As far as I can remember I have always been fascinated by what is new. New thinking, new approaches, new technologies - essentially an endless spectrum of possibilities that show themselves - demurely at first - and then build quickly to land in our homes and lives with a thump; often fundamentally changing the daily realities of our lives. They seem so obvious afterwards. Remember queuing to pay accounts or having an actual address book ? How about till operators punching in every price or having to schlep to the Post Office to post your overseas mail to keep in touch!
Cliché examples perhaps, so let me focus my binoculars a little more on some concepts on the far off horizon that may be a little more unfamiliar... Heard of live urban and global gaming ? Warcraft or Paranoid design? "The Droplift Project"? How about "Bumvertising" for an alternative channel ? The horizon is littered with cutting-edge developments and thinking, much of which has massive implications for the world we know and the way we live out lives. ("Braingate" as an example is the most sophisticated brain-computer interface yet tested in humans. A micro-chip that is able to connect with prosthetic limbs.) What is seen today to be marginal and even "lunatic-fringe" is where we can "Braille" the future ( a Faith Popcorn phrase ) This is where the cross-pollination of ideas and applications morph and are ultimately energized by what might be commercially viable. There are product, brand and branding, as well as service opportunities embedded - waiting; to be mined by only the most tuned-in creative and entrepreneurial minds.
The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious - Ted Levitt
To freewheel in this zone you need to be plugged in. Be insatiably curious. Just be more aware of what is already all around you, even if you choose not to partake. Read, both the intellectual and popular stuff! Have your antennae up all the time as you observe people, go about your work, travel, socialize, consume media, shop and live your life. Your interest and intuition will be what fuels your creative insights. Leading UK future firm "The future Laboratory" describes trends as weather patterns. They change all the time, some rising, some stable and others falling. Futurists don't have anything more than highly honed abilities to read current social context (or weather) and predict upcoming patterns and possibilities. The indicators are all already there in macro economics, our major social issues and politics. They are embedded in technology, the environment and influenced by our lifestyles, the media, cinema, sport, travel, fashion, art (and design), architecture and music.
Rather than a destination we are moving towards, the future is an evolving reality we are ourselves creating right now. We need to be prepared for various futures, and be bold in interpreting the options for our brands. Brands are like people - they change, and we need to keep re-calibrating the relevance of their promises and values. Rather than set and stuck, they should be flexible to be expressed in fresh ways, driven by the cultural context of their target market.
In my opinion, when it comes right down to it - the only truly important thing in this world is Love. Those you love, and in turn, those by whom you are loved. It is our family and our friends who give meaning to our lives. In a time-poor, lightening-paced world where our lives are becomingly increasingly dominated by technology - consumers are indicating a preference for brands that spread the love too! The Future Laboratory, together with Tickbox.com bore this out in their Brand Personality Register findings. They interviewed 1,000 consumers in the UK who describe the perfect brand characteristics as friendly (44%), authentic (36%), personal (40%), human (30%), and local (30%). The brands we're drawn to are idiosyncratic and driven by passion and culture rather than commercialism and uniformity. Brands with passion and heart, rather than marketing jargon
We are in an age of instant communications, a world where economic borders are disappearing, and even national and cultural identities separate and divide us less. To remain relevant as marketers we need to embrace and employ technology but always be tuned to the human condition and the meaning people seek in their lives. Consumers are rediscovering the value of value, and respond to authenticity and honesty. Brands do not merely have to fulfill a market need. We should aspire beyond this to fulfill people's dreams - even those they may be inadequate in expressing. Perhaps a market survey commissioned by Henry Ford, for example, might have shown people wanted faster horses rather than automobiles! (Ref: The future Laboratory)
Discovery is the journey and your insight, rather than the destination, the reason to keep exploring.
Debbie Simms is a network trend spotter for "Trendfire", a division of UK consultancy "In-deed Consulting". Trendfire captures and interprets burning shopper and consumer mega-trends for commercial strategy and activation. http://www.in-deedtrendfire.com and http://www.in-deed.com
Visit http://www.thefuturelaboratory.com Click on INFO and download past LifeSign Network Newsletters for some awesome reading.
From Autumn / Winter 2005 :
Live Urban Gaming: New generation gamers harness the power of GPS and mobile technologies to play live games across towns and continents.
Paranoid design: Artists and designers making overt references to our fears, and including them in product design
"The Drop Lift Project": The opposite of shoplifting, it's been called "guerilla art", and subverts mainstream commercial space for artistic expression. Packaging of a regular grocery brand is changed - bar code intact, so they can still be purchased.
"Bumvertising": Controversial and provocative, Bumvertising has been used to promote brands and to sabotage them. Homeless beggars are paid to spread your message on sandwich boards at high traffic intersections. Visit http://www.bumvertising.com