations featured in our Trend Briefings thrive on nim-
                                                                            tions, or feel we completely missed out on a tip you want to share
bleness and creativity, not huge budgets.
                                                                            with other trendwatching.com subscribers and clients, email us!

Last but not least, if you happen to live in one of those countries
where a double-dip still looms large, remember that recessions
happen because of legacy systems, because of lack of innovation:
if there ever was an opportunity to turn a negative in a positive...




You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)

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Trend-watching tips.

  • 1. trendwatching.com, independent and opinionated, is one of the worldʼs leading consumer trends firm, relying on a global network of hundreds of spotters. Our trends, examples and insights are delivered to 160,000 business professionals in more than 180 countries. More information at www.trendwatching.com October 2010 | Even though we're happy to provide you with more trends than you can shake a stick at, it's equally important to hone one's trend watching skills. So here are our 15 tips on how to best track and apply trends. Today. Good luck! Let's face it, the only thing that separates you—passionate CEO, marketer, entrepreneur—from being in the know, is the time that must be devoted to tracking and applying trend content. And yet, when we ask professionals if and how they spot and apply trends, we're told they're still having a hard time getting a handle on the basics. So here are 15 trend watching tips, some practical, some more contextual, for you to run with today: You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 2. connected business success stories will start to make sense. Suc- cessful innovations often satisfy existing, dormant needs in new and attractive ways. * P.S. Need to brush up on your knowledge of human needs? Re- reading Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs never hurts. In business, everything begins and ends with consumers. Which means knowing, understanding, and applying consumer trends and insights will forever be a holy grail to business and marketing professionals. In fact, with consumer behavior and preferences changing ever faster, and on a truly global scale, consumer insights (and result- ing innovations) are higher on the corporate agenda than ever Consumer trends do not equal 'black is the new white' before. trendwatching.com has always focused on consumer trends, pro- Tracking consumer trends, then, is a crucial way to gain relevant viding insight that can be instantly applied. However, this leaves inspiration, helping you dream up profitable new goods, services two key trend categories that must be tracked to provide invalu- and experiences for (and with) your customers. In short, trend able context. In general, switched-on companies and individuals watching should ultimately lead to profitable innovation. track at least three trend levels: Macro Trends, Consumer Trends, and Industry Trends. Before we carry on, here's our definition of what constitutes a (consumer) trend (we came up with this years ago and it still holds pretty well): "A novel manifestation of something that has unlocked or serviced an existing (and hardly ever changing) consumer need*,desire, want, or value." At the core of this statement is the assumption that human beings, and thus consumers, don't change that much. Their deep needs remain the same, yet can be unlocked in new ways; these 'un- lockers' can be anything from changes in societal norms and val- ues, to a breakthrough in technology, to a rise in prosperity. Just give it a try: apply the above definition to your daily spottings Macro Trends | Most management consulting firms will be able to and observations of how consumers behave, and how that behav- help you with macro trends, while our upcoming 2011 Trend Re- ior is forever changing, and you will find that many seemingly un- port includes a brief 'Top 10 Macro Trends' as well. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 3. For a DIY approach, check out the STEEP section on MindTools. Industry Trends | Needless to say, all three levels of trends con- stantly converge, impacting each other, if not overlapping. Just remember that industry trends, which firms are so keen on under- standing, are at the mercy of macro and consumer trends, not the other way round. We could go on about this for another 300 pages but we won't. There's enough material to be found online for those of you who want to become macro or industry trend watchers. Oh, and now that we're at it: • 'Consumer trends' still scream 'fashion' for some. Sure, black may be the new white, and cashmere miniskirts may re-conquer the catwalks in 2013, but the consumer arena is obviously infinitely more complicated than that. In other words, fashion in all its variety and excitement, is just another part of the world of consumer trends. In no way does it define consumer trends. One massive mistake both trend watchers and brands make all the time, is to assume or pretend that