What's A Trend Got To Do With It?

I’ve been a fan of trendwatching.com for a long time. For example, check out their “12 Crucial consumer trends for 2012” here.

Of all the information trendwatching came up with here, I was most struck by the last paragraph of the landing page, which told readers – and marketers – four ways to apply these consumer trends.

That’s what I’ve always wondered: How does a marketer or fundraiser look at a consumer trend and translate it into action?

Here’s the answer: View trends as a way to:

1. Influence or shape your company's vision.
2. As inspiration for a new business concept, an entirely new venture, a new brand.
3. Add a new product, service or experience for a certain customer segment.
4. Speak the language of those consumers already 'living' a trend.


To boost the application even further, trendwatching offers “15 Trend Tips” that offer practical, contextual, specific ways to use trends data to shape your own marketing program.

My favorite? “Don’t worry about timing or life cycles or regional suitability or … “In short, look at trends as opportunities, not threats.

Every predicted or identified“trend” makes a good conversation starter and a tremendous seed for brainstorming. I love #6 on the 2012 list “bottom of the urban pyramid” which points to the growth of the “hundreds of millions of lower-income CITYSUMERS” that offer a whole new market.

Hmmm.. now what can I do with THAT?

-- scrubbed by Marketing Brillo