This document provides a summary of 12 mini consumer and business trends from trendwatching.com's September 2012 trend briefing. The trends cover topics around smart home technologies, consumers investing in brands they support, one-touch ordering and payments, teenage entrepreneurs, brands partnering with government, apps that provide feedback to encourage healthy behaviors, and more. Each trend is accompanied by 1-3 examples from around the world to illustrate how the trend is manifesting in different markets and industries.
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trendwatching.com’s MINI TRENDS
1. trendwatching.com’s free Monthly Trend Briefing September 2012
12 mini trends TO RUN WITH NOW
Consumer and business trends that will yield you some profitable innovations.
trendwatching.com/trends/minitrends
2. Intro 1. TECH DOMESTICS »
2. CUSTOWNERS »
In a world of global hyper-consumption and creative
destruction, there are now more consumer trends than 3. ONE TOUCH WONDER »
you can swing a stick at. Here’s just a small selection
of ‘mini’ consumer and business trends that are cur- 4. TEENPRENEURS »
rently on our radar. And to underscore just how global
the game has become, the mini-trends are accompanied 5. BRANDED GOVERNMENT »
by examples from Dubai, France, South Africa, the US,
6. NANNY APPS & 24/7 FEEDBACK »
Brazil, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Kenya, China, Spain,
Colombia, Japan and many more. All begging to be as- 7. JUICE JITTERS »
sessed, applied, partnered with, monetized.
How’s that for hands-on NEWISM? ;-) 8. SAFETY NET »
9. TASKSUMERS »
10. SUPER-ECO »
11. REAL WORLD LIKING »
12. ARTIFICIAL SCARCITY »
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 2
3. 1. TECH
The ‘Internet of Things’ is finally becoming reality, alarm clocks!), but you’ll get the (bigger) point and
and what better way to deliver on this tech trend opportunity:
than introducing applications that really serve
DOMESTICS
consumers, like proper ‘tech domestics’. Just
a few examples, revolving around alarm clocks (yes,
Winter Wake-Up Uniqlo Wake Up
Winter Wake-Up is an app that functions as a In a similar vein, Uniqlo Wake Up is a free app which
standard alarm clock, but (by connecting to online wakes users up with music automatically created
weather forecasts) wakes users earlier than usual if based on the weather, with a melodic voice to
there has been unexpected snow or icy conditions announce the time, conditions and day of the week.
during the night. Users can choose not to be woken
at all if extreme conditions make their commute
hopeless.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 3
4. 2.
CUSTOWNERS are consumers who move return, and therefore only brands that are open,
from passively consuming a product towards friendly, honest, trusted, transparent, and somewhat
actually funding/investing, if not owning a ‘human’ will find themselves able to attract
CUSTOWNERS
stake, in the brands they buy from. However, enthusiastic CUSTOWNERS:
these increasingly business-savvy audiences are
often looking for both a financial and an emotional
Buitengewone Varkens CircleUp
Buitengewone Varkens is a Dutch company that CircleUp is an online platform that enables consumer
accepts investments in its herd of pigs in exchange retail companies to raise funds from a panel of
for pork products over a three year period. Interested investors. Companies that wish to gain investment
consumers begin by investing EUR 100 in the must have raised at least USD one million in the year
company’s pigs, which are bred sustainably and preceding their application. They can use CircleUp
allowed to live naturally outdoors. to communicate with investors and find funding of
between USD 100,000 and one million.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 4
5. 2.
CUSTOWNERS This free
PR EA
IC RL
E A Y-
VA BIR
ILA D
Trend Briefing is BL
E
obviously only the
tip of the iceberg.
Leon Bonds
UK-based healthy fast food franchise Leon
created Leon Bonds to raise GBP 1.5 million from If you want access to ALL trends, insights and
its loyal customers (rather than corporate investors), innovations we’re spotting, check out our Premium
so it could further expand and open new locations. Service.
Investors (of a minimum GBP 1,500 for three years) MORE»
receive interest and other non-edible perks in return. trendwatching.com/premium
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 5
6. 3. ONE
For truly time starved consumers, nothing beats See also our CASH-LESS trend. The question
the simplicity and convenience of ordering or brands need to answer: is what you offer integral or
paying with a single touch, swipe, tap or button valuable enough to your customers to award ONE
TOUCH
press. TOUCH WONDER status to?