a certain consumer trend • Trend watching isn't about futurism, either. Better leave will affect or be embraced by all consumers. No. Remember, in life gazing into a crystal ball, predicting what's going to hap- and in trends: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The above pen 15 to 20 years from now, to scenario planning de- HSBC ad illustrates it well. Whatever catches your fancy while partments. Trend watching is about observing and un- spotting and tracking trends, please remember that not everything derstanding what's already happening, the major and the applies to everyone, and that virtually every trend has its anti- minor, the mainstream and the fringe. trend (and yes, this also means you need to look beyond your own interests: see Tip 5). Furthermore, the new doesn't always kill the old. E-commerce may be booming, but real world retail is far from dead. Has retail changed in response to e-commerce? Sure. But take one look at excited shoppers spending hours in Apple stores from New York to Shanghai, and it becomes clear that both online and offline retail have many years of innovation and opportunity ahead of them. In trends, always try to figure out what the 'and' is, not just the 'or', and your trend (and opportunity) spotting skills will improve im- mensely. We still get asked about how to distinguish between consumer trends and fads. All we can say is this: whether pigs are the new cats, or pizza cones are (again) the new 'it' snack, these phenom- ena won't dramatically change the consumer arena. At most, they're yet another manifestation that consumers want to be unique or crave convenience and surprise. The latter are actually trends. The products are fads. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 4. Last but not least, if you're obsessed with what your competition is doing, you will always end up copying them. To become a trend setter, you need to look where your competition is not: • Think like a (paranoid) CEO, even if you don't get paid like one. We all need to be a specialist in something. However, we also need to be generalists, to understand the big picture (from macro trends to consumer trends to industry trends) and how we and our companies and products fit in. • You don't have to like every trend: you are in this for your customers. Who may have different needs and desires than you do. So never dismiss anything too quickly. Just because you would never use a certain innovation, doesn't mean others (your customers included) won't buy it either. Many of today's success stories, from smart Those who track trends have to possess some rare kind of intui- phones to Twitter to the Airbus 380, were widely dis- tion. Not true. It's actually quite easy to do. Observing the world missed, questioned, and ridiculed from the day they were around you, with an open mind, is something many professionals imagined, announced or conceived. have unlearned, but it's something that we're all born with. Basi- cally, if you want to spot and understand trends, you can. • So instead of dismissing, ask questions. Non stop. Why So be curious and be open minded: while we're all set in our is something happening? Why was it introduced? Why own ways, and we have our strict beliefs about what is right and do consumers like it? Or why do they hate it? Look what is wrong, closely observing instead of judging the world beyond the sources that appeal to your personal tastes. around you is tantamount to success. Ask yourself 'why' when- ever you notice something new, instead of immediately looking for shortcomings. • Try stuff out. The proof of the pudding is always in the eating. Also realize that you are not necessarily your customer: your pro- fessional interests should be broader than your personal in- terests. You may not be excited by something new, but others • Get rid of taboos, prejudices, dogmatism, negativity. All of are. Ask yourself why they are excited and which existing need this will severely block your ability to pick up new ideas, has apparently been unlocked. to understand your customers, and will thus cost you money. (Hey, it will make you a more pleasant person, In other words, think and act like an entrepreneurial journalist. too.) How? Look cross-industry | Yes, yes, we know, what you really want to hear about is trends affecting your industry or sector. Be it wind energy, goatʼs milk, alarm clocks or holiday resorts. The thing is, innovative / ground-breaking / bar-raising customer experiences may well be happening in industries other than your own. Sticking with your own industry will thus not only severely limit your sources of inspiration, but will also make you miss important changes in consumer expectations. