I received these trends in a marketing email from Faith Popcorn’s Brain Reserve.

I’ve always been interested in trends.

I don’t really believe in their ability to predict the future.

After all, most trends are usually well underway when they are coined – so it’s really more like a snapshot of the present.

And one of the things that FPBR is really good at is giving them clever names like “cocooning” (an oldie but apparently still a goodie) and capitalizing on them on the time when they are just “mass” enough that people are nodding their heads in agreement.

Not so much ahead of the curve, but maybe right on top of it.

What interests me most (and from what I’ve read Faith too) is the APPLCATION of the trends.

I find them a useful filter when I am trying to innovate on a project to think about a subset of current trends (say five or so) and look at the task at hand through those eyes.

Take one of the more interesting ones below Egonomics (“consumers craving of individuality”) and think about how this might affect what I am trying to do at one of my projects at Virgin.

If you buy into this trend, then how can you capitalize on it in product development and marketing?

Hypothetically, in a Virgin hospitality experience how can we obtain a new level of customization in the customer journey?

Anyway take a quick look.

Let me know If any of these strike a chord and how you are applying them to your brands.

FAITH POPCORN’S BRAINRESERVE TRENDBANK

99 LIVES
Too fast a pace, too little time, causes societal schizophrenia and forces us to assume multiple roles.

ANCHORING
A reaching back to our spiritual roots, taking what was secure from the past in order to be ready for the future.

ATMOSFEAR
Polluted air, contaminated water and tainted food stir up a storm of consumer doubt and uncertainty.

BEING ALIVE
Awareness that good health extends longevity and leads to a new way of life.

CASHING OUT
Working women and men, questioning personal/career satisfaction and goals, opt for simpler living.

CLANNING
Belonging to a group that represents common feelings, causes or ideals; validating one’s own belief system.

COCOONING
The need to protect oneself from the harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.

DOWN-AGING
Nostalgic for their carefree childhood, baby boomers find comfort in familiar pursuits and products from their youth.

EGONOMICS
To offset a depersonalized society, consumers crave recognition of their individuality.

EVEolution
The way women think and behave is impacting business, causing a marketing shift away from a hierarchical model toward a relational one.

FANTASY ADVENTURE
Modern age whets our desire for roads untaken.

FUTURETENSE
Consumers, anxiety-ridden by simultaneous social, economic, political and ethical chaos, find themselves beyond their ability to cope today or imagine tomorrow.

ICON TOPPLING
A new socioquake transforms mainstream America and the world as the pillars of society are questioned and rejected.

PLEASURE REVENGE
Consumers are having a secret bacchanal. They’re mad as hell and want to cut loose again.
S.O.S. (SAVE OUR SOCIETY)
The country rediscovers a social conscience of ethics, passion and compassion.

SMALL INDULGENCES
Stressed-out consumers want to indulge in affordable luxuries and seek ways to reward themselves.

THE VIGILANTE CONSUMER
The consumer manipulates marketers and the marketplace through pressure, protest and politics.

Trends are only as useful as what you do with them.

That’s my point of view. What’s your Twist?
Are you applying any of these trends to your brands?

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Julie
Julie is the Founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and corporations build stronger, more profitable brands.

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