Studying The Digital Future:
A New Set Of Rules For Mobile MarketingHow to reach young consumers using the mobile channel See what Stimulii is so excited about. Five Innovations that will change the way we live in the next five years. Obama Mania and product placement in The Simpsons Retail survival tip Ever wonder how to spot a brand in evolution? The Top 20 Trends in 2009 by Jeremy Gutsche one of the chief trend hunters Studying The Digital Future: A New Set Of Rules For Mobile Marketing 28 September 2009 Have you ever wished that you could really understand how people used the internet today, how they interact with various media, and what impact the trends we see today will have in the future? For the past 15 years, the Center for the Digital Future at USC has been studying exactly these issues. In this interview, we talk with Jeffrey Cole, Director of the Center on a range of topics, including the evolving media habits of teenagers and the emerging “new rules” for advertising and marketing. Jeffrey Cole is a media futurtist and has been the Director at the Center for the Digital Future for the past several years. He explains that “the primary purpose of the studies conducted by the Center for the Digital Future is exploring the profound changes in views and behavior that have occurred during the past 15 years of Internet use — as well as the changes yet to come.” (see below to download highlights from the latest study) Jeffrey also acts as an advisor to some of the largest advertising and media agencies in the world, and is a frequent contributor at thought leadership conferences such as Google Zeitgeist. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak at a conference, I highly recommend it as he always provides interesting insight on the future of media. 10 important things to know about media habits of teenagers Clearly when looking at long term trends, it is very important understand youth, and Jeffrey has done a lot of work in this area. “We call the main group Generation Z, the 12- to 24-year-olds who will be driving media consumption in the future,” he says. Jeffrey highlighted ten key media habits and trends of this Generation Z. 1 - No Newspapers 12 to 24 year olds do not read newspapers; they may read a few magazines, but most likely only specialist magazines not news magazines. Jeffrey believes we are just starting what will become a huge consolidation of print media, with probably only 3 to 4 major newspapers remaining in the US, 2 in UK, and just a handful of global news brands. 2 - Television on their own time Generation Z will never watch TV on someone else’s schedule. With services such as Tivo, internet video, and media file sharing, the idea of being constrained to watch a certain program at a set time makes no sense to them. 3 - Mobile only They don’t own a landline phone, and probably never will (they don’t own a watch either, it’s all in the mobile). 4 - Trust Teens trust their peers - even unknown peers - more than they trust experts. “There is an inherent credibility to them, they believe people they meet on facebook,” Jeffrey commented. 5 - Pay for content Today there is actually a willingness among teens to pay for content in some manner. “Up until 2005, nobody wanted to pay for digital content – people thought that everything on the web ought to be free. Then in 2005 two things happened. First some of the enthusiasm for illegal sharing networks decreased due to concerns about spyware and viruses. And second, iTunes opened up.” As a result of these events, people began to accept the idea of paying for content in some way. Attitudes have continued to evolve, and at the moment people do not really expect to get content for free, but they prefer to agree to watch advertising rather than actually paying money. 6 - Community The social community is firmly at the center of the Generation Z internet experience. Communication with “friends” is a primary activity. However, there isn’t huge loyalty to a particular social network. Jeffrey explains it this way, “For teens, a social network is sort of like a nightclub – you go their with your friends as long as its cool, but once too many other people start showing up (e.g. parents), you go off to find a new nightclub” 7 - Brands Teens think they are not impacted by brands and advertising. However, studies from the Center for the Digital Future have shown that in fact teens are actually more aware of brands and pay more attention to brands than other age groups. 8 - Movable content Teens expect to be able to move digital content from platform to platform, and won’t accept restrictions on this. They lead a multi-platform life, and believe they should be able to take their digital content with them. This believe is so strong that sometimes teens will put a lot of effort into breaking any restrictions on content portability, more for philosophical reasons than actual desire to move content. 9 - Instant messaging Teens use IM for communication, they think that email is for their parents. “At their age, they have the time for “synchronous” communications with their friends. We think as they grow older we’ll see a move to email,” Jeffrey commented. 