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 5. Increased curiosity paves the way for acquiring a point of view about the world around you, for comprehension. The more trends you spot and track, and the more skilled you are at putting these trends into context, the more guidance you'll have. When you have a broad point of view, even tiny observations start to make sense. Surprisingly, for such an essential part of one's business skills, a point of view is still rare in the business world. How many market- ers do you know who could give you an articulate answer if asked about, let's say, the Future of Marketing? How many business execs do you know who are capable of elo- quently explaining the main ten, or five, or even three major con- sumer trends shaping not only their own industry but the entire business arena? And how many CEOs can comfortably lay out a kick-ass plan of attack based on their understanding of the New Consumer? (No, Steve Jobs doesn't count! ;-) To stick with consumer trends: the point of view you want to de- velop could be summed up by a succinct answer to the question: “What is the (short-term) future of consumerism?” To blow your colleagues away with your answer a few weeks from now, practice these 15 Trend Watching Tips, and re-read our STATUSPHERE Trend Briefing ;-) You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 6. Ready-made trend reports • Consultants, researchers, experts • Universities • Shops, museums, hotels, airports • Catalogues • Trade shows • Start ups • Customized trend tours4 1. Eventually, we'll add a full blown 'resource center' to these pages (early 2011), with titles and links to every magazine and blog we regularly track. To really get going, get Google Reader and amass feeds from every source you want to track. 2. Other ways to let information come to you are of course Google Alerts and Twitter, Enter search phrases or track hashtags like 'consumer trends' or 'world's first' or a specific trend name. There's are now a wealth of tools that are designed to take the global pulse, highlighting trending topics from a range of online sources. Starting with the obvious, see a snapshot of search queries with Google Trends, then explore tweetmeme, monitter, Trendsmap, Establish your 'virtual trend research centre' Trendistic, Yahoo! Buzz, and Bing Social. Surely there's never been a more exciting time for eager trend 3. As consumers around the world pro-actively post, stream if not watchers to be in business, soaking up the insights, the spottings, lead parts of their lives online, you (and your trend team) can now the reports, the live dispatches from the global consumer arena. In vicariously live amongst them, at home, at work, out on the a world that's now fully connected, where countless smart profes- streets. From reading minute-by-minute online diaries on Twitter sionals and amateurs are not only spotting, observing, thinking and Facebook to diving into tens of millions of tagged vids and and innovating, but also putting their findings and insights online, for all to see, deliciously valuable resources are up for grabs, pictures uploaded by Flickr and YouTube-fueled members of many of them free or dirt cheap. GENERATION C(ONTENT) in Sweden, Singapore, Sri Lanka and dozens of other countries. More on that in our Virtual Anthropology Trend Briefing, which by now is ancient (2005!), but still holds. So stop bitching about information overload and instead celebrate the incredible wealth of (real-time) trend resources at your finger- Oh, and just one fun phenomenon illustrating how widespread life tips. streaming has become: haul vids. They're short product review videos where consumers show off their purchases from a recent Here's our checklist of where to spot changes in consumer behav- shopping trip. By October 2010, YouTube featured nearly 180,000 ior, new trendsetting products or just super-smart thinking on haul videos, with one teen, juicystar07, racking up nearly 90 mil- where our societies are headed at large. lion views of her hauls...watch one here. • Papers, websites, mags, blogs, books, news, newslet- ters1 4. Here are some facilitators of trend tours: TRENDTREKKING • Alerts and trending services2 (New York City), Bespoke Tokyo (Tokyo), Cscout (London, Beijing, • TV, movies, radio Sao Paulo and more), and Michi Travel (Tokyo). • Seminars, fairs, trade shows • Customers, clients, colleagues, friends, family • Eavesdropping, chat rooms, conversations • In-house Trend Group • Dedicated spotters network • Other trend firms, thinkers (philosophers, architects, so- ciologists, management gurus) • Advertising at large • Competitors • Street life, travel3 • Friends, colleagues, family You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 7. Last one about resources: please don't just stuff yourself with the insights and knowledge from the 'crowds', contribute to the collec- tive wisdom, too. If not for altruistic reasons, then for creativity's sake: "If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish." (Paul Arden) One more recommendation: we've collected more than 500 arti- cles about our trends, as featured in publications like the Guard- ian, NYT and Korea Times. The articles are a great source for gleaning additional insights and examples found by trend-savvy journalists. Image courtesy of The Onion A quick thought on naming trends: we feel it's crucial to describe trends as imaginatively as possible. Sure, we regularly take flak about our names (TRYVERTISING anyone?), but here's why we do it: • Arouse curiosity. Strange names invoke interest, make people sit up and listen, make them want to know more. A well-chosen name radiates the promise of a story, of something