WONDER
Smart Drop Red Tomato Pizza
The Evian Chez Vous website lets residents of Paris The VIP Fridge Magnet from Dubai’s Red Tomato
order bottled water for direct delivery to their homes Pizza allows customers to order their favourite
and businesses. Users can order other products from pizza at the touch of a button. Members of the
the Danone group, including Badoit or Volvic water. loyalty program were sent free magnets, which use
In 2013, the service will be accompanied by the a smartphone’s Bluetooth functionality to connect
Smart Drop; a wifi-enabled fridge magnet allowing to the Internet. Once customers have pressed the
members to order water automatically by pushing a button on the magnet, the pizza is delivered to their
button. registered address.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 6
7. 3. ONE
TOUCH Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel
Yes, these are turbulent times, but
you can still excite consumers.
WONDER
Learn how at one of our
Consumer Trend Seminars
(until Oct. 2012).
Don’t miss out!
Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel teamed up
with Barcelona-based biometric payment Give us half a day of your time, and leave the room
provider PayTouch so that guests (who register knowing about every consumer trend, insight and
upon arrival) can make payments with their innovation that needs to be on your radar!
fingerprints. All the facilities at the destination are
equipped with print scanning devices so that visitors
trendwatching.com/seminars
needn’t carry their wallets or cards around.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 7
8. 4.
For many, entrepreneurialism is a new status create and grow a business with little investment.
symbol, with tech entrepreneurialism at the top of In the years to come, expect plenty of budding
the pyramid. Young people especially are hungrily teenage tycoons to take on traditional, serious,
TEENPRENEURS
going after entrepreneurial opportunities, as they’re ‘proper’ yet often-out-of-touch businesses:
empowered by (and indeed, more proficient in) the
online technologies that make it possible to both
Hiccupops Teens in Tech Incubator
Connecticut-based Hiccupops, a sweet innovation The Teens in Tech Incubator (Silicon Valley) is an
from 13-year-old entrepreneur Mallory Kievman, eight week hands-on program for entrepreneurs
produces lollipops that put a stop to hiccups. between the ages of 13-19 who are serious
The combination of apple cider vinegar and sugar about building products and learning about
stimulates the nerves in the user’s throat and cancels entrepreneurship.
the hiccup reflex.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 8
9. 4.
TEENPRENEURS I Love My Life Caine’s Arcade
Chinese twin sisters Viviandan and Miu Miu run the Caine’s Arcade, a film about 13 year old, California-
fashion blog I Love My Life under the username based Caine Monroy’s hand-built cardboard arcade,
呛口小辣椒 (which in English means ‘Tiny Chili became a viral sensation and led to the creation of a
Peppers’). The fashion blog is so popular that there scholarship fund for innovative kids.
are thousands of items on ecommerce platform
Taobao tagged with their Chinese username. The
teenagers earn money from the site by featuring
products.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 9
10. 4.
TEENPRENEURS Summly Junior MasterChef Australia
Developed by 16-year old Nick D’Aloisio in Junior MasterChef, is a spinoff from the MasterChef
his London bedroom, Summly is an app that series that started in the UK and has been aired in
condenses information from web browsing into 29 countries worldwide. This weekly series features
simple summaries. The software uses artificial kid home chefs aged 8 to 12, competing against one
intelligence, a specialized coherence algorithm, and another in a point system to be declared the best
machine learning to help collect the most relevant kid home chef in Australia. They are judged by the
sentences from text. adult MasterChef judges, guest chefs and even have
cook offs against adult celebrity chefs. Unlike the
adult series, these kids are shown techniques, helped
by the judges in a pinch and given more positive
feedback. Even those eliminated are given prizes.
The winner of the Junior MasterChef title is given an
AUD15,000 trust fund.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 10
11. 5. BRANDED
Governments in the ‘developed’ world are (running) Basically, BRAND BUTLERS, but on a civic scale.
out of money, while in many ‘emerging’ nations And yes, we know that in an ideal world, brands
and cities, governments can’t keep up with the shouldn’t have to do this, and that brand-creep is
breakneck demand for their services. All this always a potential issue. So apply wisely:
GOVERNMENT creates huge opportunities for brands that offer
more than just products and services for sale.
