#5
What was the trend?
Small Society is the idea that people are developing smaller groups, smaller worlds and are ultimately becoming more self-reliant. Strong ‘protectionist’ themes came through in the workshop we ran. We are used to looking after ourselves, and those closest to us. It turns out that ‘Big Society’ extends to the top 5 names on my mobile phone.
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
This is definitely evident in 2012; a great example being the new classifier on Facebook. When one ‘adds a friend’ they are now categorised – i.e. friend, acquaintance – allowing and almost encouraging people to evaluate their relationships, and grouping accordingly.
Initially when Facebook and its rival sites began, it was a competition as to who could have the greatest total of friends, but quality seems to have replaced quantity; people have even discussed ‘cleansing’ their friends-lists, removing people that they no longer want filling their news stream.
And in 2013..?
I think this is a trend that looks to stay. In a world that is increasingly chaotic, people seems to have a small trusted group of people they can turn to. Acquaintances and associates will not however be purged entirely, especially if your friends are all too busy to go to the umpteenth new cocktail bar!
#6
What was the trend?
The next 12 months will see people increasingly re-claim brands. Young people in particular will take advantage of their ability to distribute and share information quickly. This means a brand can go from a hero to zero in an hour – it can also be completely repositioned by consumers who decide where and how brands fit into their lives
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
This trend is extremely evident in 2012, and consumers are proving time and time again, that they are indeed the people with the power. For example it was the discussion on Twitter that aided the fall of The News of the World. And not quite so dramatically people also petitioned to bring back Cadbury’s Whisper Gold.
Similarly reviews online have revolutionised the way we shop. Rather than chancing a purchase, i.e. a new phone, or a kitchen appliance, you can now go online and see how other consumers have rated the product. Sites like Trip Advisor have also transformed the travel industry, as 100s of hotels worldwide have been scrutinised by their customers. It has never been more vital to keep your customers sweet, because one bad comment on the internet could mean a brand goes from hero to zero.
And in 2013..?
This is another trend that will undoubtedly continue, especially as consumers grow in confidence of their power. So expect more campaigns to keep X-factor winners off the number 1 Christmas spot (or indeed dud singers candidates in the process), to get their favourite chocolate bars back in the shops, and if called for to help fight corruption.
#4 Generation I (for Innovation)
What was the trend?
‘Generation I (for Innovation)’ have grown up with businesses focused on a constant drive for change and innovation and subsequently young people have become conditioned to expecting more. At the same time, older consumers can find themselves exhausted by relentless development, constantly playing catch-up. But Generation I is more optimistic. Brands need to harness the ingenuity of today’s digital natives.
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
We have definitely seen this trend manifest itself. Obviously brands have to continue to innovate to keep consumers (and especially younger consumers) interested and we saw this in 2012. It was another big year of technology with the race for the newest Ipad, and Samsung vs Apple, Facebook going public and the rise of a new phone network, EE. EE has made the innovative and bold step into creating a brand that can fulfil every need in a consumers’ digital life from offering 4G to ‘clone phone’, and the Kevin Bacon adverts are a quietly enjoyable watch!
Generation I is a generation of digital natives and due to the empowering nature of technology, have a powerful digital intuition. However, due to slow recovery in the economy and the aftermath of the London Riots, younger generations are a lot less optimistic than predicted and feel a lot more isolated than expected. Though the fact still remains generation I is a collective of innovators and change-makers of the future; brands will need to tap into this to continue to be fresh and vibrant.
And in 2013..?
Technology, Technology, Technology…is only going to grow and become more powerful in 2013. With the rise of mobile money and the ‘virtual shopping experience’, generation I is only going to become more important to engage for brands and harder to please!
#3: Benchmarking your behaviour
What was the trend?
Benchmarking your behaviour. How do I know what I am doing is right? Am I saving enough? … Spending enough time with my friends? … Being paid enough? We are increasingly used to having information, but can find ourselves overwhelmed with it, (particularly online). Expect to see brands, products and services helping you benchmark consumer behaviour over 2012.