10 - Sharing Finally, underlying much of this is the concept of sharing. Jeffrey explains what he means by this, “I think I understand teenagers as well anyone that is well past their teen years. But the one thing I don’t get is their incredible interest in the minutiae of each other’s lives.” “At first I thought it was simply vanity, but then I realized that they are as interested in what their friends do as they think their friends will be in them. And I realized this is simply a level of sharing that we have never seen before. It will be interesting to see if they hang on to this as they grow older.” Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ How to reach young consumers using the mobile channel 28 September 2009 We see a lot of similarities within the South African Market: In the light of the opinion voiced by youth marketing expert Ian Stewart, head of Asia, Friendster (ex Coke and MTV), in this insightful interview on mobile marketing to teens in Asia, mobiThinking asked: What needs to happen to make mobile a viable channel to reach the youth segment – i.e. teens, students, school leavers, graduates? What follows is a summary of the responses received back from experts around the world. These fall neatly into two categories: A) Five things you should know about mobile and youth B) Eight tips for successful engagement with young people via mobile A) Five things you should know about mobile and youth 1) Mobile data charges are too expensive for teens * Stewart’s observation about Asia, that a) mobile should be an excellent channel to reach young people, but b) mobile data is too expensive for them, is echoed by experts elsewhere: “I think it is a worldwide issue. Teens are avid mobile users and early adopters of new services, but most teens have less disposable income than adults, making the cost of messaging and mobile Internet access a hurdle to be overcome. It's an issue that goes beyond just the teen audience. Some of the carriers have lowered costs, particularly for messaging, but prices are still too high for mass-market adoption of mobile Web access,” says Noah Elkin, senior analyst at US-basedeMarketer. 2) This generation isn’t used to paying for a) data charges or b) content * They have never paid to surf or download on the PC Internet (beyond a cheap flat-rate broadband connection). * They are not used to paying for the majority of the rich media content they enjoy, whether that’s free video clips (via YouTube etc), file-sharing of music (between friends or from illegal download sites) and, more recently, free downloadable mobile applications/games (though only ones compatible for the cheaper phones they use – see below). 3) Most young people don’t have expensive smartphones * Only 14 percent of all mobile-phone users have smartphones, so there’s not much point targeting teens though app stores. * They tend to use phones that are available free with a pre-pay/pay-as-you-go or low-cost tariffs. * Of course, plenty of normal phones also access the mobile Internet, download and play music and even the most basic cell phones are able to download simple content such as ringtones, ring-back tones and wallpapers. 4) Teens are generally on pre-pay tariffs, so rarely benefit from flat-rate data plans * It’s great to see operators introduce flat-rate data plans, but most of these are restricted to high-end smartphones and more expensive fixed-term contracts. * It’s more usual to see young people on pre-pay (pay-as-you-go) contracts where data is billed by the Mb (which discourages use of mobile services). * Take Brazil, which, at 84 percent mobile penetration (three times PC users), is one of the fastest growing mobile markets: “Almost every teenager, from all classes, has a cell phone. About 80 percent of cell phones in use are pre-paid and 50 percent of these have very little or no credit at any given time in the month. Mobile-phone services are still too expensive for the teen budgets, including SMS and data traffic. Carriers have to roll out packages that suit this target consumer from both a product and a price point of view. Teenagers are eager to consume mobile content at the right price. We can see that from the amount of people who sign up to receive SMS alerts from brands like Nickelodeon, Turner and MTV, and who participate in SMS campaigns until they have no credit left,” explains Federico Pisani Massamormile, CEO, Hanzoand global chair of the Mobile Marketing Association. 