OUTsurance Pothole Brigade
OUTsurance is a South African insurance In South Africa, insurance firm Dial Direct launched
company that put traffic wardens on the streets of the Pothole Brigade, a road maintenance initiative
Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane – to ease that repaired over 50,000 potholes (at a cost of ZAR
the traffic flow at dangerous or congested junctions. one million per month) in and around Johannesburg,
as drivers reported them. Sadly, red tape recently
killed the initiative, but there are plenty of other cities
that could benefit from a similar set-up.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 11
12. 5. BRANDED
GOVERNMENT Telefonica Vivo Nissan: The Big Turn On
The Brazilian Secretary of State for Health and From March-July 2012, Nissan ran a contest in
telecommunications company Telefonica which Europe-based visitors to its The Big Turn On
Vivo partnered to launch an initiative to fight dengue. website could click a button to ‘turn on’ their city.
Vivo sent 50,000 SMS to its customers living in the Nissan awarded Linschoten in The Netherlands the
State of Maranhão (where dengue is a problem) city with the most ‘turn ons’, offering 30 quick electric
explaining how to ensure that they stayed dengue- charging stations to develop the area’s infrastructure
free. for electric vehicles.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 12
13. 5. BRANDED
GOVERNMENT Terra Wi-Fi Mabe
Mexican internet provider Terra launched a Colombian white goods
campaign in partnership with marketing agency DDB manufacturer Mabe launched a campaign in Q3
Mexico, encouraging dog owners to clean up after 2011 to promote its water-saving washing machine
their canines in exchange for free wifi. Dog owners (which uses 180 liters less water than similar models
that disposed of their animal’s feces in one of the per load). In converted buses and retail outlets in
dedicated boxes (located in ten of Mexico City’s Bogota, Mabe set up booths where individuals could
parks) received wifi credit. push a button to donate clean water to rural towns
in Colombia. Each booth was connected with a
webcam so that the villagers saw exactly who was
donating water. In two weeks, 15,000 participants
helped donate 50,000 liters of water.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 13
14. 6. NANNY
Online, there’s no shortage of useful information and Which is why consumers will welcome products,
good advice. Indeed, there are few areas left where apps or services that (constantly) monitor,
consumers are genuinely in the dark about what remind, prod and even force them to behave and
APPS & 24/7
they should be doing. Of course, actually doing it is perform ‘better’. Check out these NANNY APPS
another thing entirely. (and re-read our DIY HEALTH trend):
FEEDBACK
LUMOback Audi’s e-bike Wörthersee
California-based LUMOback aims to improve a Audi’s e-bike Wörthersee features an onboard
user’s posture through a combination of small, computer that connects to a smartphone, offering
wireless sensors and a smartphone app. It will challenges and tips on how to improve performance.
monitor posture in real time and send reminders to sit An online point-rewarding platform enables users
up straight using vibrations. to keep track of successes and compare their
achievements with fellow cyclists.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 14
15. 6. NANNY
APPS & 24/7
FEEDBACK
Color Frame Play & Connect
Japan-based Color Frame is a mobile app designed The Babolat Play & Connect tennis racquet provides
to help users track the condition of their skin over real-time information (via integrated sensors) on
time. Users take four photos of various facial gameplay, which can be used to improve technique
areas, which are scored on factors including spots, and share results online.
dullness, and pore size; results can be saved for
future comparison.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 15
16. 6. NANNY
APPS & 24/7
FEEDBACK
GymPact Nike + FuelBand
GymPact offers users cash incentives to use The Nike + FuelBand is a wristband that tracks
their gym and exercise. Individuals create a ‘Pact’ movement, calorie intake, and completion time for
regarding how many times they plan to visit the gym specific tasks. The device can be set up to monitor
during one week, and how much they’re willing to the wearer’s efforts toward pre-programmed goals
be fined. If users meet their target, they earn a cash (the LED display turns from red to green with
reward; if they don’t, they pay a fine to the GymPact progress), which can be managed by computer or
community. iOS smartphone.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 16
17. 6. NANNY
APPS & 24/7
FEEDBACK
22seven SuperBetter
22seven is a financial services platform that looks SuperBetter is an online social game, which aims to
at users’ bank statements to determine where they enable consumers improve their health and wellness
could save money. Consumers can see where they through challenges - which might include anything
generally spend money, and where they might be from quitting smoking to losing weight.
overspending. Then they’re offered strategies and
plans to help reduce the outgoings.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 17
18. 6. NANNY
APPS & 24/7
FEEDBACK
Runtastic Caffeine Zone
Runtastic offers a selection of products to Caffeine Zone is a free mobile app which allows
accompany its mobile fitness app. The GPS Pulse users to monitor their caffeine intake. It advises on
watch analyzes performance by monitoring GPS the best times to consume caffeinated beverages for
and heart rate data, which is then synchronized optimum mental alertness, as well as when to avoid
with the runtastic site. The chest strap syncs with caffeine in order to sleep soundly.
