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Latest trends | 2013
street
The street can get into the focus in 2013 from different points of view. We can define the social space with many approaches. From the marketing’s point street is the place for ambient marketing, because we even more clearly see that information has to be brought close to potential consumers, which is possible at the street, on the go. Street, as the venue of public programmes becomes even more important, we see that at these places people are happy to find theatres, festivals, exhibitions and performances. People like it, because street presence is always free for the recipient, if a brand presents itself on the street, it cannot ask for a fee for that. The grey everyday life is also coloured by a street solution, which can become a great success if it is well established. Another great advantage of this venue is that consumers feel that they are free, because they can turn or go away, they cannot be forced to accept a street performance if they are not interested or not in the mood. Street is traditionally a good place, just think of village people sitting in front of their houses or of others drinking a coffee, having ice-cream at the street. Street can also mean more democratic consumption; those can also participate in street culture, who otherwise could not afford an exhibition or a concert. Street art, in any form is a good means to stop people. Since street in this approach is the street of a city, there is a need to provide something from the nature, which is otherwise hard to create. As a result, ”street greens” – such as the movable trees in ceramic pots, holders, small tomato growing gardens enclaved in streets, spice plants at balconies and all the markets related– will have a greater value. ”Urban green” in any forms can become oases...
remix
Because of their prices and their unfamiliarity, in many cases, nowadays the environment does not support innovation and fundamentally new solutions. Now we like those products, which are the same, but still somehow different. The same, because they do not necessarily include new functions, radical changes, but – bas they focus on different elements, they highlight different features or they simply mix old with new - they are still interesting. If they create excitement about the products by using senses or by transformed features, the world of brands can accomplish itself. Bringing transformation, as the alteration of something existing, from one field to another is frequent. Aesthetics, design and finding new shapes is important in the operation of this trend. Opaque borders are also typical concerning this present trend, out of which phenomena reformulated solutions born, fertilizing each other with practices used at other fields. The users of this trend emphasize many times the superlative, referring to the newest, the most fresh, the most immediate, ”the most being together”, the most spontaneous, the fastest. This trend also reaches those senses abandoned by marketing, such as touching or the smelling. In many cases there is a desperate struggle to reach the attention of the customer, to direct them to a solution; as a result exaggerated adjectives and rarely used means appear. Assaulting the senses is done by finding new solutions, to reach the expected success.
me: the professional
Today’s device alternatives enable people to live their creativity in a vast range and in a professional way, rather than worth a simple quality. People have been showing themselves in the virtual world for years. While until today they were more about to show themselves, their beauty, their knowledge and their family events, the present points out to share professional quality solutions. The even spreading phenomenon of crowdsourcing is also built upon this, because consumers are ready to become outsourced developers, sales and marketing people. Some people are affected by this trend at a level that they feel to be the beautiful geniuses. Most of the shared information still describes the more profitable characteristics, but today people share their even more genius-like skills. We witness the impressive presentation of little knowledge, just as the appearance of online geniuses. Altogether the trend shows high quality self-presentations and creative solutions – which are more advanced than the professional’s – at the same time. Obviously the trend also involves fragmentism, because in lots of cases the offered professionalism is narrow or emphasises only one element of it. Ordinary and professional people can also use these professional outputs, so their attention is wider and they can even take care of tracking their children, their friendships, although in most of the cases here is the limit. Consumers involved in these trends spend a lot of time with those, in the focus of their interest, and with those, in which they show professionalism, acknowledged by their real or virtual scene. Their efforts are supported by the even larger amount of and even more easily available information, which goes together with transparency of companies.
quantified me
Today’s consumers have to accept those aspects, from which the consumers of the trends, articulated in 2008, have been afraid of– the unauthorized personal data usage, the theft or mapping of their identity. Nowadays unbelievable databases are created, which enables companies to predict consumer movements, customs and even people’s personality. Quantified me does not only refer to the recording, the analysis and the usage of offline behaviour, but also reflects online lifestyle. We see the signs of people left in the virtual space, we can also look into their identities, we can evaluate whether they are up to date and the level of their transparency. It is interesting that we are afraid of huge databases, of the big data effect and of appearing in these databases. There are some people, who do not like to use their bank cards and are not willing to leave traces in the systems, on the other hand there is the majority, which provides huge amount of information voluntarily and they do not think about that these shared information will remain there undeleted. Lots of companies see opportunity in this market, marketing experts of lots of companies see their customers only in numbers, it seems to be that everyone can be categorized, described and presented in infographics. The counter trend of this behaviour - which ranges from the negligence of participating in these databases up to the rebellion against these databases - is about to evolve. Some companies even find it possible to create insights out of these data.