5) Carriers are waking up to potential of mobile marketing * Globally mobile network operators (MNO) now recognize that it is in their interest to foster growth of mobile as a marketing/distribution channel, by making data more affordable for both marketer and consumers. * Many MNOs have appointed mobile marketing evangelists, prompted by success stories from Turkey’s pioneering Turkcell (where the mobile marketing team brings in US$45 million per annum from 7.6 million opt-in subscribers). Blyk’s experimental ad-funded mobile network in the UK though now deceased (August 2009), has also helped to nurture enlightenment. (More on Turkcell and Blyk below). “It is important to ensure the mobile advertising ecosystem or value chain in the local market is developed. This includes the partnerships and financial initiatives with all the leading agencies handling fast moving consumer goods [FMCG] brands to start looking at mobile seriously, rather than just adding it to their marketing mix in order to show that the agency is hip and cool,” says Anushka Ranasinghe, assistant manager, mobile advertising, Dialog Telekom, the largest mobile network in Sri Lanka. B) Eight tips for successful engagement with young people via mobile 1) Reducing cost of mobile with brand subsidy/sponsorship * Pioneering efforts by brands and operators to make mobile more affordable for teens, such as fostering loyalty by sponsoring/subsidizing calls, messages and data, hints at the potential: (i) Free or cheap access * Zero-rated-data: the marketer pays to ensure that visitors to its mobile site do not pay data charges – one of the earliest examples of this was the British made-for-mobile drama THMBNLS, which aimed to teach teens about safe sex – more on this here. * Zero-rated (toll-free) short codes: the marketer pays so consumers can text for free to those popular five-digit call-to-action numbers (they are often charged at premium rate) found in traditional/outdoor media adverts. * Guaranteed flat-rate data: the visitor pays a standard flat-rate fee when accessing a particular mobile site. See the ground-breaking Friendster Surf All Day deal, which means Filipino youngsters (on Globe Telecom) can access the mobile site of social network Friendster as often as they like in 24 hours for P20 (US$ 0.41). (ii) Rewards * Free airtime: the consumer receives an allowance of free calls or texts in return for receiving marketing messages. The reward of free minutes underpins Turkcell’s marketing programs, including the pioneering Tone&Win, where subscribers’ phones (500,000 of them) play advertising jingles/messages to callers, while they wait for them to answer. Read more about Turkcell here. * Rewards can also include free surfing, content downloads etc. (iii) Subsidized contracts - here the costs of calls, texts and surfing are reduced in return for receiving advertising messages. * Blyk took this model to an extreme. Operating as a virtual MNO it attracted more than 200,000 UK 16-24 year-olds in two years. They agreed to receive targeted advertising messages in return for totally free calls and texts. Blyk ran 1,000 campaigns for 200 brands including Coca Cola, STA Travel, Penguin, Buena Vista, L’Oreal and music artists The Kooks and Alphabeat, boasting a response rate of 29 percent. The service ceased August 26, 2009. * Orange UK will be one of the first mainstream operators to offer a reduced tariff to youngsters who agree to receive marketing messages. Orange (along with Vodafone Netherlands) has enlisted the Blyk’s expertise. “We believe this audience is willing to do some trade-offs in order to lower their phone bills. Youth, in particular, have needs that their budgets can not meet, so would welcome ad-funded price plans from the operators. They will be even more receptive when they see that ads are targeted, of value and relevant to their interests. The risk to the brand for engaging is very low as the audience is expecting and welcoming advertising,” explains Emmanuel Allix, managing director, APAC, at mobile advertising specialist Pudding Media. 2) Using technology to avoid data bills * Advocates of Bluetooth tout mobile proximity marketing as a way round data charges. A Bluetooth transmitter - perhaps in a billboard ad, in a station, or worn by a promoter – will communicate with mobile phones close by assuming the phone supports Bluetooth (most do), the customer has it turned on and wishes to communicate. “Near-cast Bluetooth technology allows the marketer to engage youth consumers by offering the totally free download of rich-media content. Adding a click-through link to a mobile site to the download allows the brand to continue the conversation and develop relationships,” explains Gordon Parkin, director at South Africa’s Brandscape Marketing. * For examples of youth-orientated applications via Bluetooth see: community chat, gaming and more [All suggested by Janne Hämäläinen, business development director at Finland’s Bluegiga]. 3) Young people (as with all demographical groups) need to be treated differently * This starts with the operators, who could use demographic and behavioral information to profile, design services for and target offers from top brands towards each customer segment. * When offered what they want, youngsters have proved to be a receptive and lucrative group: “Teens and tweens are the highest mobile generators of value-added-service revenue, in terms of average revenue per user, for in India. They are very knowledgeable about mobile services, such as Facebook, movie-related content downloads, gaming and contests, brand promotions and m-Coupons - such as buy-one-get-one-free cinema tickets – appeal to this urban teen segment. They also spend more on mobile content. There are approximately one million music downloads each day. India's largest operator Airtel earns four times more revenue on mobile