the runtastic PRO mobile app and offers users a
personal coaching experience.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 18
19. 6. NANNY
APPS & 24/7
FEEDBACK
NHS Health Apps Kahnoodle
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) began to Kahnoodle uses web and mobile technology to help
recommend health apps to patients (such as a build and maintain good relationships. Couples are
mobile drinks tracker), after finding that 25% of the given a “relationship dashboard” which displays key
users of the NHS Choices app or website visited their metrics on the health of their relationship through
doctor less frequently. simple diagrams.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 19
20. 7. JUICE
In a world that is completely dependent on being for anyone addicted to an online lifestyle. An
connected, with ever-more powerful and exciting absolute miniscule snapshot of the JUICE JITTERS
devices, it’s now actually extended battery life examples coming our way on a daily basis:
JITTERS
and charging options that are the holy grail
PowerTrekk Vodafone and Richard Nicoll
US-based lean tech firm myFC developed the Vodafone UK and fashion designer Richard
PowerTrekk, a USD 225 portable fuel cell charger Nicoll created a handbag that can power a mobile
that runs on water. It can be used to charge mobile phone while on the move. After the bag is charged
devices, such as smartphones or digital cameras. from a mains power outlet (using a cable that
magnetically attaches to the exterior), it carries up to
two days worth of extra battery.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 20
21. 7. JUICE
JITTERS Anthony Mutua’s Crystal
We-Bike Chip
Belgian We-Bike table uses the power of its uers to Anthony Mutua, a Kenyan entrepreneur, developed
generate electricity for devices such as laptops and a tiny chip of thin crystals (insertable in the sole of
cell phones during meetings, while providing gentle any shoe), which can gather and store energy as
exercise. the wearer walks. Devices can be charged via a thin
extension cable that runs from shoe to pocket, and it
costs KES 3,800 (approx. 45 USD) to fit any footwear.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 21
22. 7. JUICE
JITTERS
LumineXence Power Felt
The Lotus charger from Italian product design Power Felt (not yet in mass production) is a flexible
brand LumineXence is a solar-powered electric thermoelectric fabric that can be attached to a
vehicle charger, which also functions as an LED smartphone. The device is then able to convert body
streetlamp and bench. heat into power, and charge the battery whilst inside
its owner’s pocket.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 22
23. 7. JUICE
JITTERS
Sony Japan TUMEChip
Sony Japan’s wind-up mechanical USB charger is TUME is a project from Mexican design studio
for places or situations (natural diasters for example) NOS that helps reduce the dangerous energy theft
where no power is available. Three minutes of prevalent in informal economies without access to
winding up, gives users one minute of talk time, the grid. The TUME BASE station can be installed
whilst five minutes of winding yields one minute of on lamp posts or other hubs, and users then plug
web browsing. in a TUME ACCESS device to gain access to pre-
purchased electricity (similar to prepay cell phone
credit), available from local vendors, scratch cards or
SMS.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 23
24. 8. SAFETY
The benefits to both accessing and contributing to services and (especially) apps, that help keep
the wealth of information appear to have no end. people safe, right when they might need it most.
Indeed, far from simply making life more efficient and
NET
enjoyable, there are now a whole host of products,
Agentto Seguridad en Linea
Agentto is a free mobile app from Brazil that Colombian site Seguridad en Linea is a platform
provides rapid access to safety services. Users can for netizens to alert each other to security-related
also create a network with up to 12 people who incidents. Members report and monitor real time
can be instantly alerted to their precise location in activity by location, in categories such as robberies,
dangerous situations. scams, violence or terrorism.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 24
25. 8. SAFETY
NET China Survival Guide Softbank
The China Survival Guide is a free iPhone app that Softbank released the Pantone 5 107SH in Japan,
tracks food and health scandals across China, so a smartphone with an inbuilt Geiger counter.
users don’t need to keep up with the news reports The Android device can measure radiation in the
themselves. It was downloaded 200,000 times within surrounding air to within 20% accuracy, via a button
a week of launching. adjacent to the LCD screen.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 25
26. 8. SAFETY
NET
PR EA
IC RL
This free E A Y-
VA BIR
ILA D
Bicibuscadores Trend Briefing is BL
E
obviously only the
tip of the iceberg.