important. And if that name is unlike anything else (even if it's stupid unlike anything else), who can resist the desire to find out and not miss out? • Create a common language. You will find that groups and teams will rally behind a named concept more easily than behind something generic. Speaking a common language saves team members heaps of time—they're able to refer to a project or trend name and instantly be on the same page. • Coin, own and track. Coming up with an as yet un- known name means it's easier to coin something. Now coining isn't about ownership, or claiming you're the first one to come up with an idea: everything is already out there anyway. But it's convenient to coin a new name, because you get to (temporarily) lead the discussion. It also facilitates tracking: googling your unique trend name will instantly lead you to other experts' take on 'your' trend. Which often means more insights, more examples. Tracking ʻMATURIALISMʼ for example is a breeze; track- ing any variation on a statement like 'consumers are more daring and thus expect brands to be daring, too', isn't. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 8. Oh, and just how do we come up with our names? Early on, we were inspired by Faith Popcorn's approach: mix and match two or three words that define the trend, creating a new word that pref- So, you're open minded, you have amassed your trend resources, erably hasn't been used by anyone else (a quick Google search and you're jotting down and naming as many trends and trend will usually reveal just how unique a made-up word is). manifestations as you can. Now what? How to make sense of all When studying the trend of affordable luxury, key words that your findings and thoughts and examples, and (especially) under- jumped out at us were 'masses' and 'exclusivity', which then led to stand the impact and context of various trends? What works for us MASSCLUSIVITY. And when looking at the trend of consumers is to have a Trend Framework: basically a long list of all the trends making the most of price comparison and other consumers' prod- we've spotted over the years, divided by main and sub trends, and uct recommendations, we worked with keywords (and synonyms!) how these trends interact with each other. like transparency, power, nakedness, triumph (for consumers) and The easiest way to start building your own Trend Framework is to tyranny (for merchants), which resulted in TRANSPARENCY copy consumer trends from existing trend curators (see also TYRANNY and TRANSPARENCY TRIUMPH. So don't be shy, and go all out when naming your own trends. Ti p 1 5 ) . Yo u c a n fi n d o u r f r e e t r e n d s a t www.trendwatching.com/trends, and our not-free but not-breaking- the-bank-either Premium Service (including our new 2011 Trend Report) at www.trendwatching.com/premium. Then add your own findings. Your framework will expand quickly, meaning fewer sur- prises every time you spot something of interest: the bigger the framework, the easier it is to categorize your findings. Recurring question: how do all of the trends in your Trend Frame- work relate to one another? What's the context? We normally find that consumer trends can be grouped by the core need they newly address or unlock (see our definition in Tip 1), but that won't show you how certain individual trends are con- nected. A hands-on, if time consuming, approach to finding the connections: construct a matrix featuring all the trends you track, both vertically and horizontally, and do a trend-by-trend 'relation- ship check'. Last but not least, by keeping a complete-as-humanly-doable Trend Framework, the majority of your observations will easily fit with one of the existing trends. Which means that if a handful of them don't, you may be onto something genuinely new. So the more trends you track, the easier it will be to spot a truly new trend. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 9. Where to find these contributors? Easy. Just enlist your col- leagues, your friends, your family, your fans, your lead users, your mainstream customers, your suppliers, and reward them with pre- sents, your goods or services, credits on your website or some- thing they can put on their resume. Oh, and don't you dare com- plain that the global part of this is complicated if you're with an international firm. Since you have offices and colleagues around the world, your network is already in place and you just need to start exploiting it more effectively. Too expensive? Hey, if we can do it, so can any other small, mid- sized or big firm. Take a look at our Happy Spotting Network and our sister-site's Springspotters Network, which reward spotters with points that can be redeemed for gifts. That's right: every company, big or small, should have its own Trend Group. Even if that 'group' is just you. The Trend Group is not some multi-million Dollar/Euro/Yen/Real/Pound affair. It doesn't have to employ a dozen staff (though that would be nice); it's more a state of mind. It can be low-cost, unauthorized and grass roots if need be. Just a (virtual) meeting point and resource centre for those in the organization who love and/or need trend content. Don't wait for permission, make the