unfamiliar friends
As the internet became usual and the web2 communities became accepted, we get closer to acquaintances, who we actually have never seen, but with whom we also have something common. This can be a mutual interest, a common neighbourhood or the struggling with the same problems. These unfamiliar friends give advices by sharing their experience from different situations in life. We are willing to accept the most their evaluation, ranking, because if nothing else, but the common problem links us together. This special connection enables us to get discounts when shopping, but also to create the option of using the network of relations. Gradually besides the facilities of traditional economic, cultural and social capital, virtual capital and net also mean a value. This goes beyond country borders and we get quite a confidence when travelling in real or virtual space. Companies are mainly afraid of these acquaintances’ criticisms, disadvantageous evaluations and comparable results. This also means that communicational messages, directed by companies, do not reach target, if they do they are transformed by the receiving community. This also results in the displace of company opinions from social networks, while even those efforts fail, which aim to penetrate with brands and companies into communities. These communities do not like if a corporation perceivably intrudes and tries to become an opinion leader. This might lead to boycott or at least to displacement. These unfamiliar friends have their memes and build their own cultures.
(me)nvironmental protection
Consumers consider environmental problems even less nature related; as a result of the worthened life circumstances, caused by the financial crisis, the closer environment and its social aspects get into the focus. Concentrating on the nearer environment reflect the raise of social sensitivity, nowadays it is even harder to avoid people’s problem, since these are even more visible. Wealth related bad conscience can be mitigated by helping others in various forms. When considering this trend it is not only cash related help, it can be about employment, things, knowledge or voluntary work. Since Hungary is lack of voluntary work traditions, it is expected that there will be a significant change. This kind of voluntary work focuses on the closer environment, it is realised along a common interest (for example: nursery, school and neighbourhood). When planning marketing activity it is important to consider that decentralized, local projects can help to develop goodwill. These programmes might also appear at outdoor social places, these companies can show their activity, but not in an intrusive way. Nowadays showing environmental sensitivity, which can be considered as long term investment, is trendy.
questioned lives
It is usual that trends, specified for the Hungarian market move parallel with those formulated at international level. The trend of questioned lives is special, although it is not unique in the world. In Hungary it can be perceived now that when finding answers for the questions being raised, not only decisions have to be modified due to external circumstances, but also life goals have to be reformulated. Mainly young people are affected by the even more expensive higher education; state supported opportunities show different directions than they did a few years ago. These altogether force families to re-plan. Fulfilling desires became expensive, which price is paid by families at the Hungarian or at international markets. The new situation makes young people move; they select universities abroad, where they can study the desired scientific field for free. They are supported by student jobs and grants, so they can earn a living. The narrowing domestic job market and the tightening earning options significantly result in foreign employment. This fact affects professions, regions at different levels, but determines the public mood. Thanks to the developed info-communication instruments, the far became close and keeping contact is simpler, although emotional shortage remains in families. We still do not know much about its influence at the given markets, which effect derives from the phenomena that young people are the ones, who move at first and find new opportunities. We also do not know whether these new aspects make experience more important compared to the knowledge, whether they annul the value of a diploma. Together with the declining mobility, the number of people, ready to create increases, while they are far away from those ready to spend.
curatorship
It is easy to agree that nowadays we get lost in the colourful world of goods and services. Everyone is primarily interested in whether they have seen the best offer or they have selected the best one out of them. Simply we need help! This help is provided by curators, who have previously been working well and have appeared at a new field. The curator is the one, who, by understanding our needs and having a similar taste, filter the offered elements, while they save time and energy. The trend of curatorship makes brand owners to meditate. When can they become the curators of their customers? When and why is their opinion leadership accepted by consumers? If a brand can become a curator of a field that can possess the topic, it gains sure success and the first associations. Not anyone can become a curator; an accepted knowledge is necessitated, while they also have to keep in mind the needs of the driven people and not their own interests. The good curator can bring back the lost customers and those, believed to be missing. Not only brands can become curators, we have seen that celebrities, famous and widely favourable people can function as opinion leaders. Those, who are amateur or unprofessional experts of a given field and their broader or narrower environment accepts their evaluations, are also curators. Today communities can also work as curators, mainly those virtual communities, which focus large interest on a given field. Selection and filtering of possible opti0ns works, if the trust of those involved is received.
pop out consumption
It is really conspicuous that most of the people cannot keep the previously usual level at all areas. Limits are affective and needs are also existing, as a result, if it is continuously not possible to purchase the given product or service at the regular level, it is still available to enjoy and to cool down by intentionally popping up with a product or service from the desired level. This seems to be pretending, but it is more than that, because it also means for consumers the reassuring and the belief in the future. There is no doubt that this type of consumption results in fragmentation, unexpected appearance, harder planning for producers and service providers, but it is needed for those involved in emotional reassuring. It also shows some kind of rationality as well, because for this kind of consumer behaviour there is a need for preparation, pricing impulses, as a result the reached product cannot cause disappointment. This also highlights the responsibility of brand owners, because it is possible that their loyal customer pays too large price, compared to his or her own potentials. Maybe their expectations grow parallel with it. If they are disappointed that probably means a definite farewell. Not only the emotional reassuring is important, but also the high standard and outstanding level of functional performance.