music downloads than the largest music CD retailer,” according to Prabhjot Jolly, executive director at Mobiphonica. (4) Know and listen to your customer * Young people (like any other demographic) use mobiles in a particular way. eMarketer’s Elkin points out that they text much more than any other group, and as well as playing games and listening to music more than any other age-group, they also love social networking. * Connect with them “on their own turf”, advices Nick Fruscello, president at US-based Mozeo. Knowing that kids love to text, when Mozeo wanted to attract a youth audience to and build a marketing database for a sponsors brand, they ran a contest to find the fastest texter. Entrants were recruited with flyers/stickers using youth terminology, such as LMAO [laughed my arse off]. 5) Keep it relevant and in-context * Make it fun and/or useful: mobile promotions of all kinds – competitions, promotions, trailers, amusing virals, content (e.g. greetings) to pass on, games to enjoy – appeal to teens as long as they are relevant. * A virtual gift in time for Valentines Day, news alerts during a sports tournament, a game to play when bored on a train, a trailer to watch while trying to decide what film to watch, all add context. See this guide to event marketing. * Don’t over-brand it. With the best advergames, the brand is woven subtly into the game. * Add value – it will take more than another free ringtone and wallpaper to attract a teen to your site. 6) Getting the opt-in * The usual way to guide a customer to your mobile site for your competition, promotion, trailer or download is to send a text with a link to the URL. The engagement rate will be much higher where the youngster a) initiated the contact; b) the message is instantaneous; c) message is well-scripted and d) the content is relevant. * Since no brand manager in their right mind would send an unsolicited marketing text message to a teen, marketers have two options – use someone else’s opt-in list (if one exists), or build your own list by inviting customers to request the message. * The popular way to do this is to advertise a short code, perhaps toll-free (see above), along with print, outdoor, Web, TV advertising. * Alternative routes include photographing a quick response (QR) code (a 2-D code), if supported by the handset. From here, if your offer is relevant, it will spread by word-of-mouth. 7) Price it right * If free, do not demand too much in return, what else do you need initially than a phone number and an opt-in to future messages? * If the freebie is a platform for paid-for mobile service, e.g. updates, make sure it is worth having on its own. * If a paid-for service/application, aim for low price, high volume (remember that the recipient may well be paying for data downloads). 8) Don’t make technology the focus of a campaign just for the sake of it Mobile is littered with different technologies and a lot of hype. While all have their place, they aren’t necessarily going to impress a young demographic – especially if many of their phones don’t support it. Special thanks to Hans Von Knut creative director at Danish mobile agency PortaPlay.mobi and Franz Haslbeck,Club Pocket PC Munich for contributing to these tips. Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Five Innovations that will change the way we live in the next five years. 28 November 2008 IBM These fall into five areas: Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows Ever wonder how much energy could be created by having solar technology embedded in sidewalks, driveways, siding, paint, rooftops, and windows? In the next five years, solar energy will be an affordable option. Until now, the materials and the process of producing solar cells to convert into solar energy have been too costly for widespread adoption. But now this is changing with the creation of “thin-film” solar cells, a new type of cost-efficient solar cell that can be 100 times thinner than silicon-wafer cells and produced at a lower cost. These new thin-film solar cells can be “printed” and arranged on a flexible backing, suitable for not only the tops, but also the sides of buildings, tinted windows, cell phones, notebook computers, cars and even clothing. You will have a crystal ball for your health What if you could foresee your health destiny and use that knowledge to modify your lifestyle? Even though we are told that things like chips, crisps, cheese and wine aren’t good for us, what if you could find out that you are someone who could consume more sinful foods without having negative impact on your health? In the next five years, your doctor will be able to provide you with a genetic map that tells you what health risks you are likely to face in your lifetime and the specific things you can do to prevent them, based on your specific DNA – all for less than $200. Pharmaceutical companies will also be able to engineer new, more effective medications that are targeted for each of us as individual patients. You will talk to the web . . . and the web will talk back The web will change dramatically in the next five years. In the future, you will be able to surf the internet by