Category Archive: Trends

Google’s Augmented Reality Glasses

Google has unveiled one of its most incredible technologies yet – augmented reality glasses.

Code-named ‘Project Glass’, the specs allow the wearer to get directions, take photographs, check in at places and message friends, with all the information appearing on the lenses of the glasses, and the technology staying out of the way when it’s not needed.

Is this the next technological leap or a wacky fad? We’ll let you be the judge!

Instability is the New Norm

“Instability is the New Norm” was the subject of an interesting seminar hosted in Dublin late last week by MCCP, an independent planning and insight agency. Headed up by founder, Kay McCarthy, the MCCP team presented the “new normal consumer in Ireland” covering their new priorities, shifting needs, gender role status and the trapped generation. Kay pointed out how this recession is particularly emotional and brands need to reassess their values as consumers already have. Successful brands are now focusing on the target audience as people rather than consumers and are tapping into how they operate in communities. And while digital often facilitates and often transforms real life, according to MCCP it is not the main event – people are simply using online tools such as Twitter and Facebook to significantly enrich their offline experiences.

Martin Raymond from The Future Laboratory discussed how brands are responding to the ‘new normal consumer’ globally. He said ‘Masstige’ (prestige for the masses) has been replaced by ‘Vaastige’, with value becoming prestigious and cited products like chocolate chip brioche from Lidl and the recent advertising campaign from Dixon’s as good examples of this trend.

Martin also presented on a key demographic, the Joneser’s, of which UK Prime Minister David Cameron is typical with a ‘we’, not ‘I’ mentality. To the Joneser, social causes and consumerism don’t have to be at odds and they believe in getting happy through experience, rather than through acquisition. Civility, ethics and community are key to the Joneser and anything that saves time is a really powerful proposition. He also discussed the next generation coming through, Generation Digital (GenD) and how they won’t distinguish between online and offline shopping. Their expertise online will lead to a rise in the up-handing of advice, with kids teaching their parents things as opposed to the other way around.

The Rurban Revolution is a new trend that sees traditionally rural things happening in cities, from growing your own vegetables to keeping chickens. According to Martin, we’ve moved from the globalisation of the 1980’s to hyperlocalism, where the characteristics of the local shopkeeper are what successful brands are adopting: friendly, personal, local and simple. And as Smartphones continue to develop, geotagging and augmented retail will become more mainstream. Other trends Martin discussed include App-vertising, which sees a shift from brands pushing things into consumers phones to them choosing to take it on themselves and Blogtailing / Magtailing, which sees online stores like ASOS working with magazine editors and bloggers to tell the brand story and enhance the retail experience.
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Friday Round Up

- Here’s to Arthur – the second year of Arthur Guinness day went down a treat, highlights included Paolo Nutini, Imelda Maye, Westlife, Black Eyed Peas and much more

- Twitter was hacked this week by a 17 yr old Australian who found a glich in the system and wanted to see if he could hack it using JavaScript

- Cork footballers won Sam back after 20 years

- An Post unveiled four commemorative stamps featuring irish Showbands heros such as Dickie Rock and Joe Dolan

- The National Ploughing Championships took place in Athy, Co Kildare this week. The horrible weather didn’t deter the crowds.

PR Surveys

It seems to be the season for trade and business publications to publish surveys and overviews of the PR industry at the moment. We have participated in three surveys which you will see in the current editions of Marketing Age, IMJ and Business Plus.

Summarising all of the pieces we see the following trends: » continue reading

TREND ALERT – VAMPIRES ARE BIG

Did anyone tune into True Blood last night on Channel Four? We loved it. Fresh from HBO, it had the best opening sequence for a long time and was compulsive viewing.

It reminds us that Vampires are very big at the moment – between the Twlight and Let The Right One In books and movies – it is a trend that cannot be ignored and is huge with the youth market.

With Hallowe’en around the corner, we are thinking that vampire might be the way to go costume wise.