The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

I’ve found it interesting how the youth are incredibly open to sharing very personal things about themselves to the completely open online community. Blogs, myspace, Facebook… all of these sorts of things. A lot of the time some of the things you learn about people can be deeply personal. I’m not sure where it’s going to go in the future, but it’s def interesting to see so many younger people opening up about EVERYTHING. Will the future be much more transparent?

And what impact is this having on potential employers (or obsessed ex/potential lovers) stumbling across your personal online “space” which gives them direct insight into who you REALLY are…

Ok, I’m going back now. Where? Pfft, back to the future of course!!

I agree with Marcus to a certain degree but I still think certain regions (America and Asian markets) will be dominated by brands offering consumers the “champagne socialism” experience you’ve written about previously.
From our research, caring about the World is still more spoken about, than acted on; though the intention is there, but so is the materialistic / sense of belonging need.

People who have grown up with the internet and the digital age look like they are starting to crave the physical object again. Growing up with all things digital is making the tactile more important to a large range of kids, even if that tactile is simply the casing for the digital.

My answer’s pretty simple (and I like Rob M’s thinking a lot), but I think the trend is, now more than ever, one of entertainment.

Real life, branded entertainment (and to a lesser extent, ATL ads which seek to entertain – Cadbury’s Gorilla etc) will increasingly have the greatest weight in the yoof market.

Denim.

Action is vital, but often for kids and teenagers, just thinking something is fun or entertaining is enough to make them take action.

Look at the universally panned trident ads. Kids thought it was cool and bought it in droves.

Great point John …

And the other scary thing is that if you look at the trends of ‘Christmas toys’ of the last 15 years, they are simply evolutions of past ‘icons’ than anything dramatically new. History DOES have a habit of repeating itself it seems.

A mash-up, if you will, of UGC and sociality will require companies

1) to be far more reactive to the needs of customers and inclusive of their opinions in everything they do – not just product design,

2) foster real-world interaction and friendship in a time of offline disconnectedness,

3) counter the increasing neuroses of youth and make them feel and be healthier in every sense of the word, healthier physically, mentally and emotionally – genunely so, not in some bullshit new age way.

Some of this ties with Marcus’s observation but kudos doesn’t pay the rent. Kudos will be prevalent and because of that financial success will accrue.

Personally I think the greatest emerging trend is LOVEMARKS and that Kevin Roberts is a futurist genius. Ahem.

Maurice Saatchi will set up bookstore where classics are reduced to one word

Ah yes, Mr Roberts again…

Reading the Times this weekend (Sunday not Straits) I saw one of those silly what’s up what’s down lists that suggested that as a backlasj against the myriad niche designer jeans brands of recent years, there was trend back to 501s – sadly they preface it with the term vintage but I thought that was interesting.

The night before while out drinking on saturday night (I believe you guys call this qualitative research) the most stylish dresser I’d seen seemingly wore nothing that could be identified as branded and wa all the better for it. Sadly – her look was for me slightly diminished by the word Bench across the right cheek of her denim shorts – (white print, helvetica font, 28 point about two thirds of the way up – not that I was staring of course).

Sorry Marcus – you’re right, I almost fucked this up didn’t I!

John, the 501 re-emergence is simply a byproduct of ‘authenticity’ being the new status symbol, especially in a category where people are paying outrageous sums for what is fundamentally one of the most durable and cheap fabrics in the clothing category.

501’s went out of fashion because Dad’s wore them … 501’s will come back into fashion because now they’re not.

Good point John …

I also think the trend of living a life, not a lifestyle will start to emerge to a greater degree. I’m not saying it will be mass, mass market – but for every one trend, there’s a counter point of view and yet most people in marketing either [1] forget that or [2] are too scared to do it.

They already are Marcus – especially in Asia where there is a real desire to feel ‘part of the World’ because previously their World was limited to their countries boundaries and they were made to feel 2nd/3rd class citizens for it.

Maybe a future trend would be that history (in terms of brand communications etc) will actually stop repeating itself.

In the majority of the US jeans are much more utilitarian because they still have cowboys and ranch hands etc and yes if you pay more than $30 for 501s you’ve been had. In urban centres it’s slightly different but the US is much more than urban centres.

“The re-emergence of creativity in communication as people-power starts to dictate [and influence] the standards that they will accept and react to”

I suppose what I’m getting at is the flip side of what you’re saying here Rob. That “people-power” will actually become more creative/interesting/fun/magnetic and magically and thus drown out the “smaller” noise of corporate communications – regardless of how creative it may be.

[[[This comment is intended to be slightly inflammatory, so please treat it as debate starting rather than my concrete opinion:]]]

Marcus, is that not just an extravagent way of defining the growth of UGC?

I honestly believe UGC is one of the biggest misconceptions in adland today. Loads of people might be watching it, but loads of people aren’t creating it. I appreciate that may change as technology develops, but I still feel it will be in the minority – even if compared to past generations, it’s growing massively.

http://robcampbell.wordpress.com/2007/06/27/blinkered-about-content/

Come on Marcus, don’t be like that – especially as you are the ‘inventor’ of iPOD singing, something I feel a need to re-start for reasons I am still trying to get a grip on.

[this comment is late]

The point about UGC is not that it’s pre-eminent or ever will be – it’s mainly rubbish or entirely for small scale personal consumption. The point is that now people are in a position to “publish” with great ease and the eliteness of “creative” industries is now less obvious. The landscape is different now. It’s an extension of the whole conversation meme – people can kick back much more more easily.

Trebles all round then.

Organic cocaine!

There second album was disappointing.

Hey John, are Intelligent Clothing a band? Or I am just being extremely stupid here? I was referring to electronic chips embedded in clothing but I think I’m 2 weeks too late with this comment so will save it for another day.