using your voice, eliminating the need for visuals or keypads. New technology will change how people create, build and interact with information and e-commerce websites – using speech instead of text. The technology is available, but we also know it can happen because it must. In places like India, where the spoken word is more prominent than the written word in education, government and culture, “talking” to the Web is leapfrogging all other interfaces, and the mobile phone is outpacing the PC. In the future, through the use of “VoiceSites,” people without access to a personal computer and Internet, or who are unable to read or write, will be able to take advantage of all the benefits and conveniences the online world has to offer. You will be able to sort through the web verbally to find what you are looking for and have the information read back to you – as if you are having a conversation with the internet. You will have your own digital shopping assistants In the next five years, shoppers will increasingly rely on themselves - and the opinions of each other - to make purchasing decisions rather than wait for help from in-store sales associates. A combination of new technology and the next wave of mobile devices will give the in-store shopping experience a significant boost. Fitting rooms soon will be outfitted with digital shopping assistants - touch screen and voice activated kiosks that will allow you to choose clothing items and accessories to complement, or replace, what you already selected. Once you make your selections, a sales associate will gather the items and bring them directly to you. You’ll also be able to snap photos of yourself in different combinations and email or SMS them to your friends and family. Shoppers can access product ratings and reviews from fellow consumers and will even be able to download money-saving coupons and instantly apply them to their purchases. Forgetting will become a distant memory Information overload keeping you up at night? Forget about it. In the next five years, it will become much easier to remember. That’s because such details of everyday life will be recorded, stored, analysed, and provided at the appropriate time and place by both portable and stationary smart appliances. To help make this possible, microphones and video cameras will record conversations and activities. The information collected will be automatically stored and analysed on a personal computer. People can then be prompted to “remember” what discussions they had, for example, with their daughter or doctor by telephone. Based on such conversations, smart phones equipped with global-positioning technology might also remind them to pick up groceries or prescriptions if they pass a particular store at a particular time. It’s not hard to imagine that TVs, remote controls, or even coffee table tops, can one day be the familiar mediums through which we tap into our digitally-stored information. Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Back to top Obama Mania and product placement in The Simpsons 13 November 2008 As reported in The Product placement news November 2008. From the international round up of the product placement deals Stimulii liked the quirky intersection between political life and popular culture which saw the producers of the famous cartoon series “The Simpsons”show support for Barack Obama- via a story line which highlighted the rumours that the Republican Party is involved in vote-rigging practices. In the first episode of The Simpsons season 20, Homer Simpson tries to vote for Obama five times, but each time he votes it registers as a John McCain vote. This segment, which aired last Saturday, led to attacks from the McCain camp. “I realize a lot of celebrities are in the tank for Barack Obama, but I am very disappointed to learn Homer appears to be among them” wrote one McCain supporter on a Republican website. In response to the accusations, Simpson producer Al Jean said that the episode wasn’t meant to highlight a preference for Obama. Jean claims, “We try to satirize society. I think there are people who believe the voting process, especially with electronic voting machines, is suspect, so that's what we're satirizing". We think this kind of integration its right on the button! Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Back to top Retail survival tip 12 December 2008 I love my subscription to the Dim Bulb blog. With the global economy in tatters the fate of many retailers who depend on the festive cheer to boost sales , is on the line. While he talks exclusively about the American scenarios the universal experience of consumer is such that many sentiments are right for our South African market. With this said enjoy the festive season and save!  