Bicibuscadores (‘Bikehunters’) is a Spanish social
network, set up with the aim of reducing bicycle
theft. Users who have been the victim of theft can
indicate on an online map where their bike was
stolen, thereby alerting others to places where thefts
If you want access to ALL trends, insights and
happen frequently.
innovations we’re spotting, check out our Premium
Service.
MORE»
trendwatching.com/premium
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 26
27. 9.
If CUSTOWNERS are consumers who own a stake with more and more ways for consumers to make
in a venture, SELLSUMERS are consumers who money, we’re now seeing rapid growth of what we’ve
make money from selling their insights to dubbed TASKSUMERS: consumers who make
TASKSUMERS
corporations, hawking their creative output money from carrying out small tasks, for other
to fellow consumers, or renting out unused individuals or corporations. Amazon’s Mechanical
assets. As the SELLSUMER trend has steadily Turks, and ShortTask already lead the way, but do
evolved since we started tracking it five years ago, also check out the following ventures:
Foap PleaseBringMe
Foap is an iPhone app that helps users earn money PleaseBringMe is a website from Turkey, which
from the photos they take on their phone. Members enables users to request that incoming tourists bring
upload their pictures onto the Foap Market, where hard-to-find items from outside their own country in
they are tagged by category and sell for USD 10 return for a reward.
each. If an image is bought, the money is split so the
photographer earns USD 5.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 27
28. 9.
TASKSUMERS
mClerk Bistip
Microsoft and the University of Toronto tested a Bistip is a peer-to-peer courier service from
mobile program in India that allows low-income Indonesia that helps travelers to discover (and
individuals without a computer or smartphone, negotiate a fee with) an individual that needs
to use old USD 10 cellphones to complete paid something delivered to their end destination.
tasks. mClerk sends images as bitmaps that can
be viewed on low cost devices with basic displays.
Participants type out the words displayed in the
images for a reward of phone credit.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 28
29. 9.
TASKSUMERS
Vites CloudFactory
Japanese Vites matches people with talent and/or CloudFactory has access to over half a million
time, to those who need to get things done. Users remote laborers from emerging markets that work
can create a Vites account using their Facebook on digital tasks. Workers can be divided into stations
profile and then start listing their service. When a user (like a factory assembly line) depending on their skill
finds something of interest, they press the outsource level, where they check the previous station’s work
button. Vites charges a USD 5 service fee for every for errors. ‘Cloud Worker Kits’ will be offered in future,
transaction. When the worker signals the completion providing the web-enabled devices that low-income
of a task, payment is transferred to their PayPal individuals need to participate.
account.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 29
30. 9.
TASKSUMERS
Gigwalk EasyShift
Gigwalk is a free app that provides businesses with Launched in May 2012, EasyShift is a smartphone
a temporary, mobile workforce. The app connects app from San Francisco that rewards users for
users (known as ‘Gigwalkers’) with companies that completing ‘Shifts’ (tasks for other businesses). Shifts
need on-location tasks completing. Gigwalkers are mapped out so that users can find the nearest
are paid to collect, capture and report back with available one, whether it’s answering a few questions,
real-world data, using their smartphone. The app or taking a picture of a promotion at a shopping
pushes each ‘Gig’ to the appropriate person based mall. Payments are made daily via PayPal, and
on their profile and real-time location. Tasks include regular users can build on their reputation to reach
verification of urban data (such as street names), opportunities for higher pay.
confirmation of in-store product placements, and
information on local real estate.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 30
31. 10.
The quest for sustainable consumption continues, have to step up a gear, and embrace SUPER-ECO,
but with many consumers ever more skeptical where every aspect of the product or service is
of half-hearted eco-initiatives, or indeed seeking unquestionably and utterly sustainable.
SUPER-ECO
truly compelling eco-stories, eco-producers will
Honest by EcoClean
Launched in Belgium in January 2012, Honest by is US-based aluminum manufacturer Alcoa unveiled a
an apparel brand and etailer which offers sustainable, new solution to deal with urban pollution. Reynobond
fully transparent garment collections for men and with EcoClean is a ‘smog-eating’ material which
women. For every product available on the Honest cleans both itself and the air around it, decomposing
by site, full information is available on manufacturing the smog, pollutants, fumes and dirt that can coat a
(including working conditions), material and supplier building’s surface.
sources, pricing, and ethical or organic certifications.
As Honest by supports animal welfare, no apparel
using leather or fur is available, and wool is certified
as recycled, organic or from ethical sources.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 31
32. 10.
