“WE is IN and ME is OUT”: Top ten trends for 2012

This is a ‘we’ vs. ‘me’ generation and they’ll lead the call for business to adopt this mindset too, benefiting the society and planet while also advancing corporate interests. These aims will come to be seen as synergistic, not mutually exclusive. “

“WE is IN and ME is OUT”:
Top ten trends for 2012

By: Thelma Murillo

With Christmas over, preparations now shift for the coming new year. I originally thought of featuring predictions from an astrologer for a peek at what may be in the Year of the Dragon but since the Chinese New Year doesn’t start until the 23rd of January 2012, incidentally declared a holiday by Malacañang, I decided to feature instead the top 10 trends for 2012 by JWT Intelligence, which was shared to me by a friend over the Internet.

(This is JWT’s seventh annual year-end forecast of trends for the near future and they say the continued economic uncertainty, new technology and the idea of shared responsibility are at the center of or driving many of their trends. JWT’s 10 Trends for 2012 report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted by JWT Intelligence throughout the year. For this report, they conducted quantitative surveys in the U.S. and the U.K. using SONAR, JWT’s proprietary online tool. They surveyed 531 Americans and 524 Britons age 18-plus from Oct. 31-Nov. 8; data are weighted by age, gender and income. They also received input from nearly 70 JWT planners across more than two dozen markets, and interviewed experts and influencers across sectors including technology, luxury, social responsibility and academia).

10 Top Trends of 2012

1. Navigating the new normal. As the middle market shrinks in the developed world, more brands and more categories will find more ways to make their products and services more accessible.

2. Live a little. Consumers, meanwhile, will tire of constantly watching their spending, their health, the planet. They’ll be looking to live a little without giving up a lot. Indulging, splurging and escaping from today’s many pressures.

3. Generation Go. Tough times will generate an unprecedented entrepreneurialism with the so called last generation of youth transforming into a uniquely resourceful group that creates its own opportunities.

4. The rise of shared value. This is a ‘we’ vs. ‘me’ generation and they’ll lead the call for business to adopt this mindset too, benefiting the society and planet while also advancing corporate interests. These aims will come to be seen as synergistic, not mutually exclusive.

5. Food as the new Eco-Issue. The green movement will add its focus on our impact of our food choices. We’ll see rising consumer awareness and companies rethinking what kind of food they sell or how it is made.

6. Marriage optional. From east to west, women are shifting their attitudes towards marriage as it becomes a life choice rather than a given. More women are redefining what ‘happily ever after’ means for them.

7. Reengineering randomness. Different points of view will become more important as our digital spheres get more personalized and niched. We’ll seek ways to reintroduce discovery and randomness into our world.

8. Screened interactions. Flat surfaces will come alive using our phones, hands or gestures. We’ll be interacting with outdoor ads, menus, walls and more as they evolve into interactive screens.

9. Celebrating aging. As we live longer, our attitudes toward aging are shifting in a more positive direction. Increasingly, we’ll be inclined to see the upside of getting old.

10. Objectifying objects. As everything gets digitized, a desire for physical objects will grow. Things to hold, touch, display or give to others will connect us to our more analog past.

From their website, “JWTIntelli-gence is a center for provocative thinking that is a part of \t “_blank” JWT, the world’s best-known marketing communications brand. We make sense of the chaos in a world of hyper-abundant information and constant innovation—finding quality amid the quantity.

“We focus on identifying changes in the global zeitgeist so as to convert shifts into compelling opportunities for brands. We have done this on behalf of multinational clients across several categories including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and home and personal care.”

Bear in mind that these are trends based on JWT’s research and do not necessarily reflect my own view. It may be helpful however, if you are planning to start a business next year.

A prosperous New Year to everyone!

God is Great!