All this talk about price cuts driving retail sales is driving me nuts. Nobody goes to a store to get a cheaper deal than they could online or, if they get it, there's an overwhelming likelihood that the store will be out of business sooner versus later. The idea all but explodes any pretense of a store brand meaning anything (other than Wal-Mart, which means cheaper deal). It worked to prompt a lemming stampede on Black Friday, but Silent Saturday followed thereafter. Price is about as durable a brand attribute as wind direction. It's just a rotten reason to shop at a store, at any time during the year. So why all the price cuts now? For all of its innovation, CRM, and value-add experience branding, most geophysical retailers have yet to figure out how to compete with their online brethren. The primary differentiator continues to beimmediate gratification, as real inventory can be distributed upon checkout (online has to ship, unless it's selling a digital asset). I go to a store because I don't want to wait. So retailers' strategy centers on inventory management: how much can be displayed; when can orders be delayed or cut; what items will sell best, and need to get merchandised up front. Space has innate value, as buyers and reps alike know that there's a direct correlation between inches of exposure and dollars of sales. No wonder price is the biggest (and/or only) quality that most of them feel empowered to adjust and offer. The rest -- employee experts, extended service agreements, member cards, whatever -- is still incidental to the primary vision of brick-and-mortar retailing. All they really care about is monetizing the real estate with the physical stuff they put in it. No wonder consumers don't really care. I'm a dim bulb, but I think that the retailers who survive this holiday season (and the rest of 2009, which won't look much better), will have come to a central realization: the competition is real, not virtual. And there's lots better and smarter stuff they can put into geophysical space than merchandise. I have never understood why booksellers have allowed themselves to get whacked by online retailers. Books (like lots of products) are tangible things...tactile objects with smells, etc....and decision-making involves lots of qualities, like referral, review, comparison, contemplation, and sampling, that aren't necessarily digitally duplicable. So a bookstore isn't competing with an online retailer, per se, as much as it's fighting for a portion of my limited travel and visitation time, right? Yet most bookstores are aisles after aisles filled with books. Amazon does that a lot better, and cheaper, too. I can count on one hand the interesting things that have occurred in stores while I've been visiting during the past few months. Most of them were bad happenstance, like a kid puking, or someone trying to run away with stuff. This is after how many gazillions of dollars, and reams of expert blather, have been devoted to the idea of "experience" and its importance to the retail equation? Of course, there are exceptions, but the vast majority of brick-and-mortar retailers don't know what to do with customers. And, when they rely on price to drive traffic, the resulting experience involves sharp elbows, long lines, and reminders of the many other reasons why shopping online can be far more civilized. Where are the in-store promotions? The roving entertainers? Themed-days, or hours, or whatever? I don't have the right answer here, but the questions should be able creating not just brand-relevant experiences, but memorable experiences that areconsumer-relevant. Finally, don't customers stop being customers the moment they buy something? I can say that I shop at Target, but 99.9% of the time I'm not shopping there at all. What does the company do to keep my attention during the rest of my life outside of the store? Run image advertising, mostly. Seems to me that brick-and-mortar stores could find ways to utilize online technology to engage with me in meaningful, ongoing ways that might, in fact, drive me into stores more often. Virtual retailers don't have the resources to offer added benefits or experiences in reality. Shouldn't Target measure its brand strength base on how many times I go back to the store (and by what I buy, and how much), instead of how fondly I might think about its ads? The holidays are going to stink. But I'm hopeful that the crisis will be cathartic for retailers, and that the smart ones will embark in 2009 on the true journeys of reinvention that, up to now, they've barely even recognized, let alone begun. Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Back to top Ever wonder how to spot a brand in evolution? well many of the entrenched brands have no hope of transgressing into the new consumer savvy environment, until they reassess their inherent characteristics and philosophies. If not we will see a lot more new brands. Take a look:  Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Back to top The Top 20 Trends in 2009 by Jeremy Gutsche one of the chief trend hunters 20. RETURN TO THE KITCHEN (Economy / Family / Food) - Fuelled by the credit crunch and food as a fashionable hobby, we’ll see a return to the kitchen, especially for the celebrated meals. 19. DIY & THE RISE OF THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY (Economy) – Internet communities like Etsy and Craftster were already sparking interest in DIY projects, fashion and crafts. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will spark many hobbiests to transition their love for craft into cottage industry. 