SUPER-ECO
Gru Grococo Lowline Park
Gru Grococo chocolate bars are made from organic The Lowline Park (once completed) will be a large
cocoa harvested and roasted at a solar-powered 13-acre subterranean park, constructed on the site
microfactory in Grenada. They are transported to of a disused trolley terminal in New York City’s Lower
the UK via wooden sailing ship (Fair Transport). East Side. A system of fiber optics and solar panels
During the journey, products are cooled using solar will light the space and support photosynthesis,
and wind-powered refrigerators. The bars cost GBP meaning that plants and trees can survive
11.95 each, with 100% of the profits going to the underground.
producers.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 32
33. 11. REAL
Consumers’ desire to broadcast their lives on social more, plus an example of visualizing the number of
media is truly unabated (check out SOCIAL-LITES), online likes in the offline world. Sounds confusing?
and ‘liking’ things is an integral part of that. Last The examples will make sense:
WORLD
year we saw the first initiatives to bridge the offline
physical world with online liking: here are a few
LIKING
Coachella Festival C&A
Attendees of the 2012 Coachella festival in C&A introduced special Facebook-integrated
California were given encrypted NFC enabled hangers across stores in Brazil. The hangers display
wristbands instead of tickets. Those wearing the the number of times items have been ‘Liked’ on the
wristbands could wave them at various stations brand’s Facebook store, updated in real-time, so that
around the grounds and their Facebook status would shoppers can see the popularity of specific products.
automatically notify their friends which stage they
were at, and which band they were watching at that
moment.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 33
34. 11. REAL
WORLD
LIKING RFID Bracelets
Yes, these are turbulent times, but
you can still excite consumers.
Learn how at one of our
Consumer Trend Seminars
(until Oct. 2012).
Don’t miss out!
Several theme parks, including Wavlibi in Give us half a day of your time, and leave the room
Belgium, Luna Park in Australia, and a temporary knowing about every consumer trend, insight and
space set-up by Coca-Cola in Israel, have innovation that needs to be on your radar!
introduced RFID bracelets that let visitors update
their Facebook status while on the move. By swiping
trendwatching.com/seminars
their wrists over sensors before going on rides,
participants can ‘Like’ features, notify friends about
their activities, and have their pictures captured and
tagged.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 34
35. 12.
If individualism is the new religion, then uniqueness So expect the ARTIFICIAL SCARCITY trend (even
is its goddess. Consumers stand out by doing, more products, services and experiences that
visiting, owning, wearing, eating, driving, enjoying take scarcity to a carefully crafted extreme), to
ARTIFICIAL
those products and services that (most) others continue to make waves for quite a while to come. A
don’t. Yet, with mass prosperity and mass access, few examples (music and food & beverage, but the
that’s becoming an ever-harder feat to achieve trend applies to all B2C industries) to get you going:
SCARCITY
(see also our recent Trend Briefing on NEWISM).
Adam Tensta Doughnut Vault
Adam Tensta launched his latest song online in a The Doughnut Vault is a Chicago bakery that closes
format which meant that only one person could listen its doors after it sells out of doughnuts. Once the last
to the track at a time. After installing the necessary pastry has been bought, it does not reopen until the
app from Tensta’s Facebook page, fans that wished next morning.
to hear Pass It On had to take a place in the digital
line.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 35
36. 12.
ARTIFICIAL
SCARCITY Absynthe Minded Liberty Coffee
Belgian band Absynthe Minded released its latest Liberty Coffee is a small speakeasy café in
music video on a dedicated website where the clip Singapore, that freshly roasts and serves single origin
could only be viewed while it was being played live coffees and homemade cakes. They are open when
on the radio. Fans of the band were encouraged to they get a new shipment of coffee in for tasting i.e.
contact their local station to request the track. on random days, and sometimes stay closed for
over a week at a time. To find out when they are
due to open, customers need to like and follow their
Facebook page for updates.
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 36
37. NEXT
Next is that you run with these mini-trends. Or at least
with one of them. But more than one is better ;-)
Apply them to your business. Your industry. What new
business concepts, new products/services/experiences
or new campaigns can you come up with if you get some
colleagues together and brainstorm for 30 minutes per
selected mini-trend? Hey, you can sleep when you’re dead.
Our next Trend Briefing will feature a MEGA trend, coming
your way early October, so make sure you’re subscribed!
w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m MINI TRENDS 37
38. NEXT
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