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
This trend hasn’t quite manifested itself in 2012. However, we have seen a rise in financial budget planning tools and applications, and brands like Lloyds TSB and Barclays are helping consumers’ tailor their saving and spending behaviour through such tools. Yet including and beyond the financial sector as a whole, brands have yet to use its widely correlated customer data to help the consumer, by sharing this data in a digestible form so that consumers can tailor their behaviour.
And in 2013..?
I think this is a trend that will grow in 2013. Consumers are becoming more acutely aware of targeted ads and the wealth of data brands like Google, Facebook and even companies such as Nectar and Tesco Clubcard collect on its customer base. The power of the consumer is rising and will continue to rise in 2013, they feel brands should be helping them save and spend in the right places, and benchmark their behaviour. So watch this space!
Way back when at the beginning of the year (it’s flown by, hasn’t it?) we got together with 25 brands and 25 customers for 3 hours in a room in South London to co-create a set of trends that would drive customer behaviour in 2012.
Now the days are getting shorter and Christmas is just around the corner, we thought it would useful to revisit these trends. Were we right? Were we wrong? How have these trends manifested themselves in the last 12 months?
Over the next two weeks we’ll be taking you through the eight trends and exploring just that! Enjoy!
#1 On demand economy
What was the trend?
Both driving, and to meet, our need for constant stimulation, the on-demand economy is going to become more pervasive in 2012. If you are not providing instant access and flexibility for your customers, they will go elsewhere. As a brand your services have to be easy, quick and available any time, anywhere. And rental as a new business model is taking the place of ownership.
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
The rent-athon race has really got going in 2012. Here in London we’ve seen the Boris Bikes spread like wildfire (with
further expansion plans afoot, if you’ll excuse the pun) as more local cyclists and tourists alike choose the convenience of bike renting over owning – and public transport.
Further afield organisations like Camp In my Garden and Park Circa that started the trend of peer-to-peer small space renting (members can rent others’ gardens or parking spots for a short time) have been superseded by organisations like Field Lover which allows land-owners to rent their fields out for festivals and gatherings.
And in 2013..?
I imagine this trend is here to stay. Accustomed to flexibility and ease while still living in “austerity Britain”, I predict the rise and rise of this kind of short-term anti-ownership model. Brands that can deliver against this will find themselves in a strong position in the coming year.
#2 A new world of value
What was the trend?
Consumers are re-prioritising how they define value. The simple notion of the price / quality equation is now defunct, and more stock is placed on the notion of meaning. Expect brands and products to attempt to combine price promises, quality commitments and now a sense of personal meaning. Brands must acknowledge this or risk commoditisation
How has it manifested itself in 2012 (if at all)?
This has been a hard fought battle in the grocery market, with the Christmas period proving the most fertile of battle
grounds. Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips recently blamed the lacklustre performance on the brand’s failure to differentiate itself from competitors. It is a brand that has learned the hard way that price promises are not enough as Philips plans to emphasis their ‘fresh’ offering.
But can a ‘fresh’ quality commitment beat the sense of personal meaning that comes with being the supermarket of Mums? I imagine festive trading figures will tell us just that. Despite Asda coming into some criticism for its “sexist” advert this year, a poll on Mumsnet has shown that the supermarket’s campaign is still the second most popular amongst its target market.
And in 2013..?
I imagine that this one is here to stay too – though brands will have to be smarter about how they deliver against these so as to avoid accusations of stereotyping, sexism and shallowness. Brands that truly understand their customers and imbed a personal meaning throughout the business will reap the rewards (and not just at Christmas.)
You may or may not be aware but there are quite a few changes happening in camp Promise. We are very proud and excited to announce that we have recently joined the Communispace family, owned by the larger group Omnicom (part of DAS). This is a great opportunity for both companies to work together, bringing co-creation and innovation to a wider audience, as well as learning from each other and developing techniques, ideas and technologies along the way!