18. UGLY BEAUTY (Advertising) – From Vivienne Westwood’s use real gypsies as models to Yohji Yamamoto seniors on the catwalk, expect to see an abolition of traditional beauty as people return to what seems real. 17. HOLLYWOOD VIRAL (Media) – 50 Cent’s multi-million member community, Will Ferrel’s success with Funny or Die and Paris Hilton’s fake presidential candidacy are all examples of Hollywood stars leveraging their brands for instant online success. Expect the stars to rock the blogosphere and 2009 YouTube charts. 16. SHOCKVERTISING 2.0 (Internet Culture) – Shockvertising isn’t a new tool, but the blogosphere and youtube in combination have created the world’s first truly viral platform. From Dead arms in butcher shops for a Dexter promotion to bathroom blood dispensers in Clue you can expect credit crunched ad teams to further push the limits in 2009 and beyond. 15. GEEK PRIDE (Tech) – RSS Nerd tattoos, Keyboard Jewelry, Nintendo Wall Decals and Pac Man Cufflinks are just a few examples of our techified culture opening the door to geek pride. It’s not 1990 anymore. The internet has become pervasive and geek culture is cool. 14. AGELESS INSPIRATION (Medical) – 60 today is not the same as 60 a generation ago. From boomers in fashion to boomers on youtube, a youthful generation 60 year olds is approaching retirement. As this generation proves its youth, we are seeing emphasis across all ‘older’ age groups. From Daira Tores, the 41 year old Olympian, to 80 year old Buhbbe Scher on YouTube, pop culture is now fascinated with age. 13. URBAN GARDENING (Living / Eco) – Fake and real gardens are springing up outside traditional yards. From indoor urban spice gardens to living furniture, our green obsessed society is finding eco outlets for city dwellers. 12. PHYSICAL CUSTOMIZATION (Product) – From designing your own shoes (Steve Madden) to custom dresses online (StyleShake), consumer personalization is entering the physical world. New technologies and a desire to express personality are fueling this innovation. 11. VIRTUAL TOURISM (Travel) – In a credit crunched economy, families cut their travel budget. At the same time, we continue to see an evolution in online 3D technology. As these two factors combine, we get VT. 10. STYLE OVER TRADITION (Fashion) - Even the most conventional product categories, like watches, are changing shape. Luxury items used to be a static, with only a few brands and classic designs representing status. However, modern design and cutting-edge technology are evolving style far beyond the status quo. 9. HUMANIZATION OF PETS (Pets) - Wet suits for dogs, pet tanning beds, kitten rentals, doorbells for dogs, and pet spas are just a few examples of the rise in animal humanization. Expect empty nest boomer to further accelerate this trend. 8. FAUX ROCKSTAR (Pop Culture) - Games like Guitar Hero and Rockband are spawning a new era of pop culture. Band geek couture, guitars for girls and real bands with plastic guitars are just a few rockin’ examples. 7. PREFABULOUS (Architecture) - From recycled shipping containers to cardboard, instant homes are made from a diverse range of materials. Some are built as temporary post-disaster shelters, others as aesthetic masterpieces. 6. 1960 CULTURE (Fashion / Pop Culture) - From gadgetry to fashion, the world continues to have a fascination with retro. This year, everything 1960s is hot again. Cult shows like ‘Mad Men’ continue to fuel fascination for this decade. 5. BRAG MATERIALISM (Luxury) – From a $2 Billion home to $3 Million Bugattis, Brag Materialism takes luxury to a new level. In short, simple luxuries like flat screen TVs can be ‘bought’ by just about anyone. Since opulence has been made available to the masses, truly affluent buyers are seeking extreme wealth exhibitionism 4. POLITICAL REMIXING (Politics) – Obama and Sarah Palin brought politics into pop culture. But post election boredom will drive the internet to create their own drama with ongoing political parody, including presidential beatboxing and viral videos. 3. SMALLCHITECTURE (Interior Design / Economy) - As people move into metropolitan cores, and architects are forced to build upward, people are needing to adapt to smaller living spaces. To ease the transition of shifting to more compact home environments, architects and designers are innovating interior layouts as well as creating adaptable furnishing. 2. REMAKING HISTORY BETTER (Media) – From recreating famous photoshoots to Horror Movies remade, the revival of retro is making its way into the media. Instead of creating from scratch, artists and designers are looking at successes of the past and adding a modern twist. 1. CREDIT CRUNCH COUTURE (Economy / Fashion) – From DIY jewelry to home-made shoes, the rediscovery of individual clothing is being fuelled by our troubled economy. Interest in DIY is even sparking top designers like Hermes, with their DIY status bags and Vivienne Westwood who showcased a collection of clothing made from towels, curtains and scrap material. Grazyna Koscielska Director Stimulii Licensing (Pty) Ltd + 27 11 784 8910 + 27 82 881 0848 http://www.stimulii.co.za/ Back to top |