Trend Group a fait accompli by just announcing it. Then tackle the support issue. Without backing from at least one senior member of the management team, your Trend Group may steadily grow, but results—innovations, that is— won't make it off the drawing board. See also Tip no. 11. They may not always be into ʻtrends', even though they should… You can spot and apply trends like there's no tomorrow, but if in the end the final decision makers don't share your sense of ur- gency or wild enthusiasm for a particular trend you are confident will make or break the company, you'll sadly be flogging a dead horse until retirement age. So here's what to keep in mind when Our spotters are everywhere. Are yours? you try to convince the CEO, the SVPs, the Board or anyone else too busy to know what MATURIALISM or STATUSPHERE means: Trend Network | Once senior support has been secured, it's time to move on to the fun stuff. Every self-respecting Trend Group will • Sometimes, you may be fighting a language and per- of course want to be able to tap into a network of contributors ception issue. 'Consumer trends' may still evoke images around the world, one's eyes and ears in the streets of Tokyo, of flamboyant fashion designers caressing delicate fab- lanes of London, avenues of New York and Paris, and avenidas of rics, or crazed teens in Japanese parks clutching the São Paulo. latest 3D gaming consoles. So try talking about the Future of Business, instead. Or the Future of Consumerism. Or Drivers of Change. Or You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 10. Patterns. Or Currents. So refer to the HBRs and McKin- seys, make it all about business, though don't change the core message. For more tips on presenting, check out Presentation Zen. • Make sure the trends you're trying to explain are not just about you or your ideas and scenarios. Don't make it a one (wo)man show. Everyone hates that, mainly for competitive reasons. Instead, be the messenger, the humble reporter. Show real-world examples of how other firms are already cashing in on a specific trend. Point out what respected brands are doing, including as many di- rect competitors as possible. (Even though we've argued against too much industry focus in Tip 2 when it comes to your mindset, showing what the competition is doing is great wake-up call material). • Don't immediately present them, but do have numbers ready at all times. In the end, we don't believe Point of Too late? Too early? Image courtesy of subway nut Views and Insights and Vision are primarily about num- bers but sometimes you need to give your audience what When it comes to consumer trends, some business professionals they want, to overcome resistance. And execs will want seem inclined to first and foremost worry. Will I miss the train on a numbers, stats, percentages, pie charts, graphs; any- certain trend? Will I be too early? When will it die out? And will this thing that looks numerical and financial. trend apply to my market, my customers, my region, my country? Now, our approach is one of looking for opportunities, not threats. • Make it visual. Pictures. Videos. Or, better yet: let people But if it helps, here are a few reasons not to be freaked out by try stuff out. Conceptualize and demonstrate. If you're everything, all the time: raving about new innovations, let people fiddle with them. Or taste them. Or sit in them. Sure, it will take you more What if I'm too early/late? | The impact of major trends is often time to prepare, but we never said trend watching is for over-estimated in the short term, and underestimated in the long the lazy, did we? term. Major consumer trends are about deep social and cultural change, that challenges established economic and legal struc- tures, meaning things won't typically completely change tomorrow. Now, if nothing of the above works, there's only one thing to do: Likewise, consumer generations are often set in their ways, and RUN. Get the hell out, and start your own business, capitalizing on will thus take a long time (if at all) adopting new ways of thinking, trends you know are going to change the industry if not the world. doing, and consuming, guaranteeing that the 'old ways' will domi- nate for a long time to come. And even if no longer dominant,   some of these old ways will remain a substantial factor until mem- bers of older generations literally die out. So yes, observe younger, 'unformed' generations to see what new trends are po- tentially about to erupt, but realize that sometimes it will take years to go truly 'mass'. Newspapers, anyone? What if I misread a trend? | Trend watching is about observing the 'now', so it's hard to go wrong there. Will a certain trend apply to my country? | First of all, why limit yourself to one market or country? If you think your ʻownʼ country isnʼt ready for a trend, why not introduce it to another country that is ready? It's a global marketplace out there. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 11. Secondly, you only have to dive into one of the many global youth  tribe studies to find further proof that when it comes to brands, when it comes to consumption, the similarities worldwide far outnumber the differences. It's a total cliché, but yes, younger consumers are  well-connected and well-informed, and treat the global marketplace as a  smorgasbord  of best-of-the-best delica- cies. A taste of things to come if we've ever seen one. Lastly, you wonʼt have to worry about readiness in a specific mar- ket if you instead  carefully prepare  for when it happens, while learning best practices from those already  applying the trend elsewhere. Just keep your costs down while waiting and learning ;-) Now, a few hands-on examples from the real world, using the above list: 1. Vision: The eco/sustainability trend recently inspired Procter and Gamble to set out an ambitious long-term "environmental sustainability vision", establishing  "end- points" that "are long-term in nature because some of them will take decades to come to fruition". These in- clude the use of 100% renewable or recycled materials for all products and packaging, powering plants with 100% renewable energy, emitting no fossil-based CO2 or toxic emissions, and having zero manufacturing or con- sumer waste go into landfills. 2. New business concepts: The ongoing rise of TRAN- SUMERS and EMERGING MARKETS has led to numer- ous new and innovative airlines around the world, offer- ing everything from no-frills to cheap chic. As per Tip 1, applying trends is all about innovation. Marketers and entrepreneurs often tell us they use our trends as 'conversa- tion starters'. And while that may sound wishy-washy, if that con- 3. New products, services, experiences: Check out our versation includes: extensive INNOVATION INSANITY Trend Briefing, cover- ing 67 innovations all inspired by consumer trends. • A quick presentation: trend definition, insights and some hands-on examples of how other companies and indus- tries already capitalize on these trends... 4. Marketing, advertising, PR: our recent Trend Briefing • A discussion of how the trend may impact your industry, on MATURIALISM (companies following the zeitgeist and your business... thus becoming a bit more daring) has some great exam- • Any innovations you can come up with using the 'apply' ples of how well-known brands like Mini come up with checklist below... risqué campaigns that resonate with their forward- ...then we're more than happy to serve as a conversation starter! thinking, more casual audiences. So without further ado, here are the four ways we like to apply trends: So dive into your Trend Framework, check the trends you think deserve more attention, or are completely missing on your innova- tion radar, and get going. You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)
  • 12. Hey, we know. YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO ALL OF THE Winning innovations do not necessarily start their life in a window- ABOVE YOURSELF. So to clarify: we're not saying you should less conference room spend 12 hours a day on trend watching. You just need to do more of it than you do now. Which brings us to our bonus tip: let trend Please, don't be too earnest about the quest at hand: trend watch- professionals do part of the work for you, even if it's just to help ing is about coming up with exciting new products and services for you hit the ground running. your customers, nothing more and nothing less. We naturally encourage you to explore trendwatching.com's Pre- And, as we argued in our INNOVATION INSANITY Trend Briefing, vious Trend Briefings (free!) and our 2011 Trend Report, part of the number of opportunities out there is staggering. Around the our Premium Service (not free). globe, billions of new, aspiring middle-class consumers, as well as hundreds of millions or prosperous, demanding consumers are But also spend a few days on generous trend sites like PFSK, looking for innovative brands to serve them. Even major chal- Springwise New Business Ideas, CScout, Contagious, FutureLab, lenges like environmental sustainability mean an insatiable need Influx Insights, Future Laboratory and JWT Intelligence. for solutions, for years to come. There is no reason for any smart business professional to be pessimistic. Hence our tip to have Sign up for their newsletters, tweets and feeds. They will yield some fun, versus adopting the corporate earnestness and fretting enough material to start building your resource centre, your Trend that will kill virtually every non-mainstream initiative. Unit, your Trend Framework. Now, if money is an issue (and it will probably always be), then Happy spotting! We look forward to seeing your findings and inno- realize that something new doesn't have to cost the world. Many vations in the marketplace. And if you still have any burning ques- of the innovations featured in our Trend Briefings thrive on nim- tions, or feel we completely missed out on a tip you want to share bleness and creativity, not huge budgets. with other trendwatching.com subscribers and clients, email us! Last but not least, if you happen to live in one of those countries where a double-dip still looms large, remember that recessions happen because of legacy systems, because of lack of innovation: if there ever was an opportunity to turn a negative in a positive... You are reading a PDF version of “15 TREND TIPS” (www.trendwatching.com/tips/)