Communispace CEO Diane Hessan, when commenting on the merger, said: “We saw Promise’s co-creation capability as a hugely powerful vehicle for taking insights and turning them into impacts.”
So watch this space for exciting changes and even greater possibilities in future.
If you want to read more, there are some great articles that have covered the merger too, from Research-Live, Innovationexcellence.com, prweekus.com, and odwyerpr.com
And in case you wanted to know a bit more on our newest in-laws:
About Communispace
The world’s most admired brands turn to Communispace (www.communispace.com), the leader in generating actionable insights via private online customer communities. Founded in 1999, the company has created nearly 600 customer communities for over 100 industry leaders. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Sydney. Communispace is a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc.
About Diversified Agency Services
Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom’s holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.
About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5000 clients in more than 100 countries.
Retail campaigns often focus on women, but changes in shopping habits and society may mean that a new approach is needed, argues Rebecca Thomson in Retail Week.
But is this an outdated, sexist and ultimately ineffectual way to approach advertising in 2012 and, specifically, at Christmas time?
Over to our man Ben Hayman, calling on our experience of working with brands like Boots and John Lewis, who are amongst the loudest voices in the festive advertising-sphere to suggest that those who use data cleverly will be the future of retail advertising.
He says: “What retailers have done brilliantly over the past 10 years is gather real intelligence on customers. The danger is that it’s too broad brush. There’s a huge variety of different shopping types. I think what will happen in the future is that retailers will get much cleverer in their targeting.” He observes that as men become more involved in housework and shopping, typical gender roles are changing. At the moment, broad assertions are made about mums and dads, but Ben predicts this will change. “Instead, retailers will start to target specific audiences. They’ve got so much information about the way we live our lives,” he says.
In an interesting article that includes some facts and figures that might surprise some readers (such as Verdict Research’s study that shows that 43.7% of grocery shoppers are male) and the views of industry experts, Thomson concludes that brands that include men in their messaging “are increasingly likely to be those in tune with their audience”
Read the full feature here.
To quote another eagerly anticipated Christmas advert ‘the holidays are coming’ (and there is no avoiding it)! The lights on Oxford Street have been on since the brave were still donning flip flops, shop window displays have being filled with an abundance of ‘elegant’ tinsel and mothers worldwide are beginning to flap over gifts, wrapping and turkeys! And naturally it’s still November. But the advert that is causing the biggest stir is undoubtedly John Lewis’s The Journey, featuring a love sick snowman that embarks on a seemingly impossible voyage across the land in search of the perfect gift for his beloved. Needless to say they have stayed true to their routes and produced something that is beautifully shot, unfeasibly expensive, and utterly heart wrenching – we all remember the little boy last year that simply couldn’t wait to give his parents his present! (*wipes tear*)
But is this indeed a winning formula? If Youtube hits are anything to go by (over 2 million already) then we’d have to say yes. Marketing Week has also reported that there has been a ‘7.6 per cent year on year sales increase in the week following the TV ad launch’. John Lewis it seems has managed to tap into the sentiments of Christmas, celebrating love and generosity, whilst also telling a story. They have drawn on viewers’ emotions, which more often than not guide our purchases, especially at this time of year.
Whenever there are fans there are however undoubtedly critics; The Guardian’s Hadley Freeman firmly condemns it as the ‘equivalent of the adverts shown during the Super Bowl: awaited, unveiled with the fuss of the turkey on Christmas day and then parsed for some kind of cultural meaning…(stating) Christmas adverts have as much to do with Christmas as reality TV has to do with reality.’ But as much as I can agree with Hadley’s reasoning, I’d argue that John Lewis has rather kept up to date with what Christmas has become. For most, whether regrettable or not, it is no longer a religious celebration of the birth of Jesus, but rather a time for family and loved ones, and this is what John Lewis has effectively captured.
Moreover they have reinforced their brand by staying true to their concept, and by creating something that has dare I say it, has quickly become a new tradition. They have successfully marketed themselves into people’s hearts, and as the chosen sound track suggests, the power